Food and energy sovereignty

A true green economy would embrace economic justice - the right of poor communities to determine their own path out of poverty, and an end to harmful policies which put profit before people and the environment. It would reverse the tide of commodification and financialisation, reducing the role of the market and the financial sector.

One aspect of this is the adoption of stronger regulations on both the global and national level and solid legal barriers to activities that cause social and environmental damage. 

Such regulation could include the adoption of new global taxes on the highly polluting aviation and shipping sectors or the adoption of stricter, enforceable international standards on the protection of the environment. It could also mean the introduction of limits to speculation on food and a reversal of the regulatory race to the bottom between poor countries in order to attract foreign investment.

But regulation is only part of the story. The more fundamental principle of a truly green economy relates to the concept of the commons and the idea that there are some things that are too important to be determined solely by the fickle world of markets. 

The concepts of food and energy sovereignty are part of the exciting alternative vision of the green economy. Under food sovereignty, food is treated as a right, not simply another asset or commodity to be used, traded or speculated on for profit. Food sovereignty is about democratising the food system. 

Similarly, energy sovereignty recognises energy as a human right. It also seeks to return the control of energy to users, rather than remote corporations that seek to profit from it regardless of its impact on consumers or how it is generated.