Green Economic Development
Mesopartner sees the need for a post-fossil economic development strategy, also often called “The Great Transformation”, by think tanks. It urges all of us to rethink our role in and contribution to a more socially, economically, and ecologically healthy way of life to a greener and more inclusive development path. With our work on “Green Economic Development (GED),” we want to contribute to the Great Transformation. Instead of taking a strongly normative approach, we build on our existing and additional principles. Yet, among local and national actors working in business networks, support organisations, and policymakers, we can convey an understanding of the planetary boundaries and the innovation and contributions that each of them can play to develop within boundaries. Our experiences of how business development happens, how innovation is strengthened and applied and how knowledge- and learning networks can be supported in a complex environment help us to find various entry points for the GED work.
Principles that are shaping our work
Principles on Economic Development
Additional principles on Green Economic Development
Endogenous potentials
Non-normative approaches but promotion of GED networks
Bottom-up structures
Development within planetary boundaries and SDGs
Context-orientation
Green development solutions in the context
Non-normative
Sustainable business promotion
History and path dependency matters
Strengthening transformative policy and support efforts for the future
Importance of business innovations
Technological and social innovations that strengthen GED
Learning and knowledge networks for competitiveness
Learning and knowledge networks for sustainable solutions
Demand orientation and business solution driven
Integrating civil society and environmental actors more into the process
Additional Resources
Series of Blog posts on new approaches to promote “Sustainable Future Cities, Towns and Communities”.
the Caribbean.
Our interview on the decarbonisation challenges of cities and rural areas with Dirk Messner, Director of the German Environment Agency.
Our interview on the decarbonisation challenges of cities and rural areas with Dirk Messner, Director of the German Environment Agency.
A conference speech and publication from Mesopartner on the impact of the EU Green Deal on specific sectors in countries like Bosnia and Herzegovina.
An analysis of the importance of Quality Infrastructure for the Circular Economy in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Annual Reflections 2016
Annual Reflections 2020
Bottom-up industrial policy at territorial level
Can standards help developing countries phase into a green economy
Circular Territorial Development
Competing priorities: trade-offs between "green" and other topics
Driving forces for greening urban and rural locations in the EU
Eco-system services and territorial competitiveness
From value chains to circular economic systems
Green economic development as an evolutionary process
Green territorial economic development: promoting more sustainable solutions
Innovation requirements of a climate-smart location
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Just (Energy) Transition as an interdisciplinary transformation challenge: Learning from the German experience
RACCA Flyer
Shaping a climate smart and eco-friendly business environment
The Great Sustainability Transformation and Mesopartner's role
The meta level of greening territorial economies in times of climate change
Trends and requirements of the green transition of SMES in metal and wood processing sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina
What exactly is green economic development
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We are promoting rapid green economic appraisals in territories to identify sustainable competitive development solutions with businesses in their sectors. The approach builds on the former PACA approach developed by Mesopartner and adds sustainability criteria to the analysis and selection of economic development initiatives.
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We are developing rating systems of cities along their business climate-, private-public network orientation and green development efforts.
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We are developing methodologies for analysing green bottom-up city strategies, including critical economic, waste, energy, mobility and other risky development trends identifying business-, social and public innovation initiatives. One methodology is the Rapid Appraisal of Climate-sensitive City Development Advantages (RACCA) to identify entry points for concrete city initiatives. View the flyer here.
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We promote technological change and innovation networks that contribute to new, greener, more competitive societal solutions.
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We are working with partners on designing transformation laboratories for certain locally relevant sectors and observatories that scan innovations worldwide.
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We are strengthening peer-to-peer learning and Pioneer of Change Networks between businesses, local policymakers and knowledge organisations that search for innovative and greener development solutions.
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We are strengthening the quality infrastructure and countries' required certification and standardisation requirements to promote green and circular economy solutions.
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We work with suppliers and value chain actors in countries, sectors and regions (e.g. in the Western Balkan region) to become aware of EU Green Deal export requirements and to strengthen Local Green Deal networks within these countries.
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We organise study tours and actor-network trips in the EU to exchange inspirational practices and help the partners further develop their innovation initiatives.
This is just a snapshot of how the topic of GED is integrated into our work already, and we experience fast-growing importance. We are interested in exploring further with other colleagues and partners. Thus, everybody working in this field and trying to find inspirational GED solutions is welcome to contact us for further learning exchange, the cocreation of new methodologies and joint practical applications.
We are currently working on different projects that approach the topic of GED from different perspectives and at the local, national or even supranational level. The following examples are areas we are currently working on: