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The Green Economy and Sustainable Development: An Uneasy Balance?

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  • Olivia Bina

    (Institute of Social Sciences, University of Lisbon, Av. Professor Aníbal de Bettencourt 9, 1600-189 Lisbon, Portugal; and Geography and Resource Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong)

Abstract

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (or Rio+20) was conceived at a time of great concern for the health of the world economy. In this atmosphere ‘green economy’ was chosen as one of two central themes for the conference, building on a burgeoning body of literature on the green economy and growth. This research examines the relationship and influence between the double crisis and the rise of ‘greening’ as part of the solution. The aim is to understand what defines and distinguishes the proposals contained in twenty-four sources on the green economy (including policy documents by international agencies and think tanks, and research papers), and what is the meaning and implication of the rising greening agenda for sustainable development as it enters the 21st century. Through a systematic qualitative analysis of textual material, three categories of discourse that can illuminate the meaning and implication of greening are identified: ‘almost business as usual’, ‘greening’, and ‘all change’. An analysis of their relationship with Dryzek's classification of environmental discourse leads to the identification of three interrelated patterns: (1) scarcity and limits, (2) means and ends, and (3) reductionism and unity—which deepen our understanding of the tensions between emerging propositions. The patterns help explain the meaning and implications of greening for sustainable development, revealing an economisation and polarisation of discourses, the persisting weak interpretation of sustainable development, and a tension between the fixing or shifting of dominant socioeconomic paradigms that underpin its conceptualisation.

Suggested Citation

  • Olivia Bina, 2013. "The Green Economy and Sustainable Development: An Uneasy Balance?," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 31(6), pages 1023-1047, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envirc:v:31:y:2013:i:6:p:1023-1047
    DOI: 10.1068/c1310j
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. David Meek, 2015. "Counter-Summitry: La Via Campesina, the People's Summit, and Rio+20," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 15(2), pages 11-18, May.
    2. Claude Villeneuve & David Tremblay & Olivier Riffon & Georges Y. Lanmafankpotin & Sylvie Bouchard, 2017. "A Systemic Tool and Process for Sustainability Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-29, October.
    3. repec:aud:audfin:v:20:y:2018:i:49:p:536 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Virginia Navajas-Romero & Rosalía Díaz-Carrión & Antonio Ariza-Montes, 2019. "Decent Work as Determinant of Work Engagement on Dependent Self-Employed," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-17, April.
    5. Elena-Madalina Vatamanescu & Vlad-Andrei Alexandru & Georgiana Cristea & Loredana Radu & Oana Chirica, 2018. "A Demand-Side Perspective of Bioeconomy: The Influence of Online Intellectual Capital on Consumption," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 20(49), pages 536-536, August.
    6. Vandeventer, James Scott & Cattaneo, Claudio & Zografos, Christos, 2019. "A Degrowth Transition: Pathways for the Degrowth Niche to Replace the Capitalist-Growth Regime," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 272-286.
    7. Mirjana Radović-Marković & Branko Živanović, 2019. "Fostering Green Entrepreneurship and Women’s Empowerment through Education and Banks’ Investments in Tourism: Evidence from Serbia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-16, December.
    8. Matraeva, Lilia & Solodukha, Petr & Erokhin, Sergey & Babenko, Maria, 2019. "Improvement of Russian energy efficiency strategy within the framework of "green economy" concept (based on the analysis of experience of foreign countries)," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 478-486.
    9. Tubadji, Annie & Nijkamp, Peter, 2017. "Green Online vs Green Offline preferences on local public goods trade-offs and house prices," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 72-86.
    10. Andreas, Jan-Justus & Burns, Charlotte & Touza, Julia, 2017. "Renewable Energy as a Luxury? A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of the Role of the Economy in the EU's Renewable Energy Transitions During the ‘Double Crisis’," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 81-90.
    11. Tim Forsyth & Les Levidow, 2015. "An Ontological Politics of Comparative Environmental Analysis: The Green Economy and Local Diversity," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 15(3), pages 140-151, August.

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