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economic activity must take account of long-term consequences forthe environment while we also reconsider ways of measuring progressto take account of other factors including the environmentalquality of life. Green growth is therefore an important element ofthe solution.Despite the attractive argument that switching to a green growthpath may enable leap-frogging of dirty and inefficient technologies, Iwould posit that it poses more fundamental dilemmas which is whywe must pay attention to the governance of the process of sustainabledevelopment. To start with, transition to a green growth paradigmposes problems of path dependence. It also has implicationsfor efforts to reduce poverty and create jobs and may give cause forconcern about trade protectionism and policy conditionality.Existing economic structures are path dependent in the sense that itis easier to use existing structures in which accompanying technologies,skills, practices and processes are locked-in rather than changeto a green growth trajectory. Radical changes would be required inbehaviour from government, firms and consumers but the process ofpromoting green growth with requires replacement or upscaling oftechnologies will be costly. This also means that the more developedeconomies would have the initial advantage over developing countriesbecause they have the resources and technological capabilitiesneeded to undertake required changes. Governance frameworks forgreen growth would need to take these considerations into account.The pressing priority for African countries is to promote growth thatcan create jobs and help to meet the MDGs. Such efforts to improvewelfare will entail an increase in consumption of food, energy, andwater but given the way that human activity has met these needsup until now it is inevitable in the short run that growth in developingeconomies will add to the burden on the environment. It wouldaccordingly be important to fashion policies for transiting in theshort-term to sustainable development using already existing opportunitieswhile also undertaking long-term investment policies forgreen growth. The important thing here would be striking the rightbalance. Even the now increasingly welcome approach of buildinghydroelectric dams which are of low carbon intensity may attractconcerns about environmental degradation.320 Part Five