The green economy: Opportunities and risks for credit unions
More and more financial institutions are helping to finance a low-carbon, resource-efficient and socially inclusive marketplace. Is your credit union ready?
What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word “green”? A forest? A frog puppet? A dollar? A recycling box?
How about the economy?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, a green economy is low-carbon, resource-efficient and socially inclusive. Here’s a cheat sheet:
| What It IS | What It ISN’T |
| Low-carbon | Wasteful |
| Socially just | Polluting |
| Circular | Linear |
| Resilient | Inequitable |
| Ecological | Concentrated |
| Beneficial | Fragile |
| Distributed | Disconnected |
| Diverse | Toxis |
A green economy is not linear. You have probably heard of a circular economy, which keeps materials, products and services in circulation for as long as possible; a green economy encompasses those same principles. Instead of traditional “take-make-waste” models, green economies are built on circular models that maximize resource use and reduce waste.
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