The notions of a ‘green economy’ and the process of ‘greening’ an economy, and by extension that of a ‘green recovery’, have a long history (see Fairbrass and Vasilakos, chapter 1, forthcoming and Benson et al., chapter 2, forthcoming). These terms, or their synonyms, first surfaced a couple of centuries ago, although the issue has only really risen to the top of the public policy-making agenda in the past two decades, as individuals and organisations in the public, private and third sectors have wrestled with definitions, interpretations, and how best to implement the ideas in practice.
