Economic growth or green growth? In the aftermath of Corona some companies and governments are delaying green regulations to stimulate the economic growth, while others are precisely pulling the green card to win the economic game. This is why Green Growth can be a game changer.

I wrote in the last column about how jobs are essential for our survival, and how they got abused by politicians to score political points. Of course, now we face job losses, all eyes are on those who can bring our jobs back.

Holy Trinity

However, the question might be if we should turn to the old normal. Why blowing life into a dying system, if we could blow all that energy into a promising newborn? As various countries, cities and companies have already understood: sustainable economic growth is green growth.

In those sectors we will be able to create genuine sustainable jobs, who serve the holy trinity of people, planet and profit.

Failure is Not an Option

As Europe experiences the droughts, and Australia goes from flooding into bush fires and vice versa, island states and coastal areas are not only trying to keep up with the rising sea level, but as well with the increasing strength of hurricanes. Climate change is real, and it is happening now. Therefore, sooner or later, and better the sooner than the later, the entire world will be forced to shift to emission free technologies, transport and energy, heating and cooling, production and consumption.

Moreover, if it wasn’t for climate change, it was for the fact of pollution is killing people, animals and nature directly. Not only were people living in air polluted areas more vulnerable in times of Corona, they are so at any times. Besides air pollution, our water and soil are polluted as well because of chemicals finding their way from production lines to waterways, as well as waste. Via water and soil, they get absorbed by the plants, the vegetables and fruit, and the animals living on it; which eventually ends up on in our food chain, and hence in our own bodies.

Killing us slowly with plastic particles and chemicals, rather than with words.

Failing in addressing ecologic problems is not an option. If we do not switch to green, sustainable, technologies, we continue to dig our own grave. Moreover, the longer we wait to switch, the more graves we dig, the more costs, energy and effort it will take, and the less economic growth you will create; hence transitioning to green economic growth is eventually the best economic option.

A Chance we have to take

Therefore, rather than considering this economic crisis as a challenge, we can see it as a chance to rebuild or economy for the better. Moreover, the way some companies dealt with Covid-19, by converting their production lines or supply chains, the way of working and even the purpose of working, has undermined all arguments that were previously used to stop the green economic transition.

People are resilient. Companies are flexible. Governments know how to incentivise certain behaviour and sectors, and downplay others. Countries can come up with holistic strategies to align us with the same values, norms, and vision.

The world has shown we can address global problems together.

There has been a lot of criticism, and not everything went smooth and perfect; however, do you blame a child that learns how to walk for falling down, or wiggling like a penguin? This was the first time we seriously attacked a global problem that involved all domains of life, all countries, all global citizens; at this pace and of this level. Even tough, we have had global problems together before, such as the gap in the ozone layer, or the eradication of measles; none of them required such a holistic, fast-paced transition as we’ve done with Covid-19.

Reawake Now

Precisely what happened with Corona, must happen with our environmental problems: we have to get all eyes in the same direction; we have to create a holistic vision of where we want to go to, a dedicated mission to reach our destination, and moreover, we have to align all norms, and values to get there. It won’t be a they or us story, it will be an all of us story.

We need every single person to get on board of this green economic growth ship.

Any other ship will be sink shortly. If it won’t be the bush fires, it will be the drought; if it won’t be the hurricanes, it will be the flooding; if it won’t be the air pollution, it will be the water and soil pollution; if it won’t be the poisoning consumption, it will be the production.

Moreover, aligning economic values with ecologic values will always be the best long-term strategy.

Various studies show time over time how a green economy will create jobs, can save lives by improving health and reducing polluters and climate change, while still creating economic growth.

Hence, delaying green growth to create economic growth is a choice, not a necessity.

In times of crisis, we unplug our ability to be innovative, resilient and flexible, so let’s use this potential to play another game. Pull the green card to win the economic game, and you’ll be on a long-term run.

 

This article is part of the series of Hope in Times of Corona. Read

1. How this too shall pass
2. how this times of self-isolation should not mean loneliness,
3. how you can contribute to this battle, 
4. how gratitude lights up the dark,  
5. how united we will stand strong
6. on the most util strategy in awake of a crisis 
7. how I got blown of my feet as well, but caught by many caring hands, 
8. how being calm can get us through the storm.
9. about Love in Times of Corona
10. how to discover your own talents 
11. why we need stories to hold on to 
12. how you can be creative and innovative.
13. how to spend your mot valuable assets in times of Corona.
14. how to listen to the sound of silence. 
15. How breath taking Corona really is.
16. discover the other freedoms Corona has shown us, 
17. about the new-born freedom Corona gave us.
18. about another way to exceed your personal bubble.
19. about the position of nature in this entire story
20. about nature bouncing back
21. about the crucial choice between resilience and resistance
22. about the game to play
23. about star gazing in dark times
24. About looking for Meaning
25. About how Music Connects
26. about what Easter and Corona have in Common
27. About the Shark and the Turtle
28. About the Irony of Distance
29. Why to Hold on
30. Fake News
31. about The Big Unknown we live at
32. about Feeling Alive
33. About turning obstacles into opportunities
34. about what the Birthday of my nephew learned me about life 
35. About where we should go from here?
36. About coping with incertitude
37. About the Great War and the Great Pandemic, and we should not forget
38. about history’s most important message, echoed by corona
39. How one country could rule them all
40. About how to prevent the next Green Pandemic 
41. about how we are experiencing a new episode of our history books
42. about when the poppy flowers
43. about what’s in a number
44. masks off, how a friend in need is a friend indeed
45. What’s Next. after we flattened the curve?
46. how will our personal story look like in a post-corona world?
47. why we should never let a good crisis go too waste.
48. How Spring can happen in Autumn
49. How to unlock the lockdown
50. Why education matters
51. How we can give meaning to the meaningless deaths. (rethink health care)
52. The remarkable marketability of health, or not?
53. the remarkable rewards of health
54. The queeste for global health care 
55. Health Heroes
56. Pains and Gains 
57. Solidarity 3.0
58. Work-Life Balance
59. Home sweet home
60. Real Connections
61. Leadership 3.0
62. gratitude 3.0
63. Respect 3.0
64. Humanity 3.0
65. Change Management
66. Economic Catharsis
67. To consume or not to consume?
68. Travel the world, travel your heart
69. Barrels of Life
70. People, no Number Management
71. Back to the Office?
72. Those jobs …

Or wait until tomorrow, when I’ll shine another light on yet another positive corner of this dark time.