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10
GREEN ECONOMY
Challenges and
opportunities
Executive Summary
Eduardo Viola presents a panorama of current international circumstances in
terms of transition to a green economy with a focus on low-carbon characteristics.
Based on recent GHG emissions data of large and medium powers, Viola
presents the main policies and measures that these groups of countries have
practiced, and indicates future prospects based on the current juncture. The
large powers, the United States, China and the European Union, are countries
that: provide elevated contributions to global emissions, possess essential
technological and human capital for decarbonizing the economy and have veto
power over international agreements. The medium powers, such as India and
Brazil, have limited influence on the aspects considered. A similar exercise
is carried out for South America in particular, where the triple negative effect
of deforestation in the region (loss of natural heritage, informality and public
demoralization) and the favorable position of the region, whose economies are
not extensively based on fossil fuels, with some exceptions, are highlighted.
The author also surveys the main techno-economic vectors of a low-carbon
transition, and concludes with a reflection on future prospects.
Márcia Tavares surveys the main contributions of ECLAC to the green
economy field due to its role in drafting documents and leading research and
through its function as political mediator for the Latin American and Caribbean
countries in international discussions. The author describes, in chronological
order, the documents produced and their political and historical contexts.
Tavares argues that these documents enable us to evaluate the complexity
of environmental problems in the region and their direct links with economic
and social structures and processes, an indispensable step to advance in
solving the environmental, economic and social problems of the region. It is
concluded that in order for Latin America to effectively transition to a green
economy, there must be coordination between actors and institutions in different
spheres, removal of barriers to change and strong and permanent institutions
that prioritize sustainability.
Nº 8 • June 2011
Clóvis Zapata highlights the role of inclusive growth in the transition to a
green economy in developing countries. The author starts from the observation
that there are similarities between the UNEP green economy concept and the
concept of inclusive growth. Zapata defends a holistic approach in which the
transition to a green economy should be thought out and planned according to
its various dimensions (environmental, social, economic, political, etc), which
have different windows of opportunity that should be taken into appropriate
consideration. The author argues that policies of a social nature and policies
of an environmental nature have not been sufficiently coordinated, when in
fact, they should act in complementarity. Zapata asserts that promotion of
structured policies is necessary, as exemplified by the analysis of the Brazilian
Biodiesel Program. The author also highlights the importance of South-South
debate, and concludes with a reflection on the importance of inclusive growth