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C. The Interrelationship between Sustainable Development and Green
Growth
The concept of sustainable development is so comprehensive and broad that
the concept of green growth is included in it. But if we can say that the green
growth concept includes new contents overlooked or unthought of by the
sustainable development concept, then we should apply a whole new approach to
the concept. That is why we need to expand and deepen the concept of sustainable
development so that it can encompass the green growth concept. In this light, we
can say that the green growth concept is viable, however, its relationship with
sustainable development has been established. Even if the concept is understood as
one that is included in the sustainable development concept by most people
nowadays, in the future, it can evolve into one that can compete with or substitute
for the concept of sustainable development. There is no everlasting concept
invented by human civilization. Like all other concepts that have gone through
continuous changes in different eras and situations like an organism, the concept of
sustainable development will go through the same processes. As mentioned before,
there are currently 1.2 billion people enjoying the standard of living of developed
countries and more than 3 billion who live in rapidly developing countries such as
China, India and Indonesia. If the current standard of living in developed countries
is maintained and if energy and resources are continuously expended at the current
level, all of the energy and resources on Earth will be exhausted within 20-30 years.
(If the rate of resource use is maintained, natural oil will be exhausted within 70
years, coal within 150 years, Uranium within 70 years. If the number of people
enjoying the standard of living of developed countries increases by three times, the
time limit for such resource use will be decreased to 1/3 of current estimation.).
Therefore, in order to guarantee sustainable development of mankind, we need
to resolve the issue concerning depletion of energy and resources. But for now,
there is no evidence that these issues are being tackled, and this poses serious
threats to the sustainability of the human race. In order to fix this, we urgently need
to develop new science technology, and in some cases, we even need to establish a
new value system that gives up economic growth.
Firstly, as strategy directives for “Adaptation to Climate Change and Energy Independence,” three policy
directives were offered (“1. Effective decrease of greenhouse gas,” “2. Energy independence from oil,” “3.
Capacity-building for adaptation to climate change”), and as “Power Creation for New Growth” strategy, 4
policy directives were offered (“4. Development of green technology and harnessing growth,” “5. Creation
and development of green industry,” “6. Advanced industry structure,” “7. Building platform for green
economy,”), and as strategy for “Heightening living standards and national prestige” three policy directives
were offered (“8. Creation of green territory and transportation,” “9. Green revolution for livelihood,” “10.
Realizing a model nation for global green growth”).