Posted on 21 February
2011
Gland, Switzerland: More and more evidence
is accumulating that a clean and green economy
is most likely to deliver a more secure,
prosperous and less tumultuous future for
humanity, WWF said yesterday.
WWF International Director
General Jim Leape was commenting on today’s
release of the major United Nations Environment
Program (UNEP) report Towards a Green Economy
which shows that appropriate policies and
relatively modest redirections of global
investment flows could grow the global economy
at equivalent or greater levels than current
forecasts.
The more sustainable
economy would also be less affected by scarcities
and disruption than the existing, resource-depleting,
high carbon “brown” economy, the report
said.
“UNEP’s report demonstrates
that a clean and green development path
can produce growth and employment while
cutting costs and reducing the risks associated
with business as usual,” Mr Leape said.
“Conventional economic
thinking, GDP measures of growth and conventional
corporate accounting will take us crashing
headlong into the Earth’s limits.
“We need to move now
to recognize the fundamental importance
of the natural capital upon which the entire
economy depends, and ensure that conservation
of that capital is brought into the heart
of public and corporate decisionmaking.”
“The way of the future
is now being shown by the countries and
companies that are now moving strongly to
invest in renewable energy sources and better
stewardship of forests, fisheries, and other
resources.”
Mr Leape noted that
the UNEP report identified greening energy
supplies as the area needing the largest
level of investment. That mirrors findings
of WWF’s recent Energy Report which found
that it was both possible and imperative
to switch to a 100 per cent renewably powered
world by 2050.
