Systemic Solution to Achieving Green Economic Growth and Sustainable Development

Achieving green economic growth and sustainable development requires comprehensive and coordinated strategies for entire regions as a complex system fully considering global drivers and local actions. Relying solely on green technology cannot achieve a green economy or communities. A systemic solution must include green business models and a quadruple-bottom-line measure of conditions and performance; a new conception of communities, consumption, and conservation; and new conceptions of core process and supply chains of our socioeconomic systems.

We need to fully recognize that local governments and enterprises regularly make investments in community design, infrastructure, and facilities with 30 to 50 year life-spans through their medium and long-range planning processes that do not systemically consider important global drivers and shapers. Therefore, we need a comprehensive and systemic approach to strategic management — embedding a long-term strategic management system into medium and long-rang planning — for achieving sustainable development and a green economy.

We will discuss selected cases to illustrate the need and approaches, including water systems, such as river basins and urban water systems; urban systems design and housing; solid waste management systems; addressing the ozone and soot emissions problems; and more.