The Green Economy: A Primer

The Green Economy: A Primer is a guide by the Green Economy Coalition (GEC) that defines the green economy and outlines five core themes necessary for its implementation. It addresses the lack of a single global definition and argues for an inclusive approach that prioritizes social equity and ecological limits over purely technocratic solutions.

• The Green Economy Coalition (GEC) defines a green economy as one that ensures prosperity for all while remaining within the planet's ecological limits.
• The GEC identifies five broad themes essential to a green economy: valuing nature in statistics and finance, tackling inequality to increase resilience, greening economic sectors (food, transport, energy, and infrastructure), reforming financial systems for long-term investment, and implementing new methods of measuring and governing, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• There is no single, internationally agreed-upon definition of a green economy, which the UN suggests may have hindered progress. However, the GEC argues that green economies will naturally vary based on local and national contexts.
• Critics argue that some green economy approaches are merely 'green growth' veneers that replicate the failings of the 'brown economy' through technocratic policies. The GEC advocates for a broader, inclusive vision that incorporates the perspectives of marginalized and excluded communities.
• As of 2017, there is a growing trend toward an 'inclusive green economy' that moves beyond sectoral plans to become a social movement capable of motivating citizens, consumers, and voters.

APA

Hopkins, C. (2017). The Green Economy: A Primer. Green Economy Coalition. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/news-and-resources/the-green-economy-a-primer

Chicago

Hopkins, Chris. The Green Economy: A Primer. Green Economy Coalition, 2017. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/news-and-resources/the-green-economy-a-primer.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hopkins |first1=Chris |title=The Green Economy: A Primer |publisher=Green Economy Coalition |date=7 September 2017 |url=https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/news-and-resources/the-green-economy-a-primer |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hopkins2017green, author = {Hopkins, Chris}, title = {{The Green Economy: A Primer}}, institution = {Green Economy Coalition}, year = {2017}, month = sep, url = {https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/news-and-resources/the-green-economy-a-primer}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }