Green Economy: what’s nextWill socialization of data and production system green our future?

MER – Marketing and Governing Innovative Industrial AreasWorkshop “The green economy: challenges and opportunities”

Trieste 3, 4 and 5 of December 2013

Rio de Janeiro – Earth summit 1992: • Convention on Biological Diversity

• Convention on Climate Change

• Agenda 21

• Forest principles

• UN Convention to Combat Desertification

Rio +20: The conference declaration, titled "The Future We Want"

is a weak and meaningless document

Governments keep on postponing……

…..and are committed with economic/financial crises, other than being focused merely on national interests

COP (Conference of the parties) is becoming POP (Play of the parties)…

Meanwhile….A billion and a half more people are using and abusing the environment

In the coming three decades this number will approximately double

Plus, raising urban population: 45% (1992) - > 50% (2013) - > 63% (2030)

and the gap between rich and poor is getting wider

Trickle-down effect doesn’t work

If we continue our wasteful ways by 2050 almost 4 billion people will live in area experiencing severe water stress

The world, largely China and India, will need 80% more energy most of it based on fossil fuels

Shale gas stirred up enthusiasm…

Greenhouse gas emission will remain stable in OECD countries and Russia, more than double in the rapidly growing BRICS

and rise in the rest of the world increasing globally over 50% pushing the Earth's temperatures up 3 to 6 degrees celsius by the end of the century.

Farming, sprawling cities, logging and climate change could reduce biodiversity and nature force by another 10%

I might keep on listing such negative trends,

however i’d rather focus on what’s ‘greening on’

Green economy is turning into Social Innovation

Into sharing, collaborative, open source, digital Economy

New ICT and Networked communities are dematerializing economy

Green economy is turning into into Blue economy

And a smart economy as well (smart technologies, smart citizens, smart use…)

Green marketing is turning into Corporate Social Responsibility

It’s not only a matter of selling green products, rather creating a green culture and being concerned with local community in which enterprises operate

Green consumers are going to be mainstream

And ever more willing to BOYCOTT or BUYCOTT brands

And will likely become green prosumers(thanks also to WEB 2.0)

Citizens are ever more get connected with nature and through the nature

Community gardens

BioMarkets

Countryside CoHousing

Nevertheless, what’s still missing is

• A global approach to sustainability issues

• A global governance concerning such issues

• A real and concrete committment by developed countries

• A green vision for the future (Shale gas, clean coal, tar sand, etc. are are not the answer)

• A Shared Social Responsibility

And what should be avoided (among others…)

lack of active participation

Enterprises

Governments

Citizens

Incentives to fossil fuels

Greenwashing

But first of all, let’s never forget that

Our economic system in order to work requires

the support of ecological systems

Economy

Society

Environment

While the opposite is not true

Thank you for your attention

Umberto MezzacapoConsultant and Researcher in Communication and Sustainability at

Ces.Co.Com (Study Centre on Consumption and Communication)

Department of Sociology and Economic Laws

Alma Mater Studiorum

University of Bologna