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.

It is generally accepted that the environment needs not to be treated differently from mainstream economics. More and more countries are integrating environmental issues into the development of macroeconomic plans through the principles green economy. Silvica describes the influence of Green Economy concepts on two global environmental governance frameworks; the Montreal Protocol and the Rio +20.

The Montreal Protocol

Since the concept requires some degree of paradigm shifts, there is a need for commitments by the governments at the international level. Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA) have not yet achieved their desired objectives. But the influence of MEAs in achieving and adapting the concept of the green economy can be illustrated by the Montreal Protocol. The Montreal Protocol is recognized worldwide as the most successful multilateral environmental agreement, and it also has the distinction of enjoying universal membership. This MEA has contributed not only to protecting the ozone layer in the stratosphere but has brought economic, environmental and social benefits. It has contributed to the greening of the Article 5 economies (developing countries) and to the greening of non-Article 5 (developed) economies with technology transfer and creation of institutional and sectoral capacities through the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol, as well as through independent funding and parallel efforts by governments and the private sector.

Since going into effect in 1987, the implementation of the Montreal Protocol has reduced by 97% the production and consumption of around 100 industrial chemical compounds known to deplete the ozone layer. Since substances that deplete the ozone layer are also greenhouse gases (GHGs), the Protocol has had the additional advantage of reducing GHG emission by around 11 billion (11,000,000,000) tons of CO2e (GtCO2e/yr). This shows the role of Multilateral environmental agreement if the green economy is an achievable goal.

Rio +20

Though the concept of a green economy has been around for a number of years, it was officially placed on the table when the United Nations General Assembly resolved to hold its Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2012, defining the objective of the Conference in terms of:  “Securing renewed political commitment for sustainable development, assessing the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development, and addressing new and emerging challenges”.

Under the General Assembly’s resolution, the products of the conference would include a specific policy document, and the conference would, among other things, focus on the following two issues:

• Green Economy  in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication; and
• The institutional framework for sustainable development.

It is essential to note that the concept of a “green economy” is not a substitute for “sustainable development”. Rather, it is a path to sustainable development, though the path differs according to different countries, depending on their particular situation, conditions, and perspectives (UNEP, 2011). There are a number of sustainable development initiatives in the world that may already be considered “green economy” initiatives. Though they range rather broadly in scope, they have some common elements. The concept of the green economy is a major agenda in the Rio + 20 meeting to be held later in 2012. This is expected to give the concept a major impetus in the global arena as governments may commit to the concept as they did to the relatively successful Agenda 21 in 1992.