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GREEN ECONOMY

Rio 2012 is an opportunity to move towards a green economy

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Apr 30, 2012

In less than two months, world leaders will gather in Rio de Janeiro for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development. It is 20 years since the last Rio conference, and Rio 2012 is an opportunity to assess the progress made toward sustainable development since 1992 and begin building a Green Economy.
  
The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development Speaking in Copenhagen at a conference organised by the ethical investment research group EIRIS, Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director of the European Environment Agency, today addressed the subject of ‘Investing sustainably: Rio+20 and beyond’.

A lot has happened in the past 20 years. The telecommunications and internet revolutions, the financial crisis, and the rise of the developing world have radically altered the foundations of policymaking that existed in 1992. Is the idea of sustainable development still relevant in a world where western countries lack money to invest? Is it relevant in a world where billions of people seek to enjoy the comfort of middle class lifestyles, which so often involve unsustainable consumption?

The answer is yes. Sustainable development is more relevant now than ever.

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Resource-Based Economy

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The Venus Project

The term and meaning of a Resource-Based Economy was originated by Jacque Fresco. It is a system in which all goods and services are available without the use of money, credits, barter or any other system of debt or servitude. All resources become the common heritage of all of the inhabitants, not just a select few. The premise upon which this system is based is that the Earth is abundant with plentiful resource; our practice of rationing resources through monetary methods is irrelevant and counter productive to our survival.

Modern society has access to highly advanced technology and can make available food, clothing, housing and medical care; update our educational system; and develop a limitless supply of renewable, non-contaminating energy. By supplying an efficiently designed economy, everyone can enjoy a very high standard of living with all of the amenities of a high technological society.

A resource-based economy would utilize existing resources from the land and sea, physical equipment, industrial plants, etc. to enhance the lives of the total population. In an economy based on resources rather than money, we could easily produce all of the necessities of life and provide a high standard of living for all.

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Worldwatch Institute's Green Economy Program

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     Green Jobs State of the World Vital Signs

Worldwatch Institute's Green Economy Program recognizes that the global environmental and economic crises have common origins and must be tackled together. The program seeks to offer solutions that enhance human wellbeing and reduce inequities while protecting the planet.

The dual crises share the same roots, namely a narrow pre-occupation with short-term gain at the expense of long-term sustainability. Solving both of them requires technological leapfrogging, bold policy innovations, and a new solidarity across borders, social classes, and generations. Infusing economic structures with democratic and participatory principles is also required.

Support is growing around the world for an integrated approach increasingly referred to as a "Green New Deal." The idea builds on the 1930s' U.S. New Deal, which entailed visionary planning, ambitious public programs, and social protections to escape the clutches of the Great Depression.

While job creation is essential, a meaningful solution to today's problems lies not in simply restarting the engine of consumption. That approach led to the degradation and depletion of the planet's resources even as it failed to meet the basic needs of the majority of humanity. The current crisis offers a unique opportunity for laying the foundation for a greener and fairer global economy.

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