Green Economy - the Next Oxymoron? No Lessons Learned from Failures of Implementing Sustainable Development

Authors :
Ulrich Brand

The concept of a green economy has become the new buzz word in sustainability discourses, particularly in light of the Rio+20 Conference. Because of the current economic crisis and the perception that sustainability politics cannot be implemented efficiently, politicians have set their hopes on greening the economy. However, there are major problems with the aims and strategies linked to this concept. Specifically, if political, economical, and cultural constraints are not considered, green economy strategies will not be successful in their goals to end environmental degradation and reducing poverty.