Green Economy in South Asia: Challenges and Opportunities.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) defines a “green economy” as one “that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while signifi cantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities”. It makes a tantalizing claim that “a green economy grows faster than a brown economy over time, while maintaining and restoring natural capital”. Rising oil prices, the financial crisis of 2008, and the ever growing debate around global ecological crises, including climate change, can be seen as key triggers for the pursuit of green growth worldwide.