Join the networkGreen Growth in Development
Green Growth and Sustainable Development are broad concepts involving the harmonization of economic, social, and environmental objectives. The concept of sustainable development was operationalized in the action plan ‘Agenda 21’ that emerged from the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (The Earth Summit) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Many of the areas identified in Agenda 21 have since become central components of development policies and assistance, including socioeconomic development (as embodied in the Millennium Development Goals), environmental protection (e.g., climate change, biodiversity, deforestation), and global governance (e.g., financing mechanisms, international trade, technology transfer). More recently the concept of Green Growth has highlighted the benefits of sustainable development for lower-income countries, including improved energy and food security, and new jobs in green technology sectors. In 2012, the development community will meet again in Rio de Janeiro for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (‘Rio+20’) to assess progress and implementation gaps in achieving the goals of Agenda 21 and to address new and emerging challenges.
In anticipation of the Rio+20 Preparatory Meetings scheduled for March 2011, the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNU-WIDER will jointly host a workshop to discuss the potential benefits and limitations of Green Growth for developing countries. The three areas for discussion include:
- energy security and low-carbon development
- food security and global food system governance
- green technologies and alternative energy resources.
For more information see Development under Climate Change project page.
