An official UNEA-5.2 side-event by PAGE
From Recovery to Transformation: Greening Economies for People & Planet
1 March 2022, 13:15 - 14:45 CEST
The PAGE side-event at UNEA 5.2 brought forward the transformative potential for economies through a green recovery, in the form of a high-level panel debate.
Official Side-Event
This PAGE event explored the potential of green and inclusive economic recoveries from COVID-19 to stimulate the transformation needed to ensure prosperity for people and planet. Leaders from across sectors discussed the enhancement of financial flows toward countries and prospects for using recovery spending when addressing economic and environmental challenges together, through a green and inclusive cross-cutting approach.
The event’s ignition segment highlighted the results of a global modelling exercise by representatives of the University of Pretoria and Cambridge Econometrics in partnership with PAGE. The study provides a quantified analysis of the impact of alternative (non-green and green) COVID-19 recovery plans on key economic, social and environmental indicators to decision-makers.
The discussion focused on the shifts needed in policy and investment for stimulating an economic transformation that tackles the root causes of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature loss and pollution. Speakers also explored how to address countries‘ local barriers to achieving a sustainability transformation of their economies by fast-tracking the transition to a circular, job inclusive and carbon neutral society.
Agenda
- Welcome Remarks
Mr Asad Naqvi, Head of UN PAGE Secretariat
- Panel Discussion
Panel discussion addressing the question “which policy and investment shifts are needed to ensure that a green recovery can catalyze sustained economic transformation for people and planet?” moderated by Ms Nozipho Tshabalala, The Conversation Strategist:
- Keynote Speech by Richard Lewney, Chair, Cambridge Econometrics
- Hon. Barbara Creecy, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, South Africa
- Hon. Walter Verri, Vice-Minister for Industry, Energy and Mining, Uruguay
- Framing Statements
- Mrs Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director
- Mr Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator
- Dr Bettina Hoffmann, Parliamentarian State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment (BMUV), Germany
- Interlude
Audio-visuals by UN PAGE:
- “Green Recovery – The Path to Inclusive Economic Transformation”
- “PAGE 2021 Highlights”
Invited Speakers
- Hon. Barbara Creecy, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, South Africa
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Hon. Barbara Creecy, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, South Africa - Hon. Walter Verri, Vice-Minister for Industry, Energy and Mining, Uruguay
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Hon. Walter Verri, Vice-Minister for Industry, Energy and Mining, Uruguay - Dr Bettina Hoffmann, Parliamentarian State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment (BMUV), Germany
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Dr Bettina Hoffmann, Parliamentarian State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment (BMUV), Germany - Richard Lewney, Chair, Cambridge Econometrics
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Richard Lewney, Chair, Cambridge Econometrics - Mr Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator
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Mr Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator - Mrs Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director
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Mrs Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director - Mr Asad Naqvi, Head of UN PAGE Secretariat
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Mr Asad Naqvi, Head of UN PAGE Secretariat - Ms Nozipho Tshabalala, The Conversation Strategist
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Ms Nozipho Tshabalala, The Conversation Strategist
Organisers
UNEP, ILO, UNDP, UNIDO & UNITAR under the auspices of the United Nations Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), together with funding partners, partner countries, and partner initiatives including the Environment for Development Initiative, Stockholm Resilience Center (Stockholm University), Poverty and Environment Action, UNEP Finance Initiative, among others.
