Green Economy Coalition

The photos coming out of Nigeria over the last two weeks speak for themselves.

Twenty years on from the first summit on sustainable development, yesterday the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development Bureau released t

“Neoliberal, capitalist economics is bankrupt, morally and intellectually, but nothing changes,” were the opening words of Neal Lawson from Compass at a debate Putting the Green Economy on Trial.

He described the infrastructure of consumerism and marketing that has developed under the current system as difficult to escape; a seductive new vision of what it is to be human is needed, he said.

Picture this. Petrol driven cars have long been phased out worldwide. They all have been replaced by electric vehicles. Noise and air pollution has largely been eliminated. As a result, cities are now quieter, calmer, cleaner. Properties along motorways and busy arteries of major cities have once again become desirable places to live. Petrol stations have now been replaced by a network of charge points where users can charge their vehicles for long-haul trips across the country. The charging stations are powered by renewable energy sources.

How can you marry environment and development? Over the past two years, governments and businesses have begun to trumpet ‘green growth’ as one way of boosting economic growth without compromising environmental sustainability.

Since the recent global financial crises, the phrase ‘green economy’ has appeared liberally in newspaper headlines, and politicians’ and CEOs’ promises. They usually mean ‘low-carbon economy’, the idea of shifting energy and infrastructure towards clean, high-tech systems. Green economy is seen as an answer to financial problems – G20 stimulus packages included ‘green’ components, hoping to improve national competitiveness and create new jobs through green technology, and wean economies off insecure and expensive fossil fuels. And it is seen as a practical way to supplement climate change conventions – you don’t need an international agreement to change economic practices that cause climate change. All very good news for Danish wind farm installers, Japanese hybrid car manufacturers, and Chinese solar panel factories. But what does the green economy mean for the developing world?