October 2011: In a virtual issue of the journal Natural Resources Forum, a UN Sustainable Development Journal, titled “Towards the Rio+20 Conference,” the Division for Sustainable Development (DSD) of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) compiles articles addressing sustainable consumption and production (SCP) and the relationship between a green economy and sustainable development, among other topics.

The introduction to the special issue notes that all articles are intended to contribute to the lead-up to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20). They provide insights on a range of issues, from constraints to a green economy in a climate change scenario, to the kinds of financial instruments that can be mobilized to promote greener economies.

The articles highlight that the ideas at the core of the green economy, such as valuing natural assets and investing in them, are not new. Therefore, they suggest that a green economy is not a new paradigm, but rather an opportunity to capitalize and learn from decades of experience.

Articles also address: societal transformations for a sustainable economy; lessons from the history of technological change for clean energy scenarios and policies; shaping agricultural innovation systems responsive to food insecurity and climate change; building a regulatory framework for biofuels governance in China; sustainable partnerships for a green economy; the sustainability of green funds; and policy challenges for green economy and sustainable economic development. [Publication: Special Issue on Green Economy and Sustainable Development]