The Green Plan Vision

In 2001, UNEP awarded RRI’s founder Huey D Johnson, the Sasakawa Environmental Prize. He used that opportunity to appeal to the U.S. and international groups to support a visionary Global Green Plan, “A plan so big that it aims to achieve total environmental recovery and economic growth in this century. With a plan for environmental restoration—in one generation—we can set the direction for the rest of the century. We can make no wiser investment in the future of our children and children everywhere.”

“We have the technology and the management expertise to create a master plan for a green century based on environmental restoration and sustainable development. Only a stronger environmental movement, nationally and internationally, can press governments to begin this green plan quest.

Other countries around the globe are embracing and implementing innovative green planning strategies. In particular, the European Union (EU) has made an explicit commitment to realize sustainable development across its 15 member countries. The EU Strategy for Sustainable Development has at its core an ambitious environmental action program, Environment 2010: Our Future, Our Choice, guided by the green planning principles of:

• Leadership
• Comprehensiveness
• Cooperation
• Commitment to long-term goals and objectives
• Integration
• The goal of decoupling environmental pressures from economic growth

If Europe Can Do It, Why Can’t We?

The European Union has recently committed to spearhead the creation of a global partnership on sustainable development.

RRI recognizes the unique and important role of the states in developing and implementing sustainable environmental policies. Much of RRI’s work over the years has involved educating and inspiring leaders in government, industry and nonprofits to initiate state green plans. Increasingly, states are at the forefront in seeking solutions to complex environmental problems, yet little focus has been given to how well states are doing and what more needs to be done. RRI’s report, The State of the States: Assessing the Capacity of States to Achieve Sustainable Development Through Green Planning, (3.2 MB PDF file) provides the most comprehensive appraisal yet undertaken of individual state preparedness to implement sustainability as integral public policy.

A supplemental technical volume, Detailed Results of the Green Plan Capacity Analysis (1.8 Mb PDF), is also available.