The Northern Alliance for Sustainability (ANPED), ALOE and the World Future Council coordinated a meeting in New York, 8-9 January 2010, prior to the first Intersessional meeting for the UNCSD 2012, with the aim of identify a series of possible principles and policy-levers that will help to enable a transition to just, high wellbeing economies within the carrying capacity of our planet.

The Charles Mayer Foundation (FPH), Stakeholder Forum, and the new economics foundation (NEF) supported the meeting, which primarily aimed at think tanks from the global North and South that have conducted research on such economic models.

The basic premise of the meeting was that the current economic structures contain some systematic drivers toward inequitable and unsustainable solutions that need to be tackled if a Green Economy is to deliver on the existing Rio goals and strategies.

In order to enrich discussions around the clarification of what is meant when States and stakeholders talk about the Green Economy, a set of 10 principles are now being circulated for feedback and commenting (please see below). On the basis of a refined version, an informal coalition of the 28 participants will develop concrete proposals for activities, programmes, policies and institutional changes in line with this new paradigm.

These think tanks, NGOs, scientists and like-minded networks want to see some fundamental changes in how economies are being run. The goal is to prepare a framework of mutually reinforcing measures to drive this transformation and proposals will be not only discussed at core events towards the 2012 UNCSD Summit, but also beyond. A first event will take place at the 2nd Prep Com in March in New York, further supporters and contributors are very welcome (contacts below).

A broader dialogue will also be continued in the Global Transition 2012 coalition led by Stakeholder Forum and NEF.

Guiding Principles for the Green Economy

In full recognition of the Rio Principles, the following set of principles are proposed to specify guidelines for the Green Economy in the Context of Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication. They serve to focus the debate on how to ensure that economies are effective means to the higher goal of sustainability, rather than threatening it.

The Earth Integrity Principle

The Earth, her natural communities and ecosystems, possess the inalienable right to exist, flourish and evolve, and to continue the vital cycles, structures, functions and processes that sustain all beings. Every human has the duty to protect her.

The Planetary Boundaries Principle

The Planetary Boundaries Principle clearly establishes that human development is dependent on intact ecosystems and that there are limits to economic growth. Safe economic systems must respect such limits and governments need to set clear long-term targets to maintain a reliable operating space.

The Dignity Principle

The Dignity Principle upholds that every human being, now and in the future, has the right to livelihood. Poverty eradication and redistribution of wealth have been the main priority of governance and measured in those terms.

The Justice Principle

The Justice Principle upholds fair sharing of all benefits and burdens. This includes the use of natural resources, access to goods and services, and the responsibility to avoid and compensate for damages. All institutions, corporations and decision-makers need to be subject to equal standards of accountability and personal responsibility for their decisions.

Precautionary Principle

The Precautionary Principle should be applied to ensure that new products and technologies do not have destructive or unexpected effects on environmental, social, or human wellbeing. The ‘burden of proof’ lies with the developer or initiator and problem shifting needs to be avoided.

The Resilience Principle

The Resilience Principle emphasises that diversity and diversification are preconditions for sustainability and quality of life. A diversity of organisational models and governance levels needs to be cultivated, along with diversified economic activity that minimizes commodity dependence.

The Governance Principle

The Governance Principle states that subsidiary democracy must be upheld and revitalised in accordance with the principle of prior informed consent. All policies, rules and regulation need for transparent and participatory negotiations that include all affected people. Structural transformation should be driven by appropriate public investments that guarantee benefit sharing.

The Beyond-GDP Principle

The Beyond-GDP Principle recognises the inherent limits and distorting effects of using GDP as a measure of progress and welfare. Policy goals and monitoring need to be guided by integrated measures on environmental, social, human and economic wellbeing, taking into account diverse interpretations of human welfare.

For further information on further plans and to provide feedback on the above principles, please contact Maja Göpel (World Future Council) maja.goepel@worldfuturecouncil.org or Leida Rijnhout (ANPED) leida@anped.org

Get more info on Global Healing

The Northern Alliance for Sustainability (ANPED), ALOE and the World Future Council coordinated a meeting in New York, 8-9 January 2010, prior to the first Intersessional meeting for the UNCSD 2012, with the aim of identify a series of possible principles and policy-levers that will help to enable a transition to just, high wellbeing economies within the carrying capacity of our planet.

The Charles Mayer Foundation (FPH), Stakeholder Forum, and the new economics foundation (NEF) supported the meeting, which primarily aimed at think tanks from the global North and South that have conducted research on such economic models.

The basic premise of the meeting was that the current economic structures contain some systematic drivers toward inequitable and unsustainable solutions that need to be tackled if a Green Economy is to deliver on the existing Rio goals and strategies.

In order to enrich discussions around the clarification of what is meant when States and stakeholders talk about the Green Economy, a set of 10 principles are now being circulated for feedback and commenting (please see below). On the basis of a refined version, an informal coalition of the 28 participants will develop concrete proposals for activities, programmes, policies and institutional changes in line with this new paradigm.

These think tanks, NGOs, scientists and like-minded networks want to see some fundamental changes in how economies are being run. The goal is to prepare a framework of mutually reinforcing measures to drive this transformation and proposals will be not only discussed at core events towards the 2012 UNCSD Summit, but also beyond. A first event will take place at the 2nd Prep Com in March in New York, further supporters and contributors are very welcome (contacts below).

A broader dialogue will also be continued in the Global Transition 2012 coalition led by Stakeholder Forum and NEF.

Guiding Principles for the Green Economy

In full recognition of the Rio Principles, the following set of principles are proposed to specify guidelines for the Green Economy in the Context of Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication. They serve to focus the debate on how to ensure that economies are effective means to the higher goal of sustainability, rather than threatening it.

The Earth Integrity Principle

The Earth, her natural communities and ecosystems, possess the inalienable right to exist, flourish and evolve, and to continue the vital cycles, structures, functions and processes that sustain all beings. Every human has the duty to protect her.

The Planetary Boundaries Principle

The Planetary Boundaries Principle clearly establishes that human development is dependent on intact ecosystems and that there are limits to economic growth. Safe economic systems must respect such limits and governments need to set clear long-term targets to maintain a reliable operating space.

The Dignity Principle

The Dignity Principle upholds that every human being, now and in the future, has the right to livelihood. Poverty eradication and redistribution of wealth have been the main priority of governance and measured in those terms.

The Justice Principle

The Justice Principle upholds fair sharing of all benefits and burdens. This includes the use of natural resources, access to goods and services, and the responsibility to avoid and compensate for damages. All institutions, corporations and decision-makers need to be subject to equal standards of accountability and personal responsibility for their decisions.

Precautionary Principle

The Precautionary Principle should be applied to ensure that new products and technologies do not have destructive or unexpected effects on environmental, social, or human wellbeing. The ‘burden of proof’ lies with the developer or initiator and problem shifting needs to be avoided.

The Resilience Principle

The Resilience Principle emphasises that diversity and diversification are preconditions for sustainability and quality of life. A diversity of organisational models and governance levels needs to be cultivated, along with diversified economic activity that minimizes commodity dependence.

The Governance Principle

The Governance Principle states that subsidiary democracy must be upheld and revitalised in accordance with the principle of prior informed consent. All policies, rules and regulation need for transparent and participatory negotiations that include all affected people. Structural transformation should be driven by appropriate public investments that guarantee benefit sharing.

The Beyond-GDP Principle

The Beyond-GDP Principle recognises the inherent limits and distorting effects of using GDP as a measure of progress and welfare. Policy goals and monitoring need to be guided by integrated measures on environmental, social, human and economic wellbeing, taking into account diverse interpretations of human welfare.

For further information on further plans and to provide feedback on the above principles, please contact Maja Göpel (World Future Council) maja.goepel@worldfuturecouncil.org or Leida Rijnhout (ANPED) leida@anped.org

Get more info on Global Healing