If one takes stock of the current status of environmental systems using the three critical filters - climate change, ecosystems and bio diversity - a dooms day scenario is emerging in terms of: critically breached carbon and nitrogen cycles, and phosphorous, aerosol and chemical over loading; eroded biodiversity that is intensifying ocean acidification, stressing freshwater systems, accelerating land conversion, loss of forests and degradation of soils. Estimations show that 15 out of the 24 ecosystem services are in decline, in spite of our collective efforts to achieve sustainable development path.

Our noble efforts to bolster green economies often plummet largely due to sectoral and piecemeal approaches that fail to recognise the multiple goals and needs of such an economic system. The multi-dimensional nature of green economy is well articulated and defined by Green Economy Coalition as "Green economy is a system based on building blocks such as low-carbon energy, infrastructure and transport; sustainable systems of food production, water and sanitation, and waste; ways of protecting and sustainably using biodiversity; green jobs, decent work, sustainable lifestyles and livelihoods that ensure social justice and equity, and set real measures for progress and wellbeing; investment in green sectors, environmental ‘accounting’ and the introduction of new business models and policy reform."

To foster such an economic system with multiple goals that it shall be sustainable, equitable, low carbon, ecosystem intact, bottom up and top down and gender inclusive, ‘innovations in value chains with co-benefits and cash out flows’ is the key to spark green economic growth. Such pro-poor, market based eco innovations along the value chains and lifecycles connected with life styles and livelihoods can drive and engineer green growth as a way of life. Innovation is essential – the only way to trigger multiple benefits and infinite opportunities to address the issues of poverty, livelihoods and green, sustainable, low carbon growth path in a cost effective way, all at once and not to prioritise one over the other.

Multi-dimensional innovations have to be engineered throughout the value chain. It happens through dialogue and partnerships among multiple actors to take their interests into consideration, it happens through creating enabling policy, finance and market environments; it happens through empowering and capacity building of the vulnerable parties at the negotiating table; it happens through resource efficient, low carbon energy technology adoption; it happens through innovative thinking.

Several of these entry points have been employed by Development Alternatives (DA) in its quest to transform Bundelkhand, the most underdeveloped, poverty stricken, drought effected region of central India. Early on, we realised the potential to drive changes in the agriculture, habitat and energy sector to mitigate and adapt to climate change, ensure food, energy, water and livelihood security for the growing low income communities.

Several practices emerge as triple-wins in terms of climate adaptation, GHG mitigation, and productivity and profitability including earnings through carbon credits. In particular, integrated soil fertility management, improved livestock feeding, irrigation and soil and water conservation, green, low carbon construction, and biomass, bio gas and solar energy generation in this semi arid zone, are shown to provide multiple benefits. The results suggest that investments targeted towards triple-win strategies will have the greatest payoff in terms of increased resilience to climate change, especially for women, farmers and artisans.