Social justice
A green economy is one that allocates environmental benefits and costs fairly to achieve a more just and equitable society. Our coalition members share some practical thinking on how to ensure a socially just transition.
Resilient Dynamism? An informal word with leaders meeting in Davos
This year’s World Economic Forum in Davos has Resilient Dynamism as its watchword. The focus will be on growth that can withstand shocks and sustain, among other things, “affordable supplies of critical natural resources.” Five years of volatile food, mineral, and energy prices have added to the sense of urgency among business leaders and politicians to build more resilient economies.
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Put yourself on the map
To the sceptics out there who don't believe that change is happening, or that an alternative economy is possible, we invite you to take a trip around the world and see a transition that is already underway and is gathering speeed.
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Civil society demand limits and wellbeing for 'green growth'
Many economists and policy makers now advocate a fundamental shift towards ‘green growth’ as the new, qualitatively-different growth paradigm, based on enhanced material/resource/energy efficiency and drastic changes in the energy mix. But challengers say it is a reductionist approach that needs to look at broader issues. But a number of global initiatives and discussions on advancing green growth are already underway targeting rich, middle income and developing countries alike.
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Action and learning to build a new economic model in the Caribbean
The Caribbean is often associated with its remarkable biodiversity and cultural diversity. Yet, while its cultural and ecological heritage provides the very foundations of the region’s economy, the current model of development has resulted in environmental degradation, rising inequity and poor economic performance.... Continue reading
There are no jobs on a dead planet
The global trade union movement is bitterly disappointed at the Declaration of the Rio+20 Summit, a declaration that lacks the concrete measures necessary now to end senseless environmental destruction, drive investment into the green economy to create jobs and reduce the alarming growth in inequity with the guarantee of social protection for the most vulnerable people.
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Energy equity: can the UN Sustainable Energy for All initiative make a difference?
This year sees the launch of the UN Sustainable Energy for All initiative, with UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon creating a high-level group to mobilize action. We support the goals of this initiative but – like other observers – we feel it requires more ambition and focus. Key priorities should be reducing poverty through access to modern energy services, and ensuring equitable access to electricity and consumption of energy resources (such as gas, oil and biomass).
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Speeding up the transition
150 stakeholder representatives gathered over the weekend at Pace University for The Global Transition Dialogue #2, to review progress on the road to Rio and emerging thinking about the green economy. All were agreed that sustainable development remains the goal – development that meets the needs of the present while protecting the health of the planet and the interests of future generations. The greening of the global economy must be understood not as an end in itself, but as a way of creating or strengthening the means or instruments for moving faster towards a more sustainable pattern of development in the future.
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Green economy: developing country stakeholders have their say
If I were to ask you what Mali, India, the Caribbean and Brazil all had in common I suspect you might be stumped. They represent a vast spectrum of political, environmental, economic and cultural contexts. But each are exploring the meaning of a green economy in their own regional and national contexts. The processes and emerging outcomes are very revealing and I would really recommend you read through the dialogue summaries. But, in view of Rio 2012, can any conclusions be drawn across such a diverse range of economies regarding a transition to a green economy?... Continue reading
Putting the green economy on trial: The verdict?
On November 15 the Green Economy Coalition (GEC) invited leading practitioners from business, economics and civil society to respond to their vision for a green economy. We put ourselves in the dock. We faced the music. So what was the verdict?
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A good transition is a fair transition
A good transition to a green economy doesn't only mean that the transition needs to be effective and reasonably fast. It also means it is carried out as fairly as possible, and that means protecting the positions of those, who are used to being on the receiving end of change rather than helping create it.
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Glimpses of a green economy
We're not there yet, but the good news is there's already plenty of innovation underway to provide a glimpse of what's to come… Read more >>
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