Greening the economy is commonly called achieving economic growth while promoting environmental benefits and reducing the ecological footprint of economic activities. The concept focuses on minimizing the negative impact on the environment while maintaining economic and social progress through sustainable development. The greening of the economy is a complex process where a transition to a green economy requires a multi-dimensional approach that involves a wide range of activities, from policymaking to practices, and is affected by various determinants, factors, and evaluation indicators. Even though several scholarly discussions focus on refining the definitional scope of greening and discussing unique opportunities and perceptions of greening economies in different contexts, a broader overall conceptualization developed on the topic is hardly found. Thus, the present chapter aims to develop a comprehensive framework that acts as a ground to conceptualize opportunities and perceptions of greening an economy. Based on a systematic literature review, the opportunities available in the existing literature are synthesized to develop the framework, and the perceptions are identified based on relevant key literature. Accordingly, perceptions of greening can be determined on three broad bases: anticipated outcomes, transformational effects, and operational concerns. Most importantly, it was evident that the opportunities for greening available in existing literature can be identified in six major approaches: government interventions, financing and investment, technological advancements, innovation and knowledge creation, production and distribution, conservation and resilience, and social responsibility. The literature-based conceptualization in the present study would simplify the vague landscape of greening the economy, enabling sensible solutions for integrating the multiple economic, social, and environmental dimensions more successfully. © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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