Green Economy unites economics and ecology: an economy must be internationally competitive, but must also be environmentally friendly and socially acceptable. A Green Economy enhances social welfare, combats poverty, and strives for social justice.

We are working towards a qualitative sustainable growth, based on a comprehensive understanding of the correlations between business, finance and politics within the ecological limits of our planet. The aim is to develop new, sustainable patterns of production and consumption to ensure prosperity and a high quality of life for generations to come.

The road to a Green Economy will take us through a process of change that will affect society as a whole. It will involve a comprehensive ecological modernisation of the entire economy, and all of its sectors. The factors comprised in an environmentally friendly economy are resource consumption, emissions reduction, increasing energy and resource productivity, as well as the establishment of sustainable modes of production and supply and sustainable infrastructures. Issues such as living and working conditions, patterns of consumption, product life cycles and financing models are all interrelated and play an important role.

Green Economy as a Shared Responsibility

Green Economy was a central issue at the UN Summit on Sustainability Rio+20 in 2012. Following the summit, the German Federal Ministry of Research and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment started their Green Economy Agenda, to begin a dialogue with partners and concerned stakeholders from the fields of economy, science, politics and society. This process aims to involve all stakeholders in developing the transformation process towards a Green Economy. To reach this goal, application-oriented research that involves relevant players and end users is needed. Together with the big economic associations, unions, consumer organisations, and NGOs a strategic research agenda was developed. Federal Minister of Research, Johanna Wanka, and Federal Minister for the Environment, Barbara Hendricks, presented the Agenda to the public, at the Green Economy Conference on 18 November, 2014. The Agenda encompasses the following priority areas:

• Production and Resources: Raw Materials, Water, and Land
• Sustainability and Financial Services
• Sustainable Consumption
• Sustainable Supply and Use of Energy in the Economy
• Sustainable Mobility Systems
• Infrastructures and Intelligent Supply Systems for the City of the Future

The German Federal Ministry is providing funds totalling 350 million Euros for research into Green Economy until 2018. As one of three flagship initiatives, Green Economy is a vital part of the 3rd framework programme “Research for Sustainable Development”. The goal of a sustainable economy is also part of the German Government’s High-Tech Strategy which aims to secure our quality of life.