Green + Equity = Green Transformation

What is Green Transformation?

A movement is already underway to “green” cities that calls for fundamental shifts in the way people organize urban life. Massive public expenditure, new investments in “green” technology and the emergence of carbon markets creates the potential for new forms of enterprise and innovation in poor communities. This fundamental economic shift – if directed to goals of social inclusion and equity – could fulfill the unfinished promise of social inclusion for poor and minority people as set out in the American New Deal, the UN’s Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the Millennium Development Goals.

The potential is great, and yet there is little capacity to deeply address issues of equity and inclusion within current environmental and urban regeneration efforts.
Approaches that reach across sectors and build deep levels of trust, collaboration and collective innovation are needed. We are calling this work “green transformation” as it aims to fundamentally shift economic and social relations linked to achievement of the urgent agenda of reversing climate change and bridging social and economic divides. The goal of green transformation is to leverage the emerging “green” economy – the new value being generated around clean energy, energy efficiency, and carbon reductions – to create more inclusive and vibrant societies based on environmental stewardship and community regeneration.

Green transformation seeks to maximize the potential for convergence between community assets, green markets and civic engagement to create new value in society.

Green transformation is both desirable and necessary. The huge challenges of reversing climate change won’t be achievable if poor communities are not part of the political consensus required to move forward.