Contemporary models for greening of economics: concepts, unity, contradictions and directions for interaction
The article explores emergence and development of contemporary approaches to greening of economics in terms of their similarities, contradictions and possibilities for mutual enrichment. The approaches discussed in the papaer include ecological economics, green economy, blue economy, brown economy,...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Ukrainian National Forestry University
2018-10-01
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| Series: | Наукові праці Лісівничої академії наук України |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://fasu.nltu.edu.ua/index.php/nplanu/article/view/241 |
| Summary: | The article explores emergence and development of contemporary approaches to greening of economics in terms of their similarities, contradictions and possibilities for mutual enrichment. The approaches discussed in the papaer include ecological economics, green economy, blue economy, brown economy, inclusive transformational economics, circular economy, bioeconomics (bioeconomy), economics of ecosystems and biodiversity and physical economy.
In 2008, in response to the financial and economic crises, the United Nations Environment Program announced transition to a green economy. The link between the concepts of “green economy” and “sustainable development” is explored, considering green economy’ aspiration for convergence between different pillars of sustainability, but the strategy of transition to a “green economy” needs more thorough development of economic levers at the level of both national economy and individual sectors.
Circular economy is another novel concept deserving attention – being officially adopted by EU, China and a number of other countries, it promotes rational use of raw materials, including metals, energy, chemical and industrial raw materials, as well as water and biomass.
A new important transdisciplinary trend in the economics is bioeconomics, closely linked to energy efficiency, sustainable agriculture, efficient use of waste and renewable energy. Wider application of bioeconomics would help to achieve multiple Sustainable Development Goals, particularly eradication of hunger and poverty, as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation.
We determine ecological economics as the primary tool for implementing the universally accepted concept of sustainable development. In accordance with the principles of the ecological economics, at some stage, the economy must stop growing in material terms. Humans must move from growth to development – increasing human wellbeing with the use of the same amount of energy and resources.
We ground the necessity for developing ecological and economic thinking and mentality of society, the way of which lies through greening of education. The greening of education and the development of current economic models in Ukraine can be greatly facilitated through the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union, which provides opportunities for cooperation on life-long education. In order to implement the relevant provisions of the Agreement and the Law of Ukraine “On Education” in 2017, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine began developing the Draft Law of Ukraine “On adult education” in 2017, which focuses on implementing the right of every adult to continuous learning with regard to their personal needs, social development priorities and economic needs.
The contemporary task of economics is to help overcome the contradictions between ecological and economic systems, preserve the environment and promote rational use of natural resources. Further research is however needed to determine how each of the alternative economic models can best contribute to the greening of economy. This also requires developing theoretical and methodological bases of these concepts, which would assist their practical realization in the context of Ukraine’s economy. |
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| ISSN: | 1991-606X 2616-5015 |