Green Economy

What is the Green Economy?

The green economy is a whole system approach to ensure economic growth while also achieving our national and international environmental goals. In a green economy, growth in employment and income are driven by a vision, where economic activities allow reduced carbon emissions and pollution, enhanced energy and resource efficiency, and prevention of the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Why is it important?

Lebanon’s recent triple crisis (COVID-19, economic crisis, the Port of Beirut blast) provides a unique opportunity for the country to completely revitalize its economy and align it with the economy of the future. Investments today will lock our economy in a certain pathway for the next 20 to 30 years. Therefore, we need to do it right, and be aligned with global economic trends, which will shape the world between now and 2050. Knowing that, in order to maintain human civilization as it is, the world has no option but to address the global triple crisis (climate change, the plastics pollution, and biodiversity/ecosystems losses), we believe that the economy of the future is a green economy.

What are we doing?

IndyACT has developed a green economy vision for Lebanon; “the 100% Lebanon Green Recovery Vision” document, providing an overall framework on how Lebanon can harness all the potential socioeconomic benefits, while still achieving the goals of the SDGs, the Paris Climate Agreement, the Convention of Biological Diversity and few other international and national commitments. This vision aligns economic growth with environmental and social benefits, makes the case that the green economy concept is the best and fastest approach to achieve sustainable development in Lebanon.

The developed document is aimed to initiate a national debate unifying all Lebanese under a common vision for the future. It sums up the uniqueness of Lebanon, being a land of diversity (at all levels; culture, geography, natural resources, etc.) and outlines a strategy for six vital sectors (energy, transport, agriculture, tourism, circular economy and sustainable finance).

IndyACT is also building a regional network to promote the green economy in the MENA region, along with partners across the region.