The global economic crises of the new century are long-lasting and seem
without prospects of recovery. The ‘green' economy paradigm proposes an alternative
basket of products with respect to the standard one, currently available for consumption
and investment in the industrial economies of the 21st century.
The green economy is proposed as a smart solution for an alternative growth path that
should lead to sustainable economic development.
If this is a possible scenario, a specific sustainability accounting system is necessary.
This system should allow us to investigate: whether the available policy instruments
are sufficient to achieve the required structural change in the economy and if the
economic transition will take place in time with respect to what scientific studies
require.
This new paradigm and the related economic trends are discussed in this chapter.
Keywords: Economic crisis, Economic sustainability, Green conversion, Green economy, Long-term trends, Technological progress
