Inclusion Matters

The report argues that social inclusion is core to the green economic transition and that citizen-led dialogues are an effective tool for bridging the gap between local stakeholders and national policymakers. It documents experiences from seven 'Hubs'—the Caribbean, India, Mongolia, Peru, Senegal, South Africa, and Uganda—where multi-stakeholder processes were used to identify local priorities and influence policy. Key outcomes include the promotion of fly ash bricks in Bihar, India; the development of a Green-Blue Economy Strategy in the Eastern Caribbean; and the creation of a catchment management plan for the River Rwizi in Uganda. The document concludes with ten policy insights, emphasizing that inclusive transitions require embedded governance systems, robust institutional mechanisms for stakeholder voice, and a focus on 'nexus issues' that link social, economic, and environmental goals.

• Social inclusion is not a peripheral addition but a fundamental requirement for the success and endurance of the green economic transition, as transitions without it are considered both unjust and risky.
• The Green Economy Coalition (GEC) utilizes a three-tier dialogue methodology—micro (local), meso (state/sectoral), and macro (national/regional)—to create a live policy feedback loop that connects local realities with national agendas.
• In Bihar, India, dialogue processes with fly ash entrepreneurs led the state government to mandate that all state-led construction activities use 100% fly ash bricks and ban new red brick enterprises within 300km of coal-fired power plants.
• In Uganda, the GEC-Hub facilitated a multi-stakeholder declaration and a management plan for the River Rwizi catchment, involving eight district governments to address the degradation of a river system that 11 districts depend on.
• In the Caribbean, the GEC-Hub developed the 'Local Green-Blue Enterprise Radar' to help small and micro enterprises assess their triple-bottom line benefits and influenced the OECS to develop a Green-Blue Economy Strategy and Action Plan.
• In Mongolia, dialogues focused on the 'ger' districts of Ulaanbaatar, where 80% of winter air pollution is caused by burning unwashed coal, helping marginalized residents co-create solutions with local authorities.
• In Peru, the GEC-Hub built a network of green businesses that grew from 95 to 193 members, advocating for a regulatory framework for Collective Benefit and Interest Companies (BIC) to provide legal recognition to social and green enterprises.
• In Senegal, dialogue processes focused on artisanal fisheries and smallholder agroecology, resulting in sectoral policy action plans to inform the national Plan Senegal Emergent.
• In South Africa, the GEC-Hub focused on a 'just transition' to address the country's status as the world's most unequal society, using 'Green Imbizos' to ensure voices of women, youth, and the creative sector were heard.
• The report identifies ten policy insights, noting that inclusive transitions must be embedded in governance systems rather than treated as one-off consultations, and that 'nexus issues' (e.g., health or entrepreneurship) are effective for driving reform.

APA

Mohamed, N. (2019). Inclusion Matters. Green Economy Coalition. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/GEC-Reports/GEC-Inclusion-Paper-Najma-July-2020-WEB-Final.pdf

Chicago

Mohamed, Najma. Inclusion Matters. Green Economy Coalition, 2019. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/GEC-Reports/GEC-Inclusion-Paper-Najma-July-2020-WEB-Final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mohamed |first1=Najma |title=Inclusion Matters |publisher=Green Economy Coalition |date=2019 |url=https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/GEC-Reports/GEC-Inclusion-Paper-Najma-July-2020-WEB-Final.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mohamed2019inclusion, author = {Mohamed, Najma}, title = {{Inclusion Matters}}, institution = {Green Economy Coalition}, year = {2019}, url = {https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/GEC-Reports/GEC-Inclusion-Paper-Najma-July-2020-WEB-Final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }