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Working Towards a Balanced and Inclusive Green Economy
Environmental Management Group, United Nations, 2011
by: Environmental Management Group

This publication documents the United Nations system‐wide persspectives on the green economy and offers each agency the opportunity to define their contribution to all three pillars of sustainable development. The report provides a common reference for United Nations agencies on the meanings and implications of a green economy, and documents the understanding of the UN on what is required to meet current economic and resource challenges. The overall goal of the report was to assess how the UN system could coherently support countries in transitioning to a green economy
second aim of the report was to contribute to the preparatory process for the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development 2012.

As the report is a synthesis of UN agency positions, the green economy is defined in the same way as in the UNEP’s ‘Towards a Green Economy’ report. The report also includes sections on:

• investment in physical infrastructure and target sectors;

• investment in human capital and societal infrastructure (restating that a green economy must contribute to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs);

• enabling the transition towards a green economy, with the following sub‐sections on:
- mainstreaming environmental and social integration;
- public and private financing;
- full‐cost pricing;
- sustainable trade;
- innovation and technology transfer; and,
- assessment and indicators.

• the way forward for the United Nations system.

Particular emphasis is placed on the Rio+20 conference and its potential to send a powerful signal to governments, business and civil society around the world of the determination of the United Nations to “Deliver as One” on a green economy transformation for sustainable development and poverty eradication.

United Nations