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Sustainable Cities and Communities pp 1–12Cite as

Green Economy and the Transition to Sustainable Development

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Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals ((ENUNSDG))

Synonyms

Green growth; Low-carbon economy; Sustainable development

Definitions

The United Nations (UNEP 2011) defines a green economy as “one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities” (p. 9). Furthermore, a green economy has three main characteristics: (i) it is low carbon; (ii) it is resource efficient; and (iii) it is socially inclusive. In a more extensive definition, we could add that a green economy encompasses:

  • Internalization of negative externalities associated with pollution

  • Internalization of positive externalities associated with environmental conservation

  • Substitution away from unsustainable consumption, production, and energy sources

  • Efficiency gains in the use of natural resources and less waste generation

  • Investment in green sectors

  • Creation of green jobs

Introduction

The term green economy and the term sustainable development are often used interchangeably as an...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Utrecht School of Economics, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Julia Swart & Loek Groot

Authors
  1. Julia Swart
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  2. Loek Groot
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Julia Swart .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. European School of Sustainability, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

  2. Center for Neuroscience & Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

    Anabela Marisa Azul

  3. Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Passo Fundo University Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Passo Fundo, Brazil

    Luciana Brandli

  4. Istinye University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Pinar Gökcin Özuyar

  5. International Centre for Thriving, University of Chester, Chester, UK

    Tony Wall

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Apparel, Housing and Resource Management, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA

    Erin A. Hopkins

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Swart, J., Groot, L. (2020). Green Economy and the Transition to Sustainable Development. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A., Brandli, L., Özuyar, P., Wall, T. (eds) Sustainable Cities and Communities. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71061-7_55-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71061-7_55-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-71061-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-71061-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences

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