Germany is the third largest economy in the OECD. It experienced strong GDP growth and robust performance on many economic and social indicators during the 2000s. It has also been resilient to the global economic crisis. Along with economic and social progress, Germany has continued to play a proactive role in environmental policy within the European Union and internationally. It consolidated and further developed an already comprehensive environmental policy framework. There has been a shift from sector-specific to more comprehensive and cross-cutting policies, including the development of a National Sustainable Development Strategy and important initiatives on biodiversity, climate change, energy and resource efficiency.