Constructing Meanings of a Green Economy: Investigation of an Argument for Africa’s Transition towards the Green Economy

 
Organization and Argumentation 
Based on these past observations on the concept of sustainable development, it is under-
standable that the task of identifying a single definition of the Green Economy – or at least what 
it should look like – is will be a necessary but complex one, as considerations beyond the eco-
nomic dimension are made to include the social and environmental pillars of sustainable devel-
opment in its conception to varying degrees and as various communities interpret it differently.
This paper argues that the Green Economy concept, given the absence of a universally ac-
cepted definition, is open to interpretation like sustainable development before it and as a result 
shares certain weaknesses that put it at risk of losing its ability and/or failing to guide interna-
tional efforts to achieve sustainable development and by extension, poverty reduction.
To demonstrate these weaknesses, the speech given at the Sixth African Economic Confer-
ence by the late Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia, Mr Meles Zenawi. The 
speech, titled “Green Economy and Structural Transformation in Africa”, attempts to build an 
argument in favour of Africa’s transition towards a Green Economy is used as a sample exercise 
in the construction of meanings of a Green Economy. To reveal underlying assumptions, con-
clusions and ultimately meanings given to the Green Economy, the study borrows from the lin-
guistic discipline to perform an argumentation analysis which will identify frames – lenses – 
through which the Green Economy can be understood in a manner different from the typical 
publications from international institutions.
The Chapters leading up to this analysis are set up to provide an overview of Green Econ-
omy, its most common definitions, critique and overview in an African institutional context 
(Chapter 2). Chapter 3 attends to the theories and methodology for argumentation and framing 
analyses, while Chapter 4 contains the bulk of the speech’s analysis and accompanying discus-
sion. Chapter 5 closes the exercise with some concluding remarks on the implications of the 
analyses findings in relation to the research question. 

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