Green Growth, sustainable economic growth, climate change, environment

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Green Growth at a Glance

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	Bangkok, April 28 208: During the annual Commission Session, ESCAP member states focused on energy security Martin Khor, of the Third World Network gave a captivating speech in which he assessed the challenges related to energy and food access, climate change, and sustainable development. His statement captures the urgency needed to address the challenges. Read a transcription of his statement.
	Japan, 21-23 April 2008: The impact of environmental change on jobs and incomes, sustainable economic growth and poverty were discussed at an ILO research conference in Niigata. The conference aims at exploring new concepts and approaches, at extracting lessons for policies and programmes, and at identifying priorities for action and at building partnerships for future work
	Bangkok, ongoing 2008: The Greening the UN campaign has finally made it to ESCAP. While initial steps are small at best, ESCAP staff can follow the set-up of solar panels and wind turbines on the roofs of the building. Retrofitting the ESCAP building will take time and involves comprehensive investigation into possible greening options.
	Bangkok, April 17-18, 2008: As one of the five tracks to Green Growth UNESCAP is defining a set of eco-efficiency indicators (EEI) to assess the eco-efficiency of society and identify policy options that can improve the eco-efficiency of economic growth in the Asia and Pacific region. The Second Expert Group Meeting will take place in the UNCC in Bangkok. (Read more...)
	Payment for Ecoystem Services Ecosystems provide us with numerous invaluable services ranging from the provision of tangible benefits such as timber, wood, water purification and fish breeding grounds, to less tangible but crucial services such as bio-diversity banks and forests for recreation and spiritual well-being. The public and private sectors are realizing the importance of a healthy environment for sustained profit and well-being.
	Bangkok Post, January 24, 2008: Countries in Asia and the Pacific urged to focus more on the concept of Green Growth: Thailand and other countries in the Asia Pacific region need to focus more on the concept of ''green growth'' by balancing economic growth with ecological sustainability, a seminar was told yesterday.
	Bangkok, January 14-16 2008: Bhutanese delegation of policy makers on Green Growth workshop at UNCC, ESCAP in Bangkok. A small group of Bhutanese policy makers from several ministries visited UNESCAP and participated in a three-day capacity building workshop on Environment Mainstreaming Application of Green Growth Policy Tools in Sustainable Development Decisison Making.
Read the ESCAP article on the event	Bangkok December 10 2007: UN ESCAP had the very special honour of receiving the Secretary General of the United Nations Mr. Ban Ki-moon. During speeches in the morning and afternoon, the Secretary General, ESCAP Executive Secretary Ms. Noeleen Heyzer, and Mr. Rae Kwon Chung, Director of ESDD in ESCAP talked to invited guests about Green Growth, inclusive development, and the most crucial challenges facing Asia-Pacific and the world. Read their speeches here.
Browse meeting documents	Beijing 17-19 December 2007: EST Expert Group Meeting on the transfer of Environmentally Sound Technologies China Standard Certification Centre will host the meeting where experts and resources people from all over the region will have the opportunity to discuss the promotion of networks and institutions that can facilitate increased knowledge sharing and information dissemination of environmentally sound technologies in Asia and the Pacific.
	Hanoi 12-13 NOV 2007: Policy in Action II From the 11th to the 14th November, a group of ESCAP/ESDD staff will visit Vietnamese policy makers in Hanoi in order to conduct the second Development and Application of Green Growth Policy Tools capacity building. The aim of the conference is to discuss the possibilities for Green Growth in Vietnam. Participants include Line Ministries, NGOs and Academia. Details will be provided shortly.

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Green Business publication

Five Track Approach

To strengthen and build the capacity of the policy and decision makers UNESCAP is focusing on the following five tracks as the most important policy measure and tools for applying green growth:

Countries in Pursuit of Green Growth
A number of countries in Asia-Pacific are initiating the pursuit of Green Growth. Policy makers identify various opportunities to apply the Green Growth strategy – environmentally sustainable economic growth approach for their development.

What is Green Growth?
Green Growth is a policy focus. It aims to combine economic growth with environmental sustainability. Through the encouragement of environmentally sustainable economic growth, Green Growth aspires to eradicate extreme poverty in the region without compromising the environment.

Where Green Growth?
Green Growth is a globally relevant approach to sustainable economic growth. It is even more essential for Asia and the Pacific, where economic growth is the focus of a plan for continuing social progress and reducing poverty. However, rising prices of oil and other viable natural resources require an unconventional approach to support the fast growing and export-driven economic activities in Asia Pacific. The Green Growth strategy is especially important in this region and it provides innovative solutions that are economically beneficial for all.

Why Green Growth?
Growth and development are essential tools in alleviating a lack of basic needs such as electricity, food, and sanitation. However, if a country focuses solely on economic growth it will be to the detriment of its environment. It is obvious to point out that you need an environment to have an economy; however such facts are often lost in the pursuit of economic gain. The Green Growth approach aims to put environmental issues at the forefront of policy decisions. This is why the Green Growth strategy is extremely pertinent.

How to Achieve Green Growth?
In order to achieve green growth it is crucial to change development approaches from ‘grow first, clean up later’ to a more responsible long-term attitude. Governments can promote this by encouraging economic growth with an emphasis on environmental consequences.

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