In the wake of the global financial crisis, interest in the relationship between the economy and the environment substantially increased. Several proposals emerged between 2008 and 2012 for the creation of a ‘Green New Deal’, ‘Green Stimulus’, and a ‘Green Economy’. These proposals are often conflated with one another under the rubric of ‘green capitalism’, but there are important distinctions to be made between them. Each suggests a different role for the state in regulating the market and the financial sector (i.e. they suggest different models of capitalism). The proposals can also be distinguished by the positions taken on ecological modernisation (i.e. they put forward different models of ‘greenness’). Recognition that there are varieties of green capitalism being mooted increases the opportunities for more targeted critiques of each model and enables a more constructive debate about the options for creating sustainable economies in the developed world.
The rhetorical zeal for green enterprise as a global fix for the tripartite challenges of economic recession, environmental degradation and social inequality is increasingly visible in state and non-state pronouncements around the globe under the banner of ‘The Green Economy’. In particular, many policy-facing statements call for transitions leading to a transformation in development practices. Yet there is little detail either in policy or research regarding the types of transitions needed and how they are to be initiated, nor agreement about what a transformed economy might look like. Despite this, there are emergent activities within the cleantech arena which are being heralded as actually existing examples of green economy activities. One means through which these activities are seeking to exert influence over development trajectories is by clustering both at the subnational and transnational level. While diverse in formation, many of these clusters are hybridised, involving actors from public, private and civil society sectors.
This report summarizes the main findings of a national green jobs assessment conducted in Mexico in 2013. The assessment revealed how many green jobs currently exist in the country and which sectors show the strongest potential for further green jobs creation.
Fast-growing cities in the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) region will define the region's energy future and its greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint. Rapid urbanization and growing standards of living offer a major opportunity to EAP cities to become the global engines of green growth by choosing energy efficient solutions to suit their infrastructure needs and by avoiding locking in energy-intensive infrastructure. The underlying studies in three EAP pilot cities show a clear correlation between investments in energy efficient solutions in all major infrastructure sectors and economic growth by improving energy and GHG emissions efficiency, cities not only help the global environment, but they also support local economic development through productivity gains, reduced pollution, and more efficient use of resources. This paper is organized as follows: part one focuses on urban energy use and GHG emissions in EAP; part two presents sustainable urban energy and emissions planning in three pilot cities; and part three gives sustainable urban energy and emissions planning guidebook: a guide for cities in EAP.
This paper India’s Agricultural Trade Policy and Sustainable Development examines how India's farm trade policy could help achieve public policy goals such as overcoming poverty, ensuring food security and improving environmental sustainability, against the background of WTO rules and obligations.
In order to achieve long-term sustainable growth, countries in Sub-Saharan Africa need to adapt their economies and growth models taking 'Green Growth' or 'Green Economy' concepts into account. Only in a scenario, where economic growth and the conservation and sustainable management of natural resources are equally taken into consideration, poverty can be reduced in a sustainable way. On behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), GIZ supports partner countries in the transition towards a Green Economy, helping them to use upcoming opportunities, manage political risks throughout the transformation process, and tap into new markets and products based on a green economy.