AN ANALYSIS OF HOW INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE AGREEMENTS SHIFTED FROM "ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION" TO "ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING."
Keywords:
green economy, international climate agreements, economic restructuring, Paris agreement, sustainable development, natural capital accounting, just transition, decarbonization, resource efficiency, green taxonomy, circular economy, policy evolution, environmental governance, macroeconomic stability, fiscal re-engineering.Abstract
This article evaluates the evolution of international criteria for the green economy, analyzing the strategic shift from 20th-century "environmental protection" standards to modern "economic restructuring" benchmarks. Early international criteria, rooted in the 1992 Rio Principles, focused primarily on ecological preservation and regulatory compliance. In contrast, contemporary criteria—codified in the Paris Agreement and the UN 2030 Agenda—redefine sustainability as a core economic performance metric. By examining the transition from top-down emissions mandates to bottom-up Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Green Taxonomies, the study demonstrates how international benchmarks now prioritize resource efficiency, green finance alignment, and social equity as the primary indicators of a resilient, modern economy.
