Green Transition

Fifteen years ago, in April 2001, an unexpected event took place in Canberra, Australia, that would change the scene of international political organisations. A significant number of environmentalists came with a single objective: to found a global Green movement that brings together all the Green parties and political movements of the Green world.

As the TTIP negotiations between the EU and US continue, another equally sinister force is currently under construction: the Environmental Goods Act (EGA). Both are conducted in secret, and we should not allow the controversy of the former to distract us too much from the great greenwash of the latter.

In a time of ecological uncertainty in a swiftly changing society, it is important that as Greens, we lend an ear to the public mood. However, change cannot be brought about if we ourselves also do not change – from a negative tone, to a positive one…

Have the Greens lost their connections to political movements? Did they become just another political party like all others?

On Sunday, June 16th, 2013, between the hours of 2:00 and 3:00 p.m., the price of electricity in Italy (the PUN or Single National Price) hit zero for the first time in history. In other words, electricity demand was fully covered by renewables. For the Italian energy sector and consumers this was an historic moment and an historic date.

The professional NGO world is unable to reverse the major global trends. It can, however, prevent projects and policies by forging powerful alliances – and build alternatives.

If the Green movement is to change the status quo, it will have to change too. The interrelationship between the plundering of the earth and the exploitation of people requires a much more principled and more consistent struggle against the capitalist system than we have seen in recent decades.

The European Union can find a democratic revival by supporting social innovation and by extension contribute significantly to the ecological transition. That is the primary conclusion of the framing paper that was just published by Professor Olivier De Schutter in preparation for the Francqui International Conference that will take place on May 8-9th, 2014 in Brussels.

As Green Deputy Mayor of the 20th district of Paris from 2001 to 2014, Fabienne Giboudeaux, initiated an architectural complex of 47 social housing units, a gymnasium and a 600 m2 roof garden in one of the most densely populated district of Paris.

As the world rapidly continues to urbanise, cities will have to play a progressively greater role in the move towards a low carbon economy. By working towards the creation of a closed circular economy and a slow economy cities could be well placed to lead the transition.