Scientists in general agree that processes of ecosystem change, including climate change and loss of biodiversity, have reached a stage where it is no longer possible to avoid negative effects for humanity and the world economy. Our era is called the Anthropocene, which means that humans are the predominant instigator of change at a planetary level. A shift towards a green economy seems to be a reasonable course of action, giving hope of halting the negative trends of development and the transition to more sustainable development.
This book is a contribution to the ongoing discussion on the current desired track of the development of society and the economy. The authors, researchers from leading Polish universities, propose to look at the green economy from the more practical perspective. The contents of this book cover the following issues in the context of the development and functioning of a green economy: ecosystem services, performance measurement, development of appropriate policy instruments, production and consumption, energy supply and creation of green jobs.