What is it about?
Should low and middle income countries be concerned about how "green" there growth and development might be? Is "green growth " a luxury for such developing economics? This paper reviews the pros and cons of green growth, and in particular, argues that policies for green growth should take into account the structural features of developing economies, such as their high dependency on primary product exports and the tendency of poor people to be "clustered" in less favored rural regions with poor land and natural resources.
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Why is it important?
To my knowledge, this is the first article to examine whether the transition to a green economy is feasible or even desirable for developing economies, and what are the key structural features of these economies that must be taken into account to foster such a transition.
Perspectives
I have been researching and providing policy analysis on natural resources and economic development for nearly 30 years. I am also credited by providing some of the earliest economic writings on sustainable economic development and the "green economy". This article draws on my experience and expertise in these areas. It also reflects my concerns that much of the current debate assumes that economies that adopt "green growth" strategies are already advanced industrialized economies. Very little has been written so far on the relevance of green growth for developing economies.
Edward Barbier
Colorado State University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Is green growth relevant for poor economies?, Resource and Energy Economics, August 2016, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.reseneeco.2016.05.001.
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