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What is a Green Economy?

A green economy can be seen as an alternative vision for growth and development, which can generate growth and improvements in people's lives in a way that is consistent with sustainable development. A green economy promotes a triple bottom line: maintaining and promoting economic, environmental and social well-being. The current model of economic growth is focused on the GDP growth above all other goals. Although this system has been improved incomes and reduce poverty for hundreds of millions involves social costs, environmental and economic significant and potentially irreversible. Natural resources are rapidly being drawn downs ecosystem services degraded or used unsustainably. The gap between rich and poor is increasing - between 1990 and 2005, income inequality (measured as the difference between people with higher incomes and lower) increased by more than two thirds of the countries. The persistence of poverty and environmental degradation can be attributed to a number of market and institutional failures that make the economic model much less effective than it otherwise would be to bring the goals of sustainable development. These market and institutional failures are well known economist, but little has been done to solve them. For example, there will be inadequate mechanisms to ensure that polluters pay the full cost of their pollution. - Which means that markets are not systemic view of the intrinsic value of the services provided by nature, such as water filtration or coastal protection. And economic policy is determined to thwart those who exercise power, with strong vested interests, and rarely capture the voice and perspective of risk. A green economy is a challenge to solve these problems through a series of institutional reforms and regulatory tax and expenditurebased economic pollution. A market economy alone cannot provide public goods, like efficient electricity grids, sanitation or public transportation. What does a Green Economy look like? The transition to a green economy has a long way to go, but several countries demonstrate national leadership by adopting a "green growth" or "low carbon" economic strategies. And there are many examples of successful, large-scale programs that increase productivity and growth and do it in a sustainable way. For example:

The Republic of Korea has adopted a national strategy and a five-year plan for green growth for 2009-2013. Distributions of 2 percent of GDP investment in various green areas, such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean technologies and water. The Government has also established the Global Green Growth Institute, which helps countries (mainly developing countries) to develop strategies for green growth. In Mexico City, crippling congestion resulted in a great effort to promote Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), a sophisticated system that uses bus lanes on city streets. Major public investment in BRT has reduced travel time; air pollution and improving access to public transport for less afford cars. This remarkable success is replicated in several cities in Mexico and has led to investment by the federal government for public transport for the first time in the urban cities.

China invests more than any other country in renewable energy. The total installed wind power capacity by 64 percent in 2010. Growth will be achieved through a national, clean energy as a key market in the near future, and where China wants a competitive advantage driven.

Namibia is managing its natural resources to produce economic, social, and environmental benefits. Local communities across the country have the right to use and enjoy the benefits of the use of animals and other natural resources within the boundaries of protected areas of communal conservancies. A financial incentive for the sustainable management of these areas is food and employment for hundreds of thousands of Namibians in rural areas. More than half of the jobs are held by women, and wildlife populations have augmented. Sri Lankas Significant thrust areas in this is to touch on the main areas in a green economy such as green buildings, manufacturing and industry, sustainable transport, efficient and effective use of resources i.e. water, forests, fisheries, agriculture, tourism, energy supply. As this is an area which the entire world including Sri Lanka is questing, this will be a landmark event in the country and a beginning of a series of such events which will help to shape the country's future and steer it to a sustainable path.

Companies are increasingly moving towards a green economy. For example, the carpet company Interface FLOR improve its competitive position is one oil industry usually works, focusing one as its sustainable business model. The company to a closed loop system to work, which its that their waste products and the manufacturing inputs. Its corporate culture reinforces their

objectives - if employees know they make a difference in the world, tend to work harder and better to work, so the company is more productive. Interface CEO Ray Anderson said: "If we can do it, anyone can, and if anyone can, everyone can."

One question people ask is can we afford this? We are still perceived as part of the global financial crisis, and many people, such as expensive solutions green economy. Developing countries are concerned that the transition to a green economy will hamper economic growth and poverty reduction capacity. In addition, there are short-term, non-trivial losses with changes in the industry structure and market to be connected (Eg. A decrease in the coal industry and work-related losses.) Supporting cast, which take the brunt of the transition will be crucial to building broad support for a Green Economy. Some countries believe that they are running in green technologies and knowledge is therefore a competitive disadvantage in the race for future markets. Others believe that the green economy to build an excuse for rich countries to "green" trade barriers in the development of the country's exports. When the costs and benefits are taken into account in the course of time, however, many solutions green economy will be perceived as more attractive. For example, India should aggressively networked, solar relatively expensive when hundreds of millions of people in the country have no access to electricity? And even where the Green Economy make economic sense, solutions may be politically difficult. The transition to a green economy will not be easy.

Conclusion The biggest challenge is how we move toward a long-term economic system that more people will benefit. The transition to a green economy requires a fundamental shift in thinking about growth and development, the production of goods and services, and consumer habits. This transition will occur not only because of better information on the effects, risks or good economic analysis is ultimately about change in political economy of how big decisions are made. The problem is that the interest. Those who will benefit from the status quo are well represented or have better access to the institutions to manage natural resources and protect the environment. U.S. climate legislation, for example, was based in part because of opposition from the defenders of energy from fossil fuels declined. The following steps would help create a more level policy-making playing field:

Increase public awareness and the reasons for the change. Increased visibility on the necessity of this transition can motivate voters and consumers - not only costs, but also the economic benefits generated by a green economy, such as new jobs and new markets. People do not take measures which are green. They will, if they believe that is of interest. Promotion of new indicators to complement GDP. Planning agencies and ministries of finance should. A diverse and representative of the economic indicators that focus less exclusively on growth and follow the pace and progress of the development Open government decision-making processes of the public and civil society. This would help ensure that the policies are responsible for the public interests and not well connected. Identify and exploit the political leadership, if available, it will be crucial to the excessive influence of the "dirty" limit economic objectors.

Timing is everything when it comes to big policy reforms. Green Economy advocates will need to be ready when that window of opportunity presents itself. Ultimately, the widespread transition to a Green Economy will depend on whether or not the long-term public interest is reflected in todays economic policies.

References Race, Poverty & the Environment/Summer 2006 Int. J. of Green Economics, 2006 Vol.1 2000. Harvard Business Review on Profiting from Green Business (A Harvard Business Review Paperback). 1 Edition. Harvard Business Press. Journal of environment and development, March 2012, vol.21(1), p.44-47. International Journal of Green Economics, January 2011, Vol. 5

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