Sustaining commitments to emissions reduction policies will require an approach that generates its own momentum. Green growth may offer that momentum, by minimizing the cost of the transformation to a low-carbon energy system and creating wealth and employment along the way.Achieving the vision of green growth may therefore require more emphasis on discovery, and less on the specifics of energy itself.This literature review identifies three different concepts of green growth, and tests whether the assertions common to their different goals and ambitions hold up in light of the research literature on climate change policy, economic growth, and job creation.