The Limits Of The Green Economy

Projecting win-win situations, new economic opportunities, green growth and innovative partnerships, the green economy discourse has quickly gained centre stage in international environmental governance and policymaking. Its underlying message is attractive and optimistic: if the market can become the tool for tackling climate change and other major ecological crises, the fight against these crises can also be the royal road to solving the problems of the market. But how ‘green’ is the green economy? And how social or democratic can it be? This book examines how the emergence of this new discourse has fundamentally modified the terms of the environmental debate. Interpreting the rise of green economy discourse as an attempt to re-invent capitalism, it unravels the different dimensions of the green economy and its limits: from pricing carbon to emissions trading, from sustainable consumption to technological innovation. The book uses the innovative concept of post-politics to provide a critical perspective on the way green economy discourse represents nature and society (and their interaction) and forecloses the imagination of alternative socio-ecological possibilities. As a way of repoliticising the debate, the book advocates the construction of new political faultlines based on the demands for climate justice and democratic commons. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of environmental politics, political ecology, human geography, human ecology, political theory, philosophy and political economy. Includes a foreword written by Erik Swyngedouw (Professor of Geography, Manchester University).

Examines the factors which limit human economic and population growth and outlines the steps necessary for achieving a balance between population and production. Bibliogs

The Handbook of Green Economics reveals the breadth and depth of advanced research on sustainability and growth while identifying opportunities for future developments. Through its multidimensional examination, it demonstrates how overarching concepts such as green growth, low carbon economy, circular economy, and others work together. Some chapters reflect on different discourses on the green economy, including pro-growth perspectives and transformative approaches that entail de-growth. Others argue that green policies can spark economic innovation, particularly in developing and emerging market economies. Part literature summary, part analysis, and part argument, The Handbook of Green Economics shows how the right conditions can stimulate economic growth while achieving environmental sustainability. The Handbook of Green Economics is a valuable resource for graduate students and academic researchers focusing on the green economy. With an increasing interest in the topic among researchers and policy makers, this book will set out different theoretical perspectives and explore the policy implications in this growing subject area. Covers the failures of the past, the challenges of the present, and the opportunities of the future Surveys 10 aspects of the green economy, including conceptualization, natural capital, poverty and inequality, employment, and finance Emphasizes the theoretical and empirical aspects of greening approaches that are policy-relevant

This book examines the risk that the 'green economy' is not so much about greening the economy, as it is about economising the green message. In doing so, the authors unravel the myth of the green economy in all its dimensions - from emissions trading to sustainable consumption, from population control to technological optimism. Taking a critical approach, this book offers a highly original perspective on the social and ecological consequences of a global economic system attempting to tackle climate change within the confines of capitalism. The book should be of interest to students and scholars of environmental politics, political philosophy, political economy and climate change. Includes a foreword written by Erik Swyngedouw (Professor of Geography, Manchester University).

In the past decade, the growing realization that biodiversity and human wellbeing are inextricably linked has led to the adoption of numerous environmental policies. The concept of the Green Economy has gained particular attention as an economic system where growth is possible within environmental limits. The preservation of ecosystem services and the halt of biodiversity loss are identified as key pillars of the Green Economy. Despite the concept’s momentum there is still no clear understanding of how biodiversity fits within a Green Economy. In the current debate, biodiversity is rarely acknowledged in economic sectors other than agriculture, forestry, fisheries and tourism, and when it is acknowledged biodiversity and its conservation feature more as buzzwords than as concrete and tangible components of the Green Economy. This book aims to identify, understand and offer pragmatic recommendations of how biodiversity conservation can become an agent of green economic development. This book establishes ways to assess biodiversity’s contributions to the economy and to meaningfully integrate biodiversity concerns in green-economy policies.

This paper was presented at the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Society of International Law as part of a panel considering the 2012 U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development. It critiques the "Green Economy," a theme of the Rio 20 Conference, by emphasizing the core indeterminancy of the concept. The paper points out some key definitional issues that must be resolved if the "Green Economy" is going to be more than a contentless slogan.

Economies around the world have arrived at a critical juncture: to continue to grow fuelled by fossil fuels and exacerbate climate change, or to move towards more sustainable, greener, growth. Choosing the latter is shown to help address climate change, as well as present new economic opportunities. This Handbook provides a deeper understanding of the concept of green growth, and highlights key lessons from the experience of green transformations across the world following a decade of ambitious stimulus packages and green reforms.

This book puts the Green Economy to the test, its promises, consequences and blind spots. - Can efficiency be a solution if it results in even more consumption? - Is it possible to save nature by putting a price on the services it provides? - Should we rely on technological solutions to save us? As the economic and ecological bases of prosperity are increasingly endangered and the gap between rich and poor widens, the Green Economy should offer us hope. Yet the Green Economy cares little about politics, barely registers human rights, does not recognize social factors and suggests the possibility of reform without conflict. It suggests that the world as we know it can continue with green growth, based primarily on large-scale technological solutions. This book outlines a way to overcome global crises from a social viewpoint.

"Humanity is at a crossroads in our pathway to future prosperity, and our next steps will impact our long-term sustainability immensely. In this timely volume, leading ecological economics scholars offer a variety of perspectives on building a green economy. Grounded in a critique of conventional thinking about unrestrained economic expansion and the costs of environmental degradation, this book presents a roadmap for an economy that prioritizes human welfare over consumerism and growth."--Back cover.

Multiple ‘green transformations’ are required if humanity is to live sustainably on planet Earth. Recalling past transformations, this book examines what makes the current challenge different, and especially urgent. It examines how green transformations must take place in the context of the particular moments of capitalist development, and in relation to particular alliances. The role of the state is emphasised, both in terms of the type of incentives required to make green transformations politically feasible and the way states must take a developmental role in financing innovation and technology for green transformations. The book also highlights the role of citizens, as innovators, entrepreneurs, green consumers and members of social movements. Green transformations must be both ‘top-down’, involving elite alliances between states and business, but also ‘bottom up’, pushed by grassroots innovators and entrepreneurs, and part of wider mobilisations among civil society. The chapters in the book draw on international examples to emphasise how contexts matter in shaping pathways to sustainability Written by experts in the field, this book will be of great interest to researchers and students in environmental studies, international relations, political science, development studies, geography and anthropology, as well as policymakers and practitioners concerned with sustainability.