Cold colours for winter, green for spring, warmer shades for summer and earthy tones for autumn... Nature is full of colours we should preserve. Likewise, a sustainable economy is also colourful.
Care for the planet and living things has grown like never before, largely because of the obvious consequences of climate change on the environment and society.
For a more sustainable future, we must rethink how we see and interact with the world, so our actions will not cause harm. Concepts like the green, blue, orange or yellow economy aim to show us areas we should pay close attention to in order to help the environment.
Green economy
Green is probably the first colour we associate with sustainability. The green economy mainly aims to fight ecological threats to improve social well-being. People, government entities and private businesses must work together on waste management and consumption by households and business establishments, mobility and other important issues.
Blue economy
What does blue remind you have in nature? One thing that surely must come to mind is the blue of rivers, lakes and oceans. After all, water is certainly something the planet is known for: it’s over 70% of its surface. Aquatic ecosystems are vital spaces that make life possible on Earth.
In the blue economy (from Gunter Pauli’s book, The Blue Economy), production should mimic nature, getting the most out of resources and any waste they produce. And so, the items we use can become the materials needed to make others.
Orange economy
The orange economy is based on creative production. In fact, it is also known as the creative economy. In the orange economy, goods and services both are bought and promote culture and learning in society. A strong orange economy sparks innovation to create sustainable alternatives to care for the environment and handle other major challenges.
The yellow economy is centred on science and technology. Advances through research have boosted efficiency, fixed problems, lowered costs, saved more resources and other great things. It benefits our environment directly.
At odds with these sustainable economic models is the black economy. It includes drug trafficking, terrorism and other criminal activities that blocks progress and reinforces social inequality.
How to make the economy more sustainable?
Limiting the harm we cause to the planet is everyone's duty. Some good habits we could develop are: