Nine Principles of a Green Economy

A green, fair and inclusive economy provides a better quality of life for all within the ecological limits of the planet:
1. The Sustainable Principle.  A green, fair and inclusive economy is a means to deliver sustainability
It is one of the vehicles to deliver sustainable development – not a replacement for it.It respects its dependency on a healthy environment and it strives to create wellbeing for all It addresses all three dimensions (environmental, social and economic) and develops policy mixes that integrate and seek the best results across all of them. 
2. The Justice Principle.  A green, fair and inclusive economy supports equity
It supports equity between and within countries and between  generations. It respects human rights and cultural diversity
It promotes gender equality and recognises knowledge, skills, experience and contribution of each individual
It respects indigenous peoples rights to lands, territories and resources
3. The Dignity Principle. A green, fair and inclusive economy creates genuine prosperity and wellbeing for all
It alleviates poverty
It delivers a high level of human development in all countries 
It provides food security and universal access to basic health, education, sanitation, water, energy and other essential services
It transforms traditional jobs by building capacity and skills, respects the rights of workers and actively develops new, decent green jobs and careers
It achieves a just transition.
It acknowledges the contribution of unpaid work
It promotes the self-empowerment and education of women
It support the right to development if delivered in a sustainable way
4. Healthy Planet Principle. A green, fair and inclusive economy restores lost biodiversity, invests in natural systems and rehabilitates those that are degraded
It recognizes its dependency on the productivity of ecosystems and biodiversity
It does not violate, disrupt, or overstep ecological boundaries and commits to co-operate within them, including reducing pollution, safeguarding ecosystems, biodiversity integrity, other natural resources including air, water, soil, and bio-geochemical cycles
It ensures that environmental integrity is maintained before allocating resources among competing uses
It ensures an efficient and wise use of natural resources, including water, natural gas, oil and mineral resources, without compromising future generations prospects 
It supports the respect of all forms of life
It applies the precautionary principle
It assesses of the potential impact of new technologies and innovations before they are released
It assesses the environmental impacts of economic policies and seeks to find the least disruptive, most positive  benefit for the environment and people
It promotes the restoration of balance between ecological and social relations
5. The Inclusion Principle.  A green, fair and inclusive economy is inclusive and participatory in decision-making
It is based on transparency, sound science and the visible engagement of all relevant stakeholders
It supports good governance at all levels from local to global
It empowers citizens and promotes full and effective voluntary participation at all levels
It respects cultural values, is tolerant to religious views and lifestyle choices, and sensitive to ethical considerations
It build societal awareness, developing education and skills\
It is transparent, inclusive and participatory, giving equal opportunities to, and advocating further for the rights of, young and old, women and men, poor and low skilled workers, indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities and local communities
6. The Good Governance and Accountability Principle. A green, fair and inclusive economy is accountable
It provides a framework to structure markets and production in consultation with all stakeholders
It reports its sustainable progress on environmental, social and economic measures, in company, national and international accounts.
It achieves transparency
It promotes international cooperation and defines international liability
It promotes global policy coherence and fair international cooperation
It promotes common but differentiated responsibilities
It commits to international human rights standards and environmental agreements
7. The Resilience Principle.  A green, fair and inclusive economy contributes to economic, social and environmental resilience
It supports the development of social and environmental protection systems, and preparedness against and adaptation for climate extreme events and disasters
It creates a universal social protection floor.
It promotes a variety of green economy models relevant to different cultural, social and environmental contexts
It considers indigenous local knowledge and promotes the sharing of diverse knowledge systems
It builds on local skills and capacities and develops these further
It supports sustainable, diverse economies and local livelihoods
It promotes systems approaches, recognising the interdependence and integrated nature of these systems, underpinned by culture and ethical values
8. The Efficiency and Sufficiency Principle.  A green, fair and inclusive economy delivers sustainable consumption and production
It seeks to ensure prices reflect true costs incorporating social and environmental externalities
It implements the polluter pays principle 
It supports life-cycle management, and strives for zero emission, zero waste,  resource efficiency and optimal water use
It prioritises renewable energy and renewable resources 
It seeks absolute decoupling of production and consumption from negative social and environmental impact
It delivers sustainable lifestyles supporting a major cultural transformation
It promotes social, economic and environmental innovation 
It gives fair rights to access intellectual property within a global legal framework
9. The Generations Principle.  A green, fair and inclusive economy invests for the present and the future
It delivers inter-generational and intra-generational fairness
It promotes conservation of resources and the quality of life over the long term
It influences and regulates the finance sector so that it invests in the green, fair and inclusive economy  and achieves a stable global monetary system 
It prioritises long-term, scientifically-sound decision making above the short-term
It promotes equitable education at all levels and sustainability education for children


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

IT IS TIME FOR AFRICA TO BUILD ITS OWN CAPACITY

Writing compelling motivation letters for your scholarship/degree applications

AFRICAN YOUTH INITIATIVE ON CLIMATE CHANGE-KENYA ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2011