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The concept of the green economy is not an entirely new concept. However, the contemporary description of the concept was authored by the London Environmental Economics Centre in 1989. Efforts to transition countries to green economies have been relatively slow probably because of the business case of investing in the environment has never been elucidated with clarity. Nevertheless, the financial crises of 2007/2008 have made many countries realize that the current development paradigm is flawed. Silvica presents brief green economy cases in Bolivia, Ecuador, Jamaica, and Kenya.

The case of the governments of Bolivia and Ecuador is relevant in this regard, with their proposal to promote recognition of the rights of nature, i.e. the right to respect for its existence, and for the conservation and regeneration of its life cycles, structure, functions and evolutionary processes as a whole. Countries should be urged to implement precautionary and restrictive measures for activities that could lead to the extinction of species, the destruction of ecosystems or the permanent alteration of natural cycles.

 Ecuador also considers the criterion of “living well” (el Buen Vivir) as an alternative to the concept of “development”. This constitutes a new paradigm that could replace the dominant model which is based on infinite economic growth and has led to the over-exploitation of natural resources while generating poverty and inequity and excluding a great portion of the population. The “living well” model is in the process of being constructed. It draws on the ancestral knowledge of indigenous nations peoples and, which mandate living in harmony with self, nature, and others, and calls for the construction of States that are democratic, inclusive, plurinational and intercultural.

Jamaica has prepared its “Vision 2030 Jamaica – National Development Plan”. This is the first time that Jamaica has had a long-term development plan that provides a strategic roadmap to make it a developed country by 2030. The plan contemplates a major transformation—from a developing middle-income country to one that offers its citizens a world-class quality of life and standard of life in critical areas such as education, health, nutrition, basic services, access to environmental goods and services, civic involvement and social order. The country has also developed a local planning framework for sustainable development that is implemented as part of the local government component of the country’s reform process.

The industries in Africa are also greening up. UNEP (2011) report the use of outdated technology, smaller-scale plants, and inadequate operating practices are factors causing energy efficiency loss in production processes. There is a huge potential for improving efficiency in the production and use of energy, which could bring economic gains, improved competitiveness, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Industrial policies geared towards leapfrogging and the adoption of modern, yet adapted, technologies can contribute to greening industrialization in this context. The experience in electricity-intensive industrial sectors such as the aluminum industry demonstrates the possibilities for efficiency gains in Africa. African aluminum smelters use on average, 14 337 kilowatt-hours (kWh/t) per ton of aluminum produced compared to 15 613 kWh/t in North America, or a world average of 15,268 kWh/t. With large capacity plants in South Africa and Mozambique, Africa has the most efficient smelters in the world due to new production facilities that have the latest technologies in the field (International Energy Agency, 2007).

Kenya has also been recognized in its advancement of the green economy concept through its Feed-in Tariffs (FIT) in the energy sector (UNEP, 2011). A feed-in tariff (FIT) is a policy instrument that makes it mandatory for energy companies or “utilities” responsible for operating the national grid to purchase electricity from renewable energy sources at a pre-determined price that is sufficiently attractive to stimulate new investment in the renewables sector. This, in turn, ensures that those who produce electricity from identified renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and other renewable sources have a guaranteed market and an attractive return on investment for the electricity they produce (Ministry of Energy, 2008). In January 2010, Kenya revised the FIT policy, which resulted in the addition of three renewable energy sources: geothermal, biogas, and solar energy resource generated electricity. In addition, the revised policy extended the period of the power purchase agreements from 15 to 20 years and increased the fixed tariffs per kilowatt-hour for pre-existing wind and biomass under the FIT.

Kenya has taken various steps as a country to transition towards a green economy. In efforts to consolidate, scale-up and embed green growth in development goals, the country has developed a Green Economy Strategy and Implementation Plan (GESIP) . The plan provides a policy framework that facilitates the transition to a green economy. The plan includes five areas that are pertinent in the green economy; sustainable infrastructure; resilience; sustainable natural resource management; resource efficiency; and sustainable livelihoods and social inclusion.

UNDP presents case studies for green economy in mainly Middle East countries in various sectors including water, agriculture, energy, business, industry, ecosystems, technologies and waste management. Implementing green economy principles can enhance the achievement of sustainable development goals.