The concept of transition to a green economy: opportunities and risks

The aim of the paper is to analyze the concept of the ,,green” economy as an important component of the sustainable development of society, including its difference from the traditional ,,brown” economy, its principles, priorities and strategy - ensuring ,,green” economic growth. Research methods such as analysis (to reveal the key theoretical provisions of the concept), induction (to identify the main trends and the sequence of changes) and synthesis (to formulate conclusions) were used. The concept of a ,,green” economy is associated not only with environmental issues, but also with issues of social well-being of society, which implies an active position of the state, public organizations and cooperation between countries. The example of the countries of the European Union shows that the introduction of technological innovations, public consciousness, rational use of natural resources and resource conservation are the key to the effectiveness of the ,,green” economy. An attempt is made to determine the optimal solution to the contradiction between the simultaneous development of the ,,green” economy and economic growth.