Sustainable cities: inclusive, green and competitive

Abstract

Green Economy has been recognized by the Rio+20 Summit as “one of the important tools available for achieving sustainable development”. It is emphasized that Green Economy should “contribute to eradicating poverty as well as sustained economic growth, enhancing social inclusion, improving human welfare and creating opportunities for employment and decent work for all, while maintaining the healthy functioning of the Earth’s ecosystems”. Such a transition towards a green and inclusive economy requires major efforts both on a national and international level, and cooperation and exchange of experiences is key to support the process. India and Germany are major players in this transition. Against this backdrop, an interdisciplinary working group of renowned experts from leading research institutions/ political think tanks in India and Germany has been set up in November 2013 to enhance collaborative learning, contribute to informed decision making in both countries and feed into the international debate on a Green and Inclusive Economy. Key topics are: • Frameworks and challenges for a green and inclusive transformation. • Natural resources and decoupling growth from resource consumption. • Sustainable lifestyles. • Green and inclusive cities. This policy paper was elaborated based on discussions in the context of the 4th expert group meeting on 12-14 April 2015 in Bangalore. The group is supported by the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) and facilitated by the GIZ Environmental Policy Programme in Berlin and the Indo-German Environment Partnership in Delhi.