Finland as a Green Economy

Finland has a strong reputation as a leader in environmental policy and sustainable development. It is the only country, close to reaching many of the SDGs related to social and economic sustainability. It is a forerunner to become  the world’s first green  economy by 2035. Roughly  90% of power generation is already carbon neutral and is only European country with access to all minerals needed for batteries.

Greening Economic Sectors in India:

Five high-impact  sectors  key  to  the  Green  Economy  in  India  are  Agriculture, Construction, Power, Manufacturing, Transport and Tourism. 

• Agriculture: Sikkim was named the first fully organic state in  the  Several measures have been taken by the government including credit access, climate resilient seeds and technological interventions.
• Construction: The construction sector represents 30%  of Indian  electricity  consumption  and  has  a  high  material    India  ranks  third  in  the top  Ten  Countries for LEED (Leadership for energy and environmental design). Further, green buildings  is  projected  to  grow 20%  in  the  country.  Fly  ash  utilization  in  the construction sector  has witnessed a steady up upward trend.
• Energy: The Ministry of  New and Renewable  Energy  targets  to  set  up  renewable  energy  capacities  to  the  tune  of  175  GW  by  2022  of which about  100  GW is  planned for  solar,60  for  wind and  other for  hydro,   
• Manufacturing: Green manufacturing  in  India  is  still  at  the  take–off    While  there  has  been significant policy development and adoption by the manufacturing industry in the area of green energy, there is substantial scope on both the policy front and its adoption in the areas of green  products  and  green processes. 
• Transportation: There is the growth-of on-demand transportation  and carpooling  The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways signed a pact with Transport for London to revamp the public transportation in India. 

Criticism of Green Economics 

• Critics claim that green economics' attempts to decouple economic growth from environmental destruction have not been very successful. Most economic growth has occurred on the back of non-renewable technologies and energy sources. Eg. Bulk of electricity in India is produced from coal
• Emphasis on green jobs as a social justice solution is also fallacious. Raw material for green energy in several cases comes from rare earth minerals mined in inhospitable conditions by workers who are paid cheaply. Example is electric cars, whose batteries may be made from raw materials mined from fragile rainforests.
• Another criticism of green economics is that it is focused on a technological approach to solutions and, consequently, its market is dominated by companies with access to the technology.

Strategies for Achieving a Green Economy

• Buildings:An energy audit may significantly cut your building's carbon footprint and energy expenditures.
• Fisheries: By promoting sustainable fishing methods, we can prevent overfishing. Select seafood that has been caught responsibly.
• Forestry: Nearly 20% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions are caused by deforestation.Reduce the need for paper items by using electronic files.Ahealthy environment and sustainable livelihoods are supported when you purchase certified sustainable forest products.
• Transportation:Using public transportation or carpooling has a positive influence on the environment, economy, and community.
  • Short-distance travel by bike or on foot is healthy for you and the environment.
  • It promotes Green Economyin the transportation industry when you choose alternate modes of transportation.
• Water:Making simple efforts to utilize water responsibly will help protect this priceless resource. .
  • Turn off the faucet while not in use. A Green Economymust prioritize resource efficiency, and one of our most valuable resources is water.
• Agriculture:In order to ensure that we can feed everyone, it is time to encourage sustainable agriculture.
  • Create your own food garden and visit your neighborhood farmers' market.
  • The support of a green economyfor agriculture is communicated to farmers when you purchase locally sourced, organic, and sustainable food items.
• Energy: Encourage the development ofclean, renewable energy sources by patronizing companies and buying their goods, or by making their own investments.
  • Consider strategies to increase personal energy efficiency while we try to make the switch to renewable energy.
• Waste: Composting food scraps and recycling relevant items lowers the strain on our natural resources.
  • The development of clean, renewable energy sourcessuch as solar, wind, and tidal will help the green economy.

Conclusion:

The unsustainable way in which our natural resources are valued, used and managed is the most  fundamental  problem  and there  is  need to operate within  the  ‘ planetary boundaries‘. However, these national pathways can be informed and assisted by an international framework of  rules, best practices and  actors. Countries  like Japan,  South Korea, China and  Germany have already positioned themselves as green technology leaders and India should not be the perennial  technology buyer. It can be concluded that there is need for a policy shift for green reforms to enable India to achieve sustained and sustainable development.