Playing Catch Up with Green Economies

We can all agree on the fact their must be a change on the way we fuel our world. The problem is that there are too many different aspects to change quickly to meet those needs. All of the stakeholders need to contribute into finding a solution to our crisis.

What is the solution to this crisis? Many will suggest multiple solutions that only hit one topic, but to be able to implement a successful strategy we need to have a strategy that applies to what drives the world, Markets.

We need to move completely away from the “brown” or traditional economy to the “green’’ economy. Green economy involves improving the wellbeing and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. This is all had to done with profitability in mind.

According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), green economy comes against the backdrop of serious crises in climate, biodiversity, food, fuel and water, and more recently, the financial crises which has all been characterized by gross misallocation of capital while being exacerbated by existing policies and market incentives.

A recent report by Unep titled “Towards a Green Economy” states that sustainable development can only be achieved if there is an economic transformation that promotes resource and energy efficiency and reduces environmental degradation.

Multiple countries around the world such as the African Union have declared to implement Green economies.  For developing countries this is a key advantage due to their lack of established infrastructure. They will be able to implement and educate the cultures about Green economies.

“Speaking at the inaugural Green Economy Summit in Johannesburg in 2010, South African President Jacob Zuma said the green economy requires integrated strategies and plans that balance economic, environmental and social development objectives with carefully crafted policy and institutional frameworks to ensure sustainable development.”

I noticed that a lot of upcoming nations are starting to implement or fully discuss the idea of converting their whole nation into a green economy, not just talk about it and use it as an election tool to gain votes. I ask myself why a nation that spends trillions of dollars on wars and weapons isn’t able to fully implement a progressive economy. Other countries will fully implement green economies and we will be the once trying to catch-up. Throughout my education there has been an emphases on how a sustainable society benefits everyone in the chain; government, population, and business.  We have to remember that Suitability is not just a trend or the right thing to do; it’s a strategic move that will enable us to gain advantage over other countries.

Isai Montes De Oca