Green Foundations 2009: The path to a vibrant economy, competitive advantage and sustainable prosperity

“The choice really isn’t between the economy and the environment. The choice is between progress and the past. And it is entirely in our hands”[1]

The global financial and economic crisis is creating unprecedented strains on the world economy, leading some to question if we can presently afford to tackle fundamental, long-term challenges such as climate change and resource depletion. Fortunately, this is not the view of our political leaders. Evidently, they can see that the problems we face are interlinked and regard the transition to a low carbon economy as an integral part of the economic recovery.

The fallout from the 2008 credit crunch is a unique opportunity to move beyond the rhetoric, and mobilise the same political will that helped to stabilise the banking crisis into addressing some of its underlying causes. This second edition of Green Foundations draws on new evidence and research that substantiates a positive interaction between high quality environmental regulation and economic growth – enabling companies to become more efficient and productive, and creating new opportunities to secure the jobs and wealth of the future.