Burkina Faso News

13 December 2017, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso – On 13 December 2017, PAGE organized a planning workshop between three active development initiatives in Burkina Faso, namely the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), the Poverty-Environment Initiative (PEI) and SWITCH Africa Green (SAG). The workshop took place at the Directorate General of Environment, Green Economy and Climate Change at the Ministry of Environment in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

The workshop took stock of the work done on green economy and sustainable development in the country and, later, laid out each programme’s priority work areas for the year 2018. Based on the priorities, the three initiatives then developed a common workplan that saw opportunities for joint collaboration and synergies relevant to the advancement of the green economy agenda in Burkina Faso.

Over 15 participants took part in the workshop, including representatives from the government who are in charge of monitoring the implementation of the activities, representatives of partner UN agencies together with representatives from the programmes’ beneficiaries. 

The Secretary General for Green Economy under the Ministry of Environment, Dr. Sibdou Sina, chaired the meeting and highlighted the government’s unwavering support for ensuring the effectiveness and sustainability of the synergies built across the different programmes.

The meeting concluded with developing a joint workplan that further refined activities and identified specific synergies that will offer the chance for common coordination, co-financing and knowledge sharing. In addition, participants formed a working group on green economy with a mandate to monitor the implementation of the workplan and promote both internal and external communication of set activities relevant to green economy. The working group agreed to meet regularly to seek updates on the implementation of the workplace, while setting a date for the first follow-up meeting by end of March 2018.

For more information, please contact Delphine Clement at delphine.clement@unitar.org or Jamal Srouji at jamal.srouji@un.org 

On March 30th, 2017, PAGE organized a strategic planning meeting on Burkina Faso to assess the country’s progress on inclusive green economy and formulate a plan of action for 2017 to 2018. Bringing together representatives from all five PAGE partner agencies along with the designated government focal point for PAGE, Mr. Lamine Ouedraogo, the General Director of Green Economy and Climate Change at the Ministry of Environment in Burkina Faso, the meeting served as an opportunity to look back at Burkina Faso’s progress over the previous year and to identify opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

As a Sahelian country, Burkina Faso is vulnerable to adverse effects of climate change, which are exacerbated by unsustainable management of energy, water and land resources. Since 2010, the country has embraced a transition towards a green and inclusive economy. This commitment accelerated with the election of President Kaboré in December 2015, whose government has placed inclusive green economy at the heart of its development agenda.  

At the meeting, Mr. Ouedraogo highlighted the strong institutional backing for green economy in Burkina Faso at the national level through the National Economic and Social Development Plan 2016-2020 (PNDES) and most recently, the National Strategy for Green Economy (SNEV). The strategy, currently being developed with support from PAGE, aims to improve green economy governance, combat climate change and promote sustainable modes of production and consumption. PAGE is currently supporting the country in the process of finalizing this strategy and submitting it to the government for adoption, which would open up key opportunities to support the transition to green economy in upcoming years.

Mr. Ouedraogo also noted a need to incentivise sectoral reform to align with national green economy priorities and to strengthen individual and institutional green economy capacities. Building on these challenges underlined by Mr. Ouedraogo, representatives from each PAGE agency suggested several initiatives to tackle these needs at the sectoral level:

• United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) plans to integrate green economy principles within the current industrial policy and with accordance to Burkina Faso’s Green Industry Assessment
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will lead the implementation of thematic reforms on taxation and fiscal policy
• International  Labour Organization (ILO) will strengthen green entrepreneurship among youth in the aim of supporting the government on green jobs and promoting social inclusion
• United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) will focus on building individual and institutional capacities for inclusive green economy action through a series of learning needs assessment and follow-up trainings
• United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) will support the government on the National Green Economy Strategy, lead the work on Sustainable Trade and provide tailor made training on green economy modelling techniques

The meeting concluded with the representatives drafting a comprehensive workplan to underpin PAGE’s support in the country for 2017-2018. PAGE will also continue to collaborate with other initiatives in Burkina Faso, including the Poverty Environment Initiative (PEI), Switch Africa Green (SAG), and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in order to exchange information, identify synergies, and create further opportunities for collaboration. Mr. Ouedraogo, PAGE, and its partners look forward to continuing collaboration for the advancement of green economy with the aim of preserving biodiversity, ensuring sustainable urban living conditions, creating jobs and strengthening social equity. 

Ouagadougou, 01 January 2017  - PAGE partner country Burkina Faso hosted its first Green Economy Academy in Ouagadougou from 14 to 16 December 2016, bringing together more than 300 participants from the government, the private sector and civil society to learn about and advance the Green Economy agenda in Burkina Faso.

The Academy was hosted by the Government of Burkina Faso through the Ministry of Environment, with the support of PAGE, the UNEP-UNDP Poverty-Environment Initiative, Switch Africa Green and the Global Green Growth Initiative, in collaboration with the Institut de la Francophonie pour le développement durable.

Green Economy Academies represent an important tool for PAGE countries, as they give policymakers, stakeholders and interested parties an opportunity to learn from one another and develop strategies to coordinate their activities for greater impact. An exhibition on "Green Economy in practise" ran in parallel with the Academy where many pilot projects on renewable energy, waste management and Bio-products were presented to the public. 

“Economic prosperity, social progress and environmental protection are inextricable and inter-linked”, said H.E. Mr Batio Bassiere, Minister for Environment, Green Economy and Climate Change of Burkina Faso, in his welcoming remarks.  

"We congratulate the Government of Burkina Faso for its efforts in promoting the transition toward green economy, especially in the context of COP22 outcomes in Marrakech, and the Conference of the Partners for the National Plan for Economic and Social Development”, said UN Resident Coordinator Ms Metsi Makhetha. 

"The timing is right, green economy is a burning obligation for us all in order to enable development”, added H.E. Mr Jean Lamy, EU Ambassador to Burkina Faso.

A series of nine elective sessions were held on the second day of the Academy, which tackled a variety of themes of national priority including: the greening of industry, fiscal policy reforms, sustainable trade, capacity building, green economy and climate change, green and inclusive growth, forestry policies and green jobs creation through entrepreneurship development. The different sessions benefited from the participation of PAGE and national experts and institutions alike, as well as other key actors and included a discussion on how to join efforts to move forward with the agenda within the specific areas. 

As a low-income, landlocked nation in the Sahel with limited natural resources, Burkina Faso is expected to experience some of the worst impacts of climate change. The country has already faced very challenging changes in temperature, rainfall, storms and extreme weather events, which in turn exacerbates the low agricultural productivity that continues to constrain the country’s growth. On top of that, Burkina Faso remains one of the poorest countries in the world, relying heavily on the primary sector, most notably gold mining and agriculture.

Despite these challenges, the Green Economy assessment in Burkina Faso, launched by UN Environment in 2014, highlighted that greening the economy would generate GDP growth rates of USD 37-41 billion by 2050, corresponding to an annual rate of 5.1-5.3%. The greening of the economy is undeniably an appropriate pathway towards sustainable development and the elimination of poverty and job creation. The implementation of green investments would trigger robust economic growth and reduce the vulnerability of climate change, thereby mitigating economic losses.

The National Academy on Green Economy leveraged momentum created by COP22 and transformed the political will to advance a green economy in the country into action. The government of Burkina Faso is determined to mainstream green economy by drawing on the significant economic and environmental advances that the country has achieved in recent months, most notably with the ratification of the Paris Agreement and the adoption of the National Plan on Economic and Social Development. In this spirit, a first version of the National Green Economy Strategy – currently under development - was discussed and received feedback from participants during the Academy.  

The Academy concluded with a high-level interactive and consultative session that brought together key stakeholders to brainstorm priorities, challenges and strategies of implementing a green economy agenda in Burkina Faso. Additionally, the exhibition side event provided a platform for community members and the government to share green initiatives, including a new eco-village being planned by the government of Burkina Faso.

About the Academy Partners:

PAGE, the Poverty-Environment Initiative, Switch Africa Green and the Global Green Growth Initiative leverage their networks and key areas of expertise to provide inclusive green economy support that holistically addresses macroeconomic, socioeconomic and consumption and production challenges in Burkina Faso.

Donors Provide over US $11 Million in Support of Country-level Action Front Runners Showcase Economic and Social Benefits of Transformation

Dubai, 4 March, 2014 - Countries such as Burkina Faso, Peru, Mauritius, Mongolia, and Senegal are set to boost their economies through a shift of investment and policies towards a new generation of assets that include clean technologies and resource efficient infrastructure, green skilled labour, well-functioning ecosystems, and good governance. Such a transformation, supported by the UN-led Partnership for Action on a Green Economy (PAGE), will pay significant dividends in social, environmental and economic terms. PAGE aims to extend its support to a total of 30 countries by 2020.

Well over US $11 million were announced in support of PAGE activities by donors including Finland, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Sweden and Switzerland. The announcement was made at the first Global PAGE Conference, hosted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), under the auspices of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The event attracted more than 30 ministers of finance, environment, labour and trade from around the world in addition to high-level UN officials, international experts, representatives from the business community and civil society.

In his welcome address, the UAE Minister of Environment and Water, Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad, speaking on behalf of His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, referred to the UAE's Vision 2021 and Green Growth Strategy, which was launched in 2012.

Minister Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad said: "As the United Arab Emirates begins its own journey towards a more sustainable future, it is fitting that we host the inaugural meeting of the UN-led Partnership for Action on Green Economy - PAGE. The next few days are an opportunity to identify innovative ideas and best practices, which can be replicated and scaled-up, as well as areas of common concern that need further study and resolution. Together, country by country, we can contribute to a global transformation one that is thriving for future generations".

Speaking on behalf of UN PAGE partners, Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), said: "On behalf of the UN PAGE partners, I would like to thank the Government of the UAE and especially His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum for graciously hosting this pioneering inaugural PAGE conference in Dubai; allowing countries to exchange experiences and create opportunities for a more prosperous and sustainable world. It is becoming increasingly evident that generating growth and prosperity can and must be achieved within the ecological boundaries of a resource-constrained world."

"The Partnership for Action on Green Economy has the potential to help countries improve human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities in line with their own national development priorities. Growth in income and employment would be driven by public and private investment that reduces carbon emissions and pollution, enhances energy and resource efficiency, and prevents the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services."

"The time has now come to ensure that by 2015 - when the UN Millennium Development Goals transcend into the Sustainable Development Goals - the global community has the strategies and the policies in place to fully integrate nature into economic planning and accounting. Lifting the world's 1.2 billion poorest to a life of dignity will require financing, innovation, technology transfer and capacity building, along with effective governance and mutually beneficial partnerships at all levels. Underpinning all that is the sustenance of the natural capital upon which any form of development relies," he added.

In the context of the Partership, UN partner agencies - the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) - will provide a comprehensive suite of green economy services that will enable countries to transform their national economic structures to meet the growing demands and challenges of the 21st century. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) is also set to join PAGE.

Also speaking at the PAGE inaugural session were: Oyun Sanjaasuren, Minister of Environment, Mongolia; Jae-Hyun Lee, Deputy Minister of Environment, Republic of Korea; and Katariina Poskiparta, State Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Finland.

Participating in the event were ministers and high-level representatives from Bhutan, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China, Denmark, Ghana, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Norway, Palestine, Peru, Republic of Armenia, Republic of Moldova, Saint. Lucia, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Uruguay.

The conference covers key issues such as: green and decent jobs; fiscal policy and investments; green industrial policies; social inclusion and poverty eradication; trade policies and opportunities; and metrics and indicators for inclusive green economies.

The outcomes of the two-day conference are expected to contribute to the post-2015 development talks, currently under way at the United Nations, as well as other international fora, such as the first United Nations Environment Assembly meeting, due to be held in Nairobi this June.

The event is one of the first opportunities, since the UN Rio+20 conference in 2012, for governments and other stakeholders to take stock of national progress on the Green Economy as a pathway for achieving sustainable development and poverty eradication.

The Rio+20 Declaration - the Future We Want - mandated the United Nations to support countries in their transition to greener and more inclusive economies. The PAGE initiative was created last year by UNEP, ILO, UNIDO and UNITAR, in response to this call for action.

Friends of PAGE, a group of countries committed to supporting the economic transition to sustainability, have collectively contributed and pledged more than USD 11 million to jump start activities under the partnership.