In the transition path towards the green economy, health is a powerful tool and a key precondition in harnessing sustainable economic development, as well as in eradicating poverty and in ensuring an economically equitable and socially inclusive society.
Greening the economy is essentially about improving human well-being, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. Thus, health is central to achieving sustainable development. Investments in greening key sectors of the economy, and adopting related policies and strategies, can lead to a healthier population. Moving away from the conventional “grow first, clean up later” path of development into a “green” path of development can result in a more healthy, socially inclusive, productive, equitable and more resilient society.