Why are Green Economy and Green Growth important issues?
Today, it is widely acknowledged that the economy has grown so great and global that it is transforming all other activity on earth. Therefore, it is recognised that to change the way society functions there is a need for a new economy, perhaps even a new paradigm, incommensurate with current values and ideas. Obviously such a change must be driven by social concern, but it involves also a transformation of policies and planning to set the frame for firms and consumers.
What can we look forward to in the next issue of Nordregio News?
We need to understand the best way to transform the economy, we need to transmit this knowledge into concrete action and we need political will and tools to level the playing field and make sure that the incentives are there to support the transformation. In this issue of Nordregio News we deal with these important steps and will show both the conceptual, practical and political components of Green Growth.
Finally, what are Green Economy and Green Growth?
A Green Economy, or a Green Growth, is seen as a way to pursue development in both industrial and developing countries without degradation of the environment and resources, emissions or loss of biodiversity. It builds on the idea of developing cleaner production processes, developing new products and energy solutions and reducing waste. At the same time it takes into consideration the planning of societies, structural changes needed to facilitate this transition and the distributional impacts of such vast changes. The transformation to a green economy is both driven by the need to reduce emissions and resource use, but also by rational ideas about new possibilities.
The next issue is out at the end of February.