Building on the case study of the shea butter supply chain in Burkina Faso, this article proposes an original approach consisting of improved energy use for a more competitive and sustainable activity. The traditional butter production process consumes a great deal of energy from firewood and generates a lot of organic waste that could be used as an energy source. We examined the feasibility of using alternative energy techniques that could be taken on board as they are simple and designed from local resources, whilst using by-products from the shea butter production chain as biofuels to partially replace firewood. The study shows that using alternative energy techniques, taken one by one or combined, can lead to lower energy use and thereby increase women's incomes, whilst helping to conserve forests.
This paper illustrates the foundations of green growth in Zambia and provides an overview of green development co-operation efforts in the country from 2004 to 2012. Furthermore, it discusses on-going efforts towards greening growth in Zambia. Aditionally, the study looks at total bilateral green Official Development Assistance (ODA) flows from members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) member countries, i.e. targeting biodiversity, climate change adaptation, climate change mitigation, desertification, and other environmental objectives. This analysis draws on OECD DAC statistics, in particular the Creditor 10 Reporting System (CRS). It describes the sectors targeted, as well as the instruments used, and discusses the degree of alignment between Zambian priorities and providers’ activities. Another section of the paper then explores specific provider co-ordination efforts and strategies to support the mainstreaming of green issues incountry. The paper concludes with a number of questions that could guide further research on this topic in Zambia and beyond.
The green economy and climate resilience agendas are widely promoted as solutions to 21st century challenges facing sustainable development. As the world continues to urbanise, the role of cities in promoting these agendas is increasingly recognised. Yet, the informal economy – which accommodates the majority of non-agricultural employment in low- and middle-income countries – is seldom considered in the transition to a greener, more resilient economy. This paper aims to provoke discussions around two main questions: What is the role of the urban informal economy in this transition? And, how can urban informal enterprises and their workers contribute to achieving economies that are not only greener and more resilient, but also more inclusive?
Pathways to Scale, the Inquiry`s third progress report, explores how innovative ideas and practices can be made more effective, adopted more widely, and taken to scale—and as a result move the trillions that are required. Scaling-up proven but limited innovations, is a common development challenge, requiring the adept handling of inevitable technical and institutional barriers, and the creation of viable pathways which can overcome outdated but often resilient conventional wisdoms.
This textbook provides a comprehensive introduction to the green economy, using a strongly interdisciplinary approach based on environmental science, rather than treating it as a sub-set of economics. The scientific principles of sustainability are presented, which provide the foundations of the green economy, with a particular focus on systems-based approaches. Examples of real-world case studies are used to illustrate how the green economy can be achieved in practice. In this way, the authors provide a thorough overview of both the principles and practice of the green economy, drawing from a wide range of disciplines including ecology, geography, social science, psychology, sustainability science, environmental science, law and economics.