The Club of Rome published Limits to Growth almost forty years ago. The book got a lot of attention. But political leaders did not follow up.
Another missed opportunity: UN Report on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission) on Our Common future. Excellent analyses and recommendations, introduced concept of sustainable development. Slogan was: Think globally, act locally.
The report was a recipe for greening of the economy. But the world community and national governments were not ready for serious follow-up action on a large scale. We got Rio Summit, though, with conventions on climate and on biodiversity, and later Kyoto.
More recent: Stern report, UN Panel reports on Climate Change, Al Gore’s powerful message. They all contribute to raise awareness. Green measures will increasingly be seen as something that will make sense also economically in both a short and long-term perspective.
Global economic crisis is good opportunity for greening of economy. So far it seems to be more emphasis on measures to get back to traditional growth and consumption (ref. London G 20 Summit). But also some encouraging signs (Obama’s tough talk to GM and Chrysler for “greener” cars). Real change will come when the most important of all economic factors, human individuals, are ready for it. Public awareness campaigns essential. Encouraging activity going on, including in Greek schools.
A problem is that much economic activity is setting a negative footprint on environment and on natural resources, but is classified as a positive contribution in national accounts. Individuals and companies register profits from production whereas costs are mostly carried by society, in essence by future generations.
A solution is to change national accounting systems, taking environmental costs into account. There is no real price on Mother Earth, or it is in best case grossly underpriced. The tools are there: UN/ECE and OECD have developed “green accounting methods” for more many 20 years. They need to be used!
To conclude, some public diplomacy for Norway:
Ethical guidelines for investments from huge Pension Fund. Will set aside a few billion euros for international environmental investment program. Climate friendly energy, energy efficiency, CCS, water technology, and management of waste and pollution. This will bring sound environmental benefits, and hopefully also be a good financial investment (win-win). We’re also investing (separate funding) heavily in preservation of rain forests in the Amazon and the Congo Basin.
Finally: Norway is not member of EU, but part of the single European market through the European Economic Area. We pay for this through direct financial contributions to projects in many member states, incl. Greece. Environmental projects are No 1 priority in this financial mechanism. A fresh illustration:
Title of the project: THINK GREEN.
Project promoter: Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Purpose: to improve the environmental consciousness and ecological awareness amongst SMEs with the overall objective of reducing the negative environmental impact from SMEs located in urban areas.
Create a Green Business Network, establish an environmental mentor program, develop a Green web portal for SMEs.
So also in Greece there is hope for a greening of the economy.
Athens 14 April 2009