The World Bank on Monday called on governments, international aid agencies and other development partners to join a new global knowledge platform aimed at bolstering green growth.

The platform, being developed jointly by the World Bank, the United Nations Environment Programme and the OECD, aims to bring together proponents of sustainable development to promote and implement green growth policies by exchanging knowledge and information, according to a statement from the Washington-based agency.

"As residents of developed countries, our pathway to prosperity has come through technological innovation and industrial production. This has brought many benefits, but they have come at a significant price as we have seen depletion of our natural resources and harm to our environment," said World Bank Vice President Inger Andersen for Sustainable Development.

"Increasingly today, we understand the true cost to the planet of this model of economic growth. Developing countries are looking for another, better way to pursue their own growth and reduce poverty, leapfrogging the polluting age of development," added Andersen.

Andersen noted that the World Bank Group has significantly ramped up its sustainable development operations in client countries through a wide range of programs that support environmental protection, natural resources management, clean energy, efficient transport, safe water, more productive agriculture, and modern urban planning.