Green Economy: Prospects for Sustainable Development
Larisa Khatsieva
1 a
, Zalina Taymaskhanova
1 b
and Ayna Salamova
2 c
1
Grozny State Oil Technical University named after Academician M.D. Millionshchikova, Grozny, Russian Federation
2
Chechen State University, Grozny named after A.A. Kadyrova, Grozny, Russian Federation
Keywords: Ecological development, sustainable development, technological progress, ecologization of the economy,
innovative technologies, natural resources, projects, construction.
Abstract: The fundamental challenge that a green economy poses to all government agencies is to unify, harmonize and
integrate work on the social, environmental and economic dimensions of sustainable development. Linking
"green" and "economic" with human well-being and social justice as primary goals requires a new
commitment to better measure and value human and natural assets and place them at the center of economic
development. It also calls for more inclusive and proportionate growth. Investments in efficient transport
systems, housing, energy efficiency, sustainable sources of biological resources and environmentally
sustainable agricultural practices, among other priorities, can bring significant social benefits. For example,
household energy investment to replace inefficient biomass/coal stoves with improved stoves and cleaner
fuels, and the use of household waste to produce biogas, could improve the sanitation and health of 3 billion
people and, in particular, the well-being of women. These linkages point to the need for a comprehensive
approach that should form the basis for prioritizing investments in the green economy. Those investments that
bring both environmental and social benefits should be prioritized.
1 INTRODUCTION
A Green Economy is: “An economy that improves
human well-being and reduces inequalities in the long
term without exposing future generations to
significant environmental risks and environmental
deficits”, United Nations Environment Program
(UNEP), 2012. There is not a single model of the
"green economy", but several forms of local specific
activities in the field of "green economy". The key
principle is that the "green economy" is about finding
economic opportunities through socially and
environmentally sustainable practices and vice versa
(Auffret, 2020).
Simply put, a green economy is an economy that
promotes economic opportunities that are consistent
with environmental sustainability and social well-
being. It also promotes environmental goals that can
provide new forms of socio-economic opportunity.
The Theme Group stressed that the term does not
mean that there is a single "green economy" or that
a
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6246-6461
b
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4321-6576
c
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7509-4441
one model can be applied across Europe. Rather,
there will be several forms and types of green
economy activities in different rural areas of Europe.
Other terms are also used to describe this kind of
development, such as green growth. These terms
describe new goals and dynamics both in politics and
in the (rural) economy itself, with a focus on
economic growth that (Tans, 2019):
is guided by low-carbon, energy-efficient and
resource-saving investments and practices;
increases the resilience of ecosystems to
climate and economic changes;
at a minimum, prevent the loss of biodiversity
and ecosystem services and promote
reconciliation between the environment and
economic growth; and
is socially inclusive.
Key drivers of a green economy include policies
at the national, European and global levels, as well as
the emergence of new or more accessible
technological innovations. However, the market also
plays an important role. The preferences and
68
Khatsieva, L., Taymaskhanova, Z. and Salamova, A.
Green Economy: Prospects for Sustainable Development.
DOI: 10.5220/0011554800003524
In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Methods, Models, Technologies for Sustainable Development (MMTGE 2022) - Agroclimatic Projects and Carbon Neutrality, pages
68-72
ISBN: 978-989-758-608-8
Copyright
c
2023 by SCITEPRESS Science and Technology Publications, Lda. Under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
decisions of consumers, retailers, tourists, processors,
etc. can make a big difference. These political,
technological and market forces exist in a state of
constant dynamism. Changes in these dynamics in
recent years give new impetus to change (ICTs,
2019). Among the many specific driving forces
behind the transition to a green economy in recent
times are: the new global deal on climate change;
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); increasing
consumer preference for environmentally sustainable
products; and innovation in renewable forms of
energy from waste. A study of the transition process
to a green economy has identified six components for
the transition from a brown to a green economy.
These building blocks form a sequence of steps from
traditional or business as usual approaches.
Through active environmental management to,
finally, a growing recognition of the need to achieve
true environmental sustainability through the
efficient use of resources and the use of more
innovative technologies and methods, as well as
finding ways to change demand.
A low-carbon economy is an economy in which
businesses, individuals and the environment thrive
through carbon management and sustainability, more
efficient use of fuels, carbon storage in soil and
biomass, and the use of low-carbon technologies to
produce products, services and energy (Murtazova,
2021). However, it is important to note that the term
"low carbon" does not only refer to carbon dioxide
(CO2). It is also used to refer to the reduction of all
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions such as nitrogen
oxides and methane. One of the main reasons for this
transition in society is the increased contribution to
climate change mitigation, in which all sectors have a
role to play. There are many ways in which
innovative developments can contribute to the
transition to a green economy. These include support
for green business activities and support for
improving the environmental performance of farmers
and foresters.
In March 2011, the European Commission set out
a low-carbon economy roadmap that proposes to cut
EU greenhouse gas emissions by 80% from 1990
levels by 2050. The two most important principles
recognized in the roadmap are as follows
(Braverman, 2019):
1. The transition to low-carbon technologies is
feasible and affordable.
2. All sectors must contribute.
The roadmap outlines the milestones for
achieving the goal by 2050:
Reduce emissions by 40% by 2030.
Reduce emissions by 60% by 2040.
Reducing emissions by 80% by 2050.
According to the European Commission:
“Reducing emissions by 80% by mid-century will
require significant further innovation in existing
technologies, but does not require new breakthrough
technologies. [Existing technologies such as] solar,
wind and bioenergy, smart grids, carbon capture and
storage, low or zero energy homes [and] smart cities
will be the backbone of a low-carbon economy in
2050.” Action will be required in all major sectors
responsible for emissions in Europe energy,
industry, transport, buildings, construction and
agriculture, but there are differences between sectors
in the number of expected reductions according to
their technological and economic potential.
2 RESEARCH METHODS
Carbon provides the basis for agricultural and forestry
production in the form of organic matter in soils.
Converted to biomass, it forms commodities in the
form of food, materials (such as hemp) and fibers
(including wood and cane). It also provides energy in
the form of fuel used to run businesses and machines,
as well as to power homes (Gakaev, 2020). But this
dependence on carbon also brings with it some
questions and challenges, such as how to maintain
and increase existing carbon stocks, how to improve
the efficiency of its use, and what are the
consequences of this.
When we talk about greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions from the agricultural sector, we are mainly
referring to emissions of: methane (CH4) from
livestock digestion and manure storage; and nitrous
oxide (N20) from organic and mineral nitrogen
fertilizers. Globally, agriculture is the largest
anthropogenic source of non-CO2 greenhouse gas
emissions, accounting for 56% of emissions, this
contribution is much smaller at about 10%, although
with significant differences between Member States
(3-32%) . As for specific sources of GHG emissions
in the agricultural sector, their share is distributed
among the following source categories (Vladimirov,
2019):
agricultural soils (51%) nitrous oxide (N2O)
in soils, especially from organic and mineral
nitrogen fertilizers;
enteric fermentation (31%) methane (CH4)
from livestock digestion processes;
manure management (17%) both CH and NO
rice cultivation (0.5%) - CH ; and
incineration of agricultural waste in the field
(0.2%) CH4.
Green Economy: Prospects for Sustainable Development
69
In addition, land management has other impacts
on the carbon balance. On the one hand, there are
additional emissions, especially CO₂, from the use of
machinery and equipment on farms. On the other
hand, certain land management practices can release
significant amounts of carbon from soils, forests and
swamps. Compared to other sectors, agriculture is
expected to be able to achieve significant emission
reductions already before 2030. However, further
reductions will be more limited beyond that point.
Along with transport, agriculture is expected to
become one of the main sectors where full
decarbonization will not be achieved even in the long
term. Overall emissions from agriculture have already
declined since 1990, with CO emissions
proportionately larger than non-CO emissions.
However, the rate of decline has slowed over the past
decade, indicating that more action is needed to
support the transition to a low-carbon economy in this
sector and in rural areas in general.
The land use industries are among the few that can
have a positive impact
carbon balance. This is due to the amount of
carbon storage and sequestration that can occur
through land, which can more than offset emissions
associated with land use. Harnessing the potential for
carbon sequestration and reducing greenhouse gas
emissions through better management of soils and
biomass is critical. Doing this consistently is
especially important. Increasingly, Member States
can look to their Land Use, Land-use Change and
Forestry Sectors to contribute to climate change
mitigation efforts. They can also be supported, for
example, by afforestation and forest management and
agroecological and climate measures. This, along
with greater resource and energy efficiency, will in
turn help support rural businesses and be a strong
selling point for green products and low-carbon
tourism (Molchanova, 2019).
Effective management of carbon emissions in
ecosystems is not only about the environment. The
Low Carbon Green Economy takes this idea further
to ensure that an efficient and reliable supply of low
carbon energy brings environmental, economic and
social benefits. This should make ecosystems
healthier and more resilient or adaptable to change,
which means increased productivity and a more
sustainable long-term future for productive sectors.
.
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Global ecosystems contribute to the emission and
capture of CO2, methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide
(N2O), and influence the composition of atmospheric
greenhouse gases and climate. Over the past 50 years,
the removal of approximately one third of
anthropogenic GHG emissions has been associated
with terrestrial ecosystems (Egorova, 2020). In
producing high-quality and large amounts of food for
a growing wealthy population, global food systems
are important sources of GHGs, accounting for more
than one third of global anthropogenic GHG
emissions, of which 71% comes from crop and
livestock production. production systems and land-
use change activities. Forest ecosystems are one of
the most important global carbon sinks and absorb
45% of anthropogenic GHG emissions, with 8590%
of terrestrial biomass produced in forest ecosystems.
The ocean covers more than 70% of the Earth's
surface and plays an important role in capturing CO2
from the atmosphere. Currently, 22.7% of annual
CO2 emissions from human activities are absorbed by
the ocean ecosystem. To prevent irreversible
deterioration from global climate change, the
biosphere must increase biomass production and food
supply with less greenhouse gas emissions, remove
CO2 from the atmosphere and store it as organic
carbon in the biosphere, contributing to carbon
neutrality. In this sense, we are focusing on
optimizing crop and livestock systems, improving the
health of forest ecosystems through soil carbon
sequestration, and using soils and marine ecosystems
as natural carbon sinks. They can provide
breakthrough technologies for carbon recovery and
immobilization in terrestrial and marine ecosystems,
and they are discussed in more detail in the following
subsections (Meckling, 2020).
Over the past 20 years, greenhouse gas emissions
from agricultural food production systems have
increased by about one-third. Emissions are mainly
related to the growth of crop and livestock
production: 4.2 GtCO2-eq. per year from enteric
fermentation, manure and pasture use and livestock
fuel use, 3.6 GtCO2-eq. per year from the use of
synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and crop production. for
human and animal food and 3.3 Gt CO2-eq. per year
as a result of changes in land use for crop and
livestock systems (Molchanova, 2019; Egorova,
2020). Given the uncertainty associated with the
large-scale deployment of carbon capture and storage
technologies in food production systems, alternative
technologies or approaches are needed to reduce a
significant portion of GHG emissions from
MMTGE 2022 - I International Conference "Methods, models, technologies for sustainable development: agroclimatic projects and carbon
neutrality", Kadyrov Chechen State University Chechen Republic, Grozny, st. Sher
70
agricultural production systems. For example, we
need to change our eating habits to diets with less
animal products but more plant foods.
4 CONCLUSIONS
The use of fertilizers and water on arable land can
significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from
crop production systems. To increase nitrogen
content, new types of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers
need to be developed, such as slow and controlled
release nitrogen fertilizers, as well as nitrogen
fertilizers with urease and nitrification inhibitors. use
efficiency. More efficient farming systems,
fertilization and irrigation practices, and the use of
advanced digital farming technologies such as multi-
sensor drones that allow farmers to more efficiently
and accurately manage crops, soil, fertilization and
irrigation can reduce nitrogen fertilizer consumption
and N2O emissions (ICTs, 2019; Braverman, 2019).
For example, intermittent irrigation can significantly
reduce CH4 generation and increase CH4 oxidation
and thus may be an important choice for reducing
CH4 emissions from rice fields. Breeding crop
varieties with high nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) can
reduce nitrogen fertilization rates and reduce nitrogen
oxide emissions. Using transgenic and gene editing
technologies, the introduction of proliferating cell
factor domain proteins such as OsTCP19-H into
modern rice cultivars has been shown to increase
NUE. Multisensor drone technology for plant
phenotyping can evaluate NUE at various nitrogen
dosages, thus allowing the selection of superior
genotypes with high NUE. In addition, the
development of methanogenesis inhibitors or the
addition of biochar to rice fields has great technical
potential to reduce CH4 emissions. Other options
include using microbes to help crops fix nitrogen,
thereby saving nitrogen fertilizers and reducing the
impact of nitrogen fertilizers. industry. management
of livestock production. Enteric fermentation
management is one of the key strategies for reducing
CH4 emissions in ruminant livestock systems.
Methane is a natural by-product of hydrogen removal
during enteric fermentation and is released by
methanogenic archaea. Methane inhibitors can be
obtained by inhibiting H2 metabolism for
methanogenesis (Murtazova, 2021). Such inhibitors
include alternative electron absorbers, phyto
compounds, ionophore antibiotics, and oil. Among
them, 3-nitrooxypropanol is the latest developed and
promising inhibitor of methanogenesis, which has
been shown to reduce methane emissions in
ruminants by up to 40%. Vaccination that induces the
host's immune system to produce antibodies capable
of suppressing methanogens can reduce CH4
emissions and is especially beneficial for grazing
systems. Considering that forage-fed ruminants
account for 70% of global methane emissions from
ruminants, the development of new, highly digestible
feeds with higher levels of non-fibrous carbohydrates
and lower levels of lignified fiber, as well as high
concentrations of secondary plant metabolites such as
tannins, saponins and essential oils can be helpful.
Manure management practices can significantly
reduce indirect GHG emissions by optimizing
rangeland management, farm energy generation and
low emission organic fertilizer production (Hibbard,
2019). The development of technologies that span the
entire manure management chain, such as advanced
tank composting to reduce carbon and nitrogen losses
and reverse osmosis to concentrate and extract
nitrogen from liquid manure for long-distance
transport, can maximize the potential for carbon and
nitrogen reuse. from manure. The use of manure to
produce insect or fungal proteins is another value-
added technology that can replace soy and fish
proteins in animal feed and reduce feed-related
greenhouse gas emissions. Animal breeding
techniques consist of genetically selecting highly
productive animals with lower GHG emission
intensity, thereby reducing the number of animals
needed to produce the same amount of food. Shotgun
metagenomics provides a platform for identifying
rumen microbial communities and genetic markers
associated with CH4 emissions, allowing selection of
cattle with lower CH4 emissions. Other advanced
technologies include the use of cloned farm animals
and the manipulation of traits by manipulating
targeted genes to increase productivity. The green
economy is relevant for all sectors of the economy in
rural areas. Links between rural and urban areas are
also important, as green investments and activities in
rural areas can contribute to green economic growth
in urban areas and vice versa. The transition to a green
economy will require action on many fronts, and
significant investment is likely to be needed to
generate the necessary momentum in some areas.
Rural Development Programs (RDPs) can play a key
role by supporting low-carbon, resource-efficient and
socially equitable investments, as well as promoting
sustainable natural resource management across
economic sectors, not just agriculture and forestry.
Although they are often small in scale and not
positioned as contributing to the growth of a green
economy, there are already many examples of
investments and initiatives that can contribute to job
Green Economy: Prospects for Sustainable Development
71
creation and economic growth in a low-carbon and
resource-efficient manner (Meckling, 2020).
However, achieving the full scale of the potential
transition will mean adopting existing best practices
on a much larger scale than currently, as well as
investing in new ideas, technologies and actions. This
requires new ways of working, such as collaborating
on territorially integrated initiatives and interacting
with a more diverse range of actors. Innovation and
entrepreneurship in rural areas should be encouraged,
as well as the transfer of knowledge, for example
through advice, training and mentoring.
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