GREEN economy: a brief for policymakers on the green economy and Millennium Development Goals

This publication introduces UNEP’s forthcoming 'Green Economy Report', which will describe how greening the world’s economies lowers environmental risks and ecological scarcities, which hurt the poor and disadvantaged the most. This policymakers' summary aims to appreciate the scale of the challenge, highlighted not just by the increasing evidence of environmental pollution and the impacts of climate change, but also by the loss of what could be called 'natural capital', which defines the biodiversity and ecosystems providing humanity with food, fuel, fibre and protection from floods and soil erosion among other services.

It calls for policymakers to take the lead, stating that their actions will be the necessary catalyst for the transition to a green economy that builds on the earth’s natural capital and reduces ecological scarcities and environmental risks. It also asserts that the transition to a “green economy”, an economy that not only improves human well-being and lessens inequality but also reduces environmental risks and ecological scarcities, is crucial to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.