Story | 01 May, 2011

Principles for the Green Economy

A collection of principles for the green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication

content hero image

Photo:

As we approach the UN Conference on Sustainable Development 2012 (UNCSD) or 'Rio+20', we stand at a critical moment in Earth's history, a time when humanity must choose its future. The identification of the 'green economy' as one of the key themes for the Summit represents a significant opportunity to define a new global economic paradigm, but it also entails a risk that previously 'hard-won' global agreements on sustainable development might be lost or obscured in the pursuit of new agenda. There are also as yet few definitions as to what constitutes a 'green economy', which make some actors weary about its potential application.