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Green Economy
Green economy and ecological
economics
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (2010) a
Green Economy is one that results in improved human well-being and
social equity , while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. A green economy is a economy or economic
development model based on sustainable development and a knowledge of
ecological economics.
In 2010 the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (via its "Green Fund" initiative) responsible for global monetary policy have
stated a clear intention to move towards biodiversity valuation and a more official and universal
biodiversity finance. Taking these into account targeting not less but radically zero emission and waste is what
is promoted by the Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives.
Karl Burkart defines a green economy as based on six main sectors:
* Renewable energy - solar, wind , geothermal , hydro ectricity, biogas, fuel cell
* Green buildings for energy and water efficiency, green products
and LEED construction
* Clean transportation - alternative fuels , public transit, hybrid and electric vehicles
* Water management- Water reclamation, rainwater systems,
water purification
* Waste management - recycling , municipal solid waste salvage,
sustainable packaging
* Land management- organic agriculture , habitat conservation and restoration; urban forestry and parks , reforestation and afforestation and soil stabilization
Green economy includes green energy generation based on renewable energy to substitute for
fossil fuels and energy conservation for efficient energy use. The green economy creates jobs
, ensures real, sustainable economic growth, and prevents environmental pollution , global warming , resource depletion ,
and environmental degradation.
The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
In June , 2012 world leaders will gather in the
city of Rio de Janeiro to mark the 20th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) - the Earth Summit. It
will be 40 years since the Stockholm conference, when the question of
the environment first caught global attention. At Stockholm the developing nations were just feeling their way to articulate what the
environment meant for them, how their development would need resources
and how their growth could lead to pollution. At Rio in 1992, the same set of countries decided to put its foot down:
they asserted their right to sustainable development.
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Dialogue on Green Economy and Inclusive Growth in Delhi
The 2011 Delhi Ministerial Dialogue on ‘Green Economy and Inclusive
Growth’ will begin from Octobor 10, 2011 in Delhi. The Government of India and
the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) Secretariat are jointly hosting it. The Delhi Dialogue aims to support
the preparations for Rio+20 by providing a platform for international
deliberations on opportunities for a green economy to reinforce countries’ poverty eradication and social development agendas, including
enhancing food security and energy security of the poor. It is expected
that a shared vision on these issues would be the main outcome of this
Dialogue.
The Delhi Dialogue is a step forward in preparations for the UNCSD, also
known as Rio+20, scheduled to take place in June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil. It aims to provide a platform for international deliberations on
the integration of green economy architecture and global challenges of
poverty eradication, food security, and energy security. Eradicating
poverty is an indispensible requirement for sustainable development. A
major cause aggravating poverty is the unsustainable pattern of consumption and production.
The Delhi Dialogue will be an opportunity for high level government officials and UN agencies to
explore in depth
the linkages of a green economy for poverty eradication and broad-based,
inclusive growth. Integrating green economy strategies and policies into
poverty eradication, food security and energy security is an imperative
for sustainable development. The issues to be addressed include sustainable management of sectors like agriculture, industry, energy and
transport, urgent adoption of sustainable lifestyles and consumption
patterns through reduction in per capita ecological footprint,
appropriate population policies, equity concerns, poverty eradication
and developmental imperatives.
Government officials and delegates from 54 countries and 12 UN agencies
are expected to attend it. Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan, Minister of State
for Environment and Forests (I/C) and Shri Vilas Rao Deshmukh, Minister
for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, along with Mr Sha Zukang,
Secretary General, UNCSD will address the delegates at the inaugural.
UN conference to highlight green job opportunities
Providing training and education for young people so they can fully
participate in the emerging ?green economy? will be the focus of a
United Nations conference which kicks off on September 27, 2011 in the Indonesian city
of Bandung.
The event,hosted by the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP),
brings together about 1,400 young people from around the world who were
selected based on their environmental projects and activism on green issues.
"From Asia to the Middle East and Europe, and from North America to
Latin America and the small island developing States (SIDS), the issue
of youth employment is emerging as a challenge to the global economy and
to social stability in countries and communities," said Achim Steiner,
UNEP's Executive Director.
Green Economy Roadmap
Warning of the pressures of climate change, European Parliament’s Environment Committee (MEPs) say that biodiversity
and natural resources – such as water, soil and forests – must be
properly valued and accounted for. Parliament supports the European
Commission’s call for a “Green Economy Roadmap” and stresses that
sustainable growth needs new measures and “accountable targets”,
including global goals to increase renewable energy and energy efficiency. A narrow majority of MEPs meanwhile expressed their
opposition to the exploitation of shale gas and tar sands.
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