green economy is a an economy that finds ways to reduce its emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere.
It is a low carbon economy, which employs sustainable technology. In other words, the production system follows stages that meet fair, economically viable and environmentally adequate processes.
In this way, the green economy guarantees a healthy future for new generations.
Low carbon means innovating production processes and creating technological solutions that result in less emission of polluting gases in the planet's ozone layer.
According to Thomas Heller, environmental policy consultant and Nobel Prize:
"It is necessary to raise productivity to new levels, in order to generate more wealth, depending less on the environment. Only in this way is it possible to look at the economy and the green simultaneously."
Cleaner Economy
The quest for a cleaner economy has been raising awareness and public debate since 1970, when the greenhouse effect got into discussion.
In 1997, at the Kyoto conference on climate change, a protocol was adopted for the adoption of limits on polluting gas emissions during the winter, mainly in rich countries. It became known as
Kyoto Protocol.Thirty-nine countries pledged to limit their emissions during the period 2008-2012. The global reduction target would be 5.2%.
The objectives established in the protocol were below what is necessary to avoid future problems. A total change in the world's industrial and energy system was needed.
Thus, emissions trading was introduced in the protocol. That is, poor countries, which develop projects (Emission Reduction Units or ERUs), to reduce their quotas of carbon emission, can pass the balance on to rich countries to offset excess emissions and not change their sector energy.
In practice, countries or companies that manage to reduce their emissions by one ton of CO2, will earn a "carbon credit". These are considered commoditiesand can be sold on national and international financial markets.
In 2013, the Rio Plus 20, started the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. The aim was to debate and how to reconcile development, quality of life and environmental preservation.
In this debate, the idea of "green economy" emerges. The conference program points out themes for making the transition to sustainable development, with the creation of goals, objectives and deadlines for the transition towards a green economy.
Sustainable development
Sustainable development it is the set of processes aimed at meeting the needs of present societies, without compromising the needs of future generations.
It is development that does not deplete productive resources for the future.
The high consumption and waste of raw materials has been destroying and depleting the Earth's natural resources.
This economic development model has been rethought and gradually replaced by another that takes into account the issue of the environment, natural resources and the solution of social injustices in the planet.
The increase in industrialization and consumption means an increase in the consumption of energy, raw materials and consequently waste, thus resulting in greater pollution.
Tons of polluting gases are released into the atmosphere, resulting in the destruction of the ozone layer, in the greenhouse effect, in the acid rain, on climatic imbalances, etc.
The main ones are carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, nitrous oxide and nitrogen oxide.
However the pollution it is a political-economic problem. Reducing it means making use of sustainable practices.
A basic point for changes is to make use of clean energy, whether hydraulic, solar, wind, biomass, etc., which would reduce the emission of polluting gases.
Understand more about the Alternative energy sources.
Reducing deforestation, fires or forest fires, intended for the development of agricultural activities, is a key point for sustainable development.
Countries that produce food using large amounts of pesticides it leaves in exchange a planet and a poisoned population.
World markets tend to increasingly prefer products obtained sustainably.
Also read about:
- green revolution
- Sustainability
- Environmental liability
- Sustainable city
- Enem geography: subjects that fall the most
- Geography Issues in Enem
