GEF

Unit 7  |  The Economics of Sustainability 159 For example, a sustainable global economy requires increas- ing positive economic activity in poor countries. People living in poverty cannot support sustainable economies or societies. The United Nations Environment Program report of 2011 pro- posed that wealthy countries offer a minimum of $2 trillion per year to promote global sustainable development and equity, an amount that dwarfs the current average of $120 billion per year. Reframing the definition of economic growth is a step in the right direction. Sustainability points the way forward in reorienting the global economy to fit within ecological systems and to be of benefit to all citizens of the planet. Sustainability has us question the definition of economic growth. What are the tradeoffs?