The PAGE Mid-Year Celebration brought together funding partners, UN agencies, country representatives, and green economy experts to share their perspectives on PAGE’s journey through 2024. Participants highlighted PAGE’s unique value in accelerating the global green economy transition while reflecting on achievements and future opportunities.
A Year of Breakthroughs
Steven Stone, Chair of the PAGE Management Board and Deputy Director of the Industry and Economy Division, UNEP described 2024 as ‘a year of breakthroughs’ with the launch of PAGE updated strategy and a new strategic partnership with the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action, emphasizing a transition from dialogue to action.
ILO highlighted PAGE’s contribution in integrating social dimensions into climate policies through strategic convening at COP29. Moustapha Kamal Gueye, Director of the Priority Action Programme for Just Transitions, ILO described how PAGE brought together multiple countries for policy dialogues focused on incorporating labour and social dimensions into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which form the core of climate action policies.
The European Commission (EC), a key funding partner, emphasized that the partnership’s work has been instrumental in connecting circularity to economic transformation, citing the “Economic Drivers of Circularity” session at the World Circular Economy Forum in São Paulo. Nick Goetschalckx, Policy Officer, EC noted that circular economy approaches are increasingly being integrated into countries’ core economic development and industrial policies.
Combined COP29 and CFMCA Coalition
In 2024, we moved beyond dialogue to actually doing things together with the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action, with regional events in Africa and Asia establishing a pathway for building economic resilience in an era of increasing environmental shocks.
— Steven Stone, Chair of the PAGE Management Board, UNEP
Circularity is now becoming the center of countries' transition to an industrial fabric. That connection between circular economy and economic policy-making - that's partly because of PAGE's work.
— Nick Goetschalckx, Policy Officer, European Commission
South-South Collaboration: Leveraging High Returns
Tim Scott, Senior Policy Advisor, Nature Hub, UNDP, highlighted three inspiring examples of government-to-government exchanges facilitated by PAGE: a green finance exchange between Central Asian nations, a discussion on circularity in NDCs for Latin America and the Caribbean at the World Circular Economy Forum in São Paulo, and a peer-learning including study visits between the governments of China and Indonesia on finance and circularity solutions.
The Government of Morocco’s hosting of the First Regional Academy for Africa took PAGE-facilitated South-Couth Collaboration to the next level. Kenza Khomsi, National Coordinator for Morocco, described how this event, held alongside the Green Crossroads Conference as part of the Green Nexus Week, created a platform to collectively address green and circular economy implementation challenges and related financing solutions for a just transition. It also witnessed the launch of a network of PAGE country Ambassadors to lift country voices and connect champions. The successful model of Regional Academies will be replicated in other regions.
Regional Academy Morocco 2025
It's wonderful to see the leadership and innovation coming from our government partners, the catalytic effect of PAGE on leveraging a high return on investment through South-South cooperation, and the synergies with other initiatives in countries.
— Tim Scott, Senior Policy Advisor, Nature Hub, UNDP
As PAGE continues to help countries share and talk about a brighter future and inclusive green economy, it serves as an antidote to current global challenges by keeping policymakers focused on that bigger prize of long-term sustainability.
— Angus Mackay, Director of the Division for Planet, UNITAR
Interactive Reflection: Pathways to Transformation
Responding to a poll on what a just and green transformations mostly need and where PAGE adds value, participants highlighted financing alongside coherent policies and inclusive approaches, specifically referring to harmful subsidies, NDCs as foundations for change, and social justice. PAGE adds value in today’s global context through collaboration, transformation, innovation, technical expertise, integrated solutions and convening power.
PAGE Gathering 2025
Transformative Country Achievements
The event celebrated the partnership’s contributions to significant country achievements:
Thailand’s National Emission Trading Scheme
Suwimol Wattanawiroon, National Coordinator for Thailand, the development of the comprehensive national Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) framework benefits from inputs from the five agencies and close coordination with national partner organizations. The ETS will be a key vehicle to drive energy transition and green industrialization, create new financing mechanisms, and promote climate justice.
Kyrgyz Republic’s Green Financing Success
The Kyrgyz Republic established its first green financing mechanism with USD 8 million capital through the State Development Bank, building on PAGE’s foundational market assessment of demand for green finance and a feasibility study for a national green finance facility. Azamat Usubaliev, Sustainable Economic Development Team Leader, UNDP Kyrgyz Republic highlighted a crucial shift from policy to implementation, which has catalysed negotiations on more ambitious green financing programmes with the World and Green Climate Fund.
Brazil’s Ecological Transformation Plan
Kesia Braga, National Coordinator for Brazil, pointed out how PAGE supported macroeconomic modelling helps the Ministry of Finance to quantify the effect of policy scenarios on GDP growth, employment emissions and social outcomes. Initial results show that investments in green sectors can accelerate economic growth while reducing inequalities and emissions. This collaboration came very timely when the government was developing its ecological transformation agenda, converging political initiative and technical expertise.
PAGE's early support helped trigger systematic change. Today, Kyrgyzstan is better equipped to scale green investment flows and contribute meaningfully to the global green transition.
— Azamat Usubaliev, Sustainable Economic Development Team Leader, UNDP Kyrgyz Republic
One of the things we're trying to work with together is how policies can actually emanate from below. How can they be validated by people who actually experience the consequences of poor resilience and climate adaptation challenges?
— Stuart Worsley, Countries Programme Director, Green Economy Coalition
Strategic Partnerships and Inclusive Approaches
As participants reflected on PAGE’s impact and future direction, Alexander Charalambous, Team Leader EU SWITCH to Green Facility, EC highlighted the importance of PAGE’s coordination with other green economy initiatives.
For Mauritius, a PAGE alumni country, Waseefah Elahee Doomun, Senior Analyst at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, noted the country’s success in implementing green budget tagging, crediting PAGE for institutional capacity development and peer-to-peer learning.
As one of the action partners of PAGE, Stuart Worsley, Countries Programme Director at the Green Economy Coalition, highlighted the need for the voice of people in policy development.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, 2025 will see studies on secondary materials markets and circular jobs, new training courses, and engagements at G20, COP30 and UNEA-7, drawing on strategic policy support and reengagement with select partner countries, including Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Uruguay and Senegal.
Vera Weick, from PAGE Secretariat concluded: “A lot to come and hopefully more to celebrate as we go along”, and thanked funding partners, PAGE agencies, and country partners for their commitment to results.