Integral Green Society and Economy: From Slovenia To Europe—A Requisitely Holistic Approach to Sustainable Development, in the Context of Forward-Looking EU Policies
摘要
The authors present their renewed conceptual framework of the Integral Worlds approach, its application in the economic field, and the model of Integral Green Slovenia as a case of an Integral Green Society and Economy for innovative and socially responsible Sustainable Development in the context of EU policies. They start from the experience that global challenges are endangering humankind here and now. Humans can expect even more dangers, most likely more intense, speedy and complex. United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, of September 2015, offers a response of the global community to these challenges, and provides a very holistic catalogue of the major development issues. Though, humans need a new, integrative conceptual framework and process to provide practical solutions in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and to offer alternative(s) to the current mainstream non-sustainable economy. In addition, the European Green Deal and other priorities for 2019–2024 exposing crucial aspects of sustainable development is missing an integrative conceptual framework for the European Union. The Integral Worlds approach, briefed here, presents such a conceptual framework and process; it is aimed at requisitely holistic and transformative addressing of the current critical issues. It emphasizes dynamic balance among four mutually reinforcing dimensions and the center—the moral core, and incorporates the GENE (an acronym for Grounding, Emerging, Navigating, Effecting), an inbuilt transformational rhythm. The chapter also exposes Integral Economics, based on the Integral Worlds approach, which is building on and connecting alternative economic theories and models that are already implemented today with success, but not in synergy. The Integral Green Economy and Society is practiced also in Slovenia as the first country integrating such into a requisitely holistic, national model. The authors presented their previous version in the book Integral Green Slovenia (Routledge and Gower). In the current proposal for an Integral Green Europe they are adding to this model: with the application of the Integral Worlds approach. Such is aligned with many of the EU’s approaches to sustainable development (smart integration). They emphasize the European Green Deal framework, to realize the basic vision of well-being for all while preserving a healthy natural environment (i.e., respecting the limitations of our planet). As in the Integral Green Slovenia case, this vision is translated into operational goals for all four “integral worlds”, supported by several potentials and policies.