Green Economy as an Eco-Trend in the Development of Today’s Society: Prospects and Limits of Possibilities

The current contradiction between the economic and environmental needs of people makes us consider a sustainable development model of society, which is based on the coordination of three components: economic development, social well-being, and environmental well-being. Implementing this model involves developing and implementing green technologies in industrial and agricultural sectors, which will minimize the negative consequences for the ecosystem caused by active human economic activity. This research draws on ideas from the ecophilosophical paradigm, the theory of deep ecology, and the riskological approach to identify major environmental risks, analyze the theory and practice of the green economy, and assess the limits of its potential in achieving sustainable development. The authors note that implementing the green economy model includes greening the industrial sector, introducing innovative environmental technologies in urban planning, and forming new environmental ethics. Simultaneously, this research substantiates that the potential of the green economy is limited. A green economy cannot provide the economic growth necessary to meet the needs of today’s society. Additionally, today’s environmental agenda pursues the superficial goal of saving the environment and the solution of hidden political goals – eliminating competing countries by destroying their industrial and energy sectors.