z-logo
open-access-imgOpen Access
The global green economy: a review of concepts, definitions, measurement methodologies and their interactions
Author(s) -
Georgeson Lucien,
Maslin Mark,
Poessinouw Martyn
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
geo: geography and environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.463
H-Index - 12
ISSN - 2054-4049
DOI - 10.1002/geo2.36
Subject(s) - transformational leadership , green economy , sustainable development , economic system , green growth , economy , circular economy , sustainability , low carbon economy , economics , business , political science , greenhouse gas , ecology , law , management , biology
Over the past decade, the green economy has emerged as an important policy framework for sustainable development in both developed and developing countries. It presents an attractive framework to deliver more resource efficient, lower carbon, less environmentally damaging, more socially inclusive societies. There are tensions between competing green economy discourses and a number of different definitions exist, all of which have major shortcomings. This is further complicated by the different underlying concepts of the ‘weak’, ‘transformational’ and ‘strong’ green economy. Several important definitions focus on the aspirational ‘transformational green economy’. To enable and to track this ‘transformation’, economic and environmental measurement is essential. Current approaches are still in development, lack available data or show inconsistencies with proposed definitions, and thus may neither support effective decision‐making nor efforts to transform economies. This review identifies these current shortcomings and makes four overarching recommendations for improving measurement for green economy transformations, including cheaper, faster and more widely available data, and broader frameworks for measuring economy–society–environment interactions. We suggest that proper measurement of the green economy needs to move beyond GDP as the central measure of progress and to better track the ‘transformational green economy’. This will enable the green economy to become relevant again at national and international levels, given the emerging Sustainable Development Goals and post‐COP 21 frameworks.

The content you want is available to Zendy users.

Already have an account? Click here to sign in.
Having issues? You can contact us here