As a member of the Green Economy Coalition, IUCN shares the Coalition’s vision of striving towards a “resilient economy that provides a better quality of life for all within the ecological limits of one planet”. IUCN sees a Green Economy as an economy which is motivated by social welfare and securely anchored on sustainable patterns of natural resource use and stewardship. Ultimately, the goal is to align the economy with the principles of sustainable development.
IUCN firmly believes that a Green Economy should be based on a clear recognition of the fundamental dependence of human wellbeing on nature. As such, biodiversity and ecosystems need to be kept at the centre of a Green Economy transition.
More specifically, IUCN suggests that a nature-based Green Economy transition should build on the following three fundamental pillars:
- Managing ecosystems and biodiversity to build resilience- IUCN believes that healthy ecosystems represent the foundation of a resilient and truly sustainable economy. Consequently, there needs to be a stronger appreciation of the role of biodiversity and green infrastructure as means of mitigating and managing economic risks. In this regard, greater investment in ecosystem management, stewardship and restoration is essential in the transition towards a Green Economy.
- Mainstreaming ecosystem values in the economy- IUCN emphasizes the need to change current accounting and planning frameworks to ensure that ecosystem values are reflected in economic decisions and policies. Moreover, greater investment in natural capital can play a key role in supporting a Green Economy transition by generating income and creating jobs in ‘green’ markets and enterprises such as sustainable tourism, organic agriculture, and the management of ecosystem services (e.g. regulating water, nutrient, and water cycles).
- Developing an appropriate governance model for a Green Economy- IUCN believes it is imperative that the green economy transition be based on strong governance principles, namely access to information, public participation and horizontal decision making – all of which are essential for a Green Economy to be equitable and effective.