Integrating green economy principles for sustainable growth

The transition to a green economy, combined with the circular economy and the bioeconomy, has gained entry into policy debates, scientific research, and business discourse as parallel ways to respond to sustainable development. The narratives provide complementary means of addressing economic, social, and ecological objectives, but none on its own provides the complete solution. We examine, through the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development, the integrated potential of such narratives to address a sustainable future. For India, the challenges are daunting. In particular, a rise in temperatures threatens to unseat economic stability and ecological balance. Given that cities account for about 60 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, they tend to be one of the leading causes of climate change. It is in this backdrop that the latest commitment by the government to achieve a $5 trillion economy makes strategic policy intervention important to foster climate-proofed and resilient development. Finally, integrating green growth strategies will help further in managing disaster risks, enabling sustainable urbanization, and building climate resilience. Besides, innovative methods such as blue-green infrastructure have the added advantage of responding to the consequences of rapid urbanization in a manner that makes certain towns plan sustainably. Public and private investment in green infrastructure, low-carbon technology, and resource-efficient approaches is required for meeting the SDGs for India. The chapter has underlined the need for holistic, system-wide approaches to sustainability, thus giving prominence to the role of integrated green economy principles in shaping the contours of resilient and inclusive development within which lies the future of India. The green economy narrative synthesized here forms a valuable frame against which policymakers, businesses, and scholars develop sustainable development efforts in the post-COVID-19 period as India seeks to balance economic ambition with environmental imperatives.