Implementing Green Economy Policies through Ecosystem Management: A Call for Action in a Post Rio+20 Era - Issues Paper for Xiamen Forum on Ecosystem Management and Green Economy

This paper has been prepared for the Xiamen Forum on Ecosystem Management and Green Economy1 to be held on 6 September 2012 in Xiamen, China. The overall goal of the forum is to contribute to the implementation of green economy policies through promoting the central role of ecosystem management, called by the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 2012 (Rio+20). Based on the call from Rio+20 “to further mainstream sustainable development at all levels integrating economic, social and environmental aspects and recognizing their interlinkages, so as to achieve sustainable development in all its dimensions,” we proposed an over-arching framework within which a paradigm shift has started from balancing to integrating the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic, social and environmental. We further analyzed in detail the specific issues including enhancement of environmental pillar, the role of green economy policies and ecosystem management, eco-investment, eco-cities, south- south cooperation and innovation of science and technology.