EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Policy in Action: Development and Application of Green Growth Policy ToolsCountry Training Workshops Sihanoukville, Cambodia: 1 - 4 October 2007

BANGKOK (United Nations Information Services) – As awareness of Green Growth spreads around the region, countries are now requesting training for applying Green Growth. Countries such as Kazakhstan, which has already requested and participated in the development and application of Green Growth Policy tools has acknowledged that the current paradigm focusing on quantity of GDP growth is not enough, and there is a critical need to move beyond the current GDP paradigm as a measure of development that improves the country’s quality of life and well-being.

From the 1 – 4 October 2007, Cambodia will participate in a Capacity Building Seminar on Integration of Green Growth Policy Tools in Decision Making Processes for Sustainable Development. This capacity building organized with the blessing of H. E. Christer HOLTSBERG, Counsellor and Director of SENSA, Embassy of Sweden, Thailand, is among the very first of a series of training activities on green growth policy tools that UNESCAP is initiating.

Mr. Rae Kwon Chung, Director of UNESCAP’s Environment and Sustainable Development Division, noted that “you are witnessing the beginning of a long and interesting journey as we are planning follow up with additional capacity building seminars for the Central Asian sub-region as well”.

The Cambodia Training Workshop will be attended by H.E. Dr. Mok MARETH, Senior Minister, Minister of Environment, H. E. Christer HOLTSBERG, Counselor and Director of SENSA, Embassy of Sweden, Thailand, and H. E. Mr. Say HAK, Municipal Governor of Sihanoukville. Mr. Chung has also expressed his enthusiastic gratitude to all and especially to H. E. Dr. Mok MARETH, Minister of Environment of Cambodia for his far-sightedness in ardently embracing the green growth concept.     

With the Asia and the Pacific region experiencing the fastest economic growth in the world, and with such growth placing enormous pressure on the environmental carrying capacity of the region, the environmental carrying capacity for future generations may be seriously compromised. While rapid economic growth is pursued by the countries in the region as the strategy to reduce poverty it now can be do so without placing enormous pressure on our fragile planet.
 
Environmentally sustainable economic growth “Green Growth” is the answer and provides a viable regional strategy to reconcile MDG 1: Poverty reduction with MDG 7: Environmental Sustainability.  Green Growth also provides a viable alternative to the “Grow first, clean up later” paradigm, which the countries could not afford to follow because of the limited carrying capacity of the region.

During the coming country training workshops, Mr. Chung and his team will provide countries with some of the major tools, policies and approaches in five areas ( called the five tracks) as follows:

• Green tax and budget reform;
• Development of sustainable infrastructure;
• Green business and Environment as a Business Opportunity;
• Promotion of sustainable consumption and production; and
• Development of eco-efficiency indicators

Putting policy into action, UNESCAP hopes that all countries in the region call upon to UNESCAP to be of service to them in working toward sustainable economic growth in the Asia and Pacific region.

More information is available at:
http://www.greengrowth.org/ and www.unescap/esd/environment

For further information on ESCAP’s work on Green Growth please contact
UNESCAP’s, Environment and Sustainable Development Division Tel: (662) 288 – 2250
E-mail: escap-esdd-oc@un.org

Bangkok (United Nations Information Services)─ Conventional thinking says that increasing environmental degradation is an inherent part of economic growth. However, a growing number of experts believe that this does not have to be the case.

For this reason the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Ministry of the Environment of the Republic of Korea and the Korean Institute of Public Finance are holding the Second Policy Forum of the Seoul Initiative Network on Green Growth from 3 to 5 September in Bangkok.

The Forum, which is being attended by 50 experts, government officials, and representatives from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is examining the complex interactions between environment and economics.

As countries in the Asia-Pacific region experience rapid economic growth, increasing pressure has been placed on the limited environmental carrying capacity of the region. Governments have traditionally attempted to address this through command-and-control regulations. However, many experts believe that economic instruments can be used to create a better outcome—one that encourages innovation to achieve environmentally sustainable economic growth.

Through these measures, governments can improve the efficiency of resource use. This would allow for more economic growth and improved environmental conditions.
For more information please visit:
http://www.unescap.org/esd/environment/mced/singg2/

Joining forces to better “green” business at the 3rd Green Growth Policy Dialogue - Policymakers, business and consumer groups gather 5-7 June at Bangkok International Exhibition Center “BITEC”

BANGKOK(United Nations Information Services)—Policy makers, business, and consumer groups from all over Asia and the Pacific will be part of the mix of over 300 exhibitors and tens of thousands of trade fair visitors in a unique opportunity on making business “greener” in the face of climate change.

“This event is more than just another big meeting and trade fair, its all about greening business for a sustainable future.” “Having viewed the exhibits and listened to various speakers, I really have the sense that we are coming together to tackle the wrongs we have done to the planet,” one visitor added.

UNESCAP’s Third Green Growth Policy Dialogue:  The Greening of Business and the Environment as a Business Opportunity held at the labyrinth Bangkok International Exhibition Center, (BITEC), Bangkok, from 5 to 7 June 2007 in parallel with the Entech Pollutec/Renewable Energy Asia 2007 6 -9 June) is the most important environmental exhibition and trade fair in the region.

Timed with the World Environment Day (5 June), policy and decision makers have joined forces with businesses exchanging views and ideas on which policies and measures need to be improved to further support greening of the market and business, in a backdrop of marketable and profitable examples of green business and the latest environmental and renewable energy technology on exhibit.

“Without appropriate policy support in place, the business community is hobbled in its efforts to slow climate change, noted one businessperson”. On the other side of the coin, a policymaker added that “without feedback from the business community we are limited in our ability to develop policy that is both good for the environment and business”.

Greening the markets and business is one of the five major tracks of the green growth approach. The remaining four tracks include green tax and budget reform, sustainable consumption, development of sustainable infrastructure and the development of new eco-efficiency indicators. Together the five tracks cover what UNESCAP deems necessary for the upgrading of economies to become more sustainable so that they can provide growth for both present and future generations.

Some of the key questions that the 3rd Green Growth Policy Dialogue is seeking answers to during the three days of plenary and working group discussions are: How can Governments support green business growth? How can the private sector initiate greening of the business? How can consumers positively influence the greening of markets? Can green business enhance the competitive edge of export-driven economies of the countries in the region on the world trade market? How can appropriate micro-financing mechanisms be created that can promote less material-intensive products? How to stimulate socially leveling business development strategies that are addressing the needs of the underserved markets as well?

The Dialogue takes place at a time where globally even countries most resistant to act on climate change have now joined the discussion on greening their economies. Green Growth is helping to soften that resistance as countries realize environment and economy are compatible.