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Geneva, 31 October 2016 - In Mauritius, the government has embraced the objective of a green economy development path.

The country has already come a long way in terms of introducing fiscal policies that promote environmental protection and provide incentive for green investment. The overall fiscal system functions well and revenues from environmental taxes have been increasing. However, there remains potential to rationalize the system and create further fiscal space to support green economic development.

A new UN Environment study identifies options to reform fiscal policies in the energy, transport, waste and water sectors to revise fiscal instruments to better reflect environmental impacts, induce behaviour change and create additional fiscal space for green investments. 

The report sets out a series of improvements that can be implemented to rationalise the existing structures and mobilise resources for innovation and investment. Based on these insights, the analysis provides suggestions for fiscal policy reform for the next phase of PAGE support in Mauritius.

Major options that were developed for reform are tax instruments applied to fuels used in electricity generation and transport, and reforms to pricing policies pertaining to waste collection and domestic water. Introducing a more comprehensive carbon tax is expected to mobilise US$2.6 million in 2016-2018, progressively increasing to over US$26 million by 2025. Weighting transport fuel excises more heavily on diesel rather than unleaded fuel is expected to raise US$7.8 million per year, with no significant additional burden to taxpayers.

Water costs are very low in the region, compared with regional costs. Based on this, a progressive water tariff is recommended to reflect the true cost of water and promote a more equitable system of sharing the cost of water.

Resources mobilised through the introduction of the reforms outlined can be directed to green economy investments to maximise impact.

The Mauritius Fiscal Policy Analysis represents one part of PAGE’s involvement in Mauritius. The analysis comes at a key moment of PAGE’s involvement in Mauritius. It expected that on the back of this analysis, the government of Mauritius will take into consideration the recommendations for realisation of Mauritius’ green economy ambitions.

The full report is available here.

To read more about PAGE’s work in Mauritius, click here.

Turin, 3-14 October 2016 - “Notwithstanding its importance for reaching an inclusive green economy, at first I thought learning about green fiscal reform would be really dry, but with the right training approach it can actually be a lot of fun!" Ms. Donna King-Braithwaite, Environmental Education Officer at the Ministry of Environment and Drainage in Barbados acknowledged. Donna was one of the participants of the “Training of Trainers for a Transition to an Inclusive Green Economy”, which took place within the frame of the Global Green Economy Academy organized by the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) from 3 – 14 October 2016 in Turin, Italy.

The training brought together 10 selected learning practitioners from PAGE partner countries with the aim to deepen competencies in the area of adult learning and to develop substantive expertise in the area of green policies. The event marks the creation of a new global network of trainers to support each other in the formulation and implementation of green economy learning actions.





During the course, each trainer began working their own learning projects that they will take forward at home.

Mr. Satchuda Arnachellum, E-Learning System Project Manager at the Ministry of Civil Service and Administrative Reforms of Mauritius, plans to integrate green economy concepts into the Ministry’s online learning platform. “We have the potential to reach out to all public servants!” he highlighted. The certified PAGE trainers will also be engaged in delivering regional and global learning actions.

The training reflected the diversity of today’s instruction techniques with a strong emphasis on applied learning. In particular, the participants of the training were asked to actively participate in various working groups as part of the Academy’s fiscal elective using facilitation techniques such as role plays, peer-reviews, and even pitching self-designed learning activities. Notably, pitching a project in two minutes proved to be unfamiliar territory even for some of the most seasoned trainers.





While familiarizing participants with a broad spectrum of teaching methods was the main objective, the team of trainers composed of specialists from UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), UN Environment and Green Budget Europe, deliberately sought to create an atmosphere of togetherness among the group. “We are adding a new quality to training trainers by focusing not only on the latest instructional techniques but rather on creating a sense of community among practitioners. In the end, this is what keeps collaboration alive over time”, highlighted Mr. Giuliano Montanari from UNITAR.





At the conclusion of the training, participants were handed a certificate to formally recognize their commitment to the PAGE community of green economy trainers.

For further information please contact page@unitar.org.

Turin, 14 October 2016 - The second global Academy on the Green Economy (3-14 October 2016) attracted over 150 participants from 35 countries, and heard from some 40 speakers in over 15 plenaries and electives. Participants included government policy makers, development practitioners, researchers, representatives of workers, employers and civil society organisations, took part to the second global Academy on the Green Economy in Turin on  at the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organisation (ITCILO)

The two-week event opened with video addresses by the Head of UN Environment, Erik Solheim, and ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder. Both set the tone for a very focused and intense discussion around the search for solutions from around the world in expanding the frontier of decent work, social partnerships and economic and environmental sustainability.

The Academy, organized by UNEP, ILO, UNIDO, UNITAR and UNDP within the framework of the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), is a two-week capacity building event, which seeks to address the fundamental question: how to achieve inclusive green economies? It thus provides a full in-depth overview and understanding of latest global agendas, as well as practical tools and good practices - from assessments, to stakeholder engagement, policy formulation and strategy implementation – that several countries are adopting in their efforts to transition to environmentally viable and socially inclusive economies.

See the event flyer here, and find more information on the ILO website.

What is the “Academy on the Green Economy”?

Beyond its specific learning objectives, the overall purpose of this event is to contribute to enhance institutional capacities for transformative change towards greener economies.

Participants are expected from all countries currently working with PAGE, as well as others interested in adopting low-carbon and climate-resilient green economy strategies. They will be joined by experts and practitioners from PAGE partner agencies and collaborating networks. The first day (3 October) of the Academy will be dedicated to a high-level policy dialogue with key delegates from PAGE countries, PAGE partner agencies and donors. A total of 120 participants are foreseen.

How is the Academy structured?

A High-Level Policy Dialogue on “The Future of Work in a Greener Economy” will inaugurate the Academy on 3 October 2016, followed by a Knowledge Fair on practical tools and best practices from on-going country initiatives on 4 October 2016.

During the following days, aside from plenary sessions, the Academy will also offer a series of electives, which consist of 5-hour thematic workshops, each spanning over one to three days. This structure and methodology will allow participants to follow all plenary sessions plus a number of thematic electives of their own preference. Field visits and a knowledge sharing fair will complement the training.

The learning approach of the Academy is highly interactive, building on global knowledge-sharing, using comprehensive and peer-reviewed training materials, and adopting a variety of innovative learning methodologies.

For further information?

ITCILO staff will be pleased to respond to your queries. Please do not hesitate to get in touch by writing to greenjobs@itcilo.org

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 09 October 2016 - The last five years have been a rocky ride for Mongolia. The country’s economy grew by 17 per cent in 2011, riding high on the wave of a commodities boom, but suffered when commodity prices crashed and neighbouring China’s economy started to cool.

Mongolia faces significant fiscal challenges combined with environmental and social challenges, such as air pollution, public transport provision, and increasing inequality. But the rebound in commodity prices this year, along with supportive government decisions, could give investor confidence a cautious boost.

In the midst of crisis, however, Mongolia’s government saw opportunity, committing itself to exploring options for alternative economic growth based on environmental sustainability and social inclusiveness.

Mongolia became the first country to join PAGE in 2013, determined to place sustainability at the centre of its economic policies. Since then, PAGE has helped the country develop various codes, standards, policies, inventories and implement policy in collaboration with the relevant national authorities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public procurement processes.

In 2014, the Parliament of Mongolia approved the National Green Development Policy and in January 2016 it approved an Action Plan to implement it.

PAGE has since been helping the government unite and align national and international, public and private finance and investment players, supporting them in their efforts to give the Action Plan legs.

The initiative will develop green and inclusive financial products and services, such as green bonds, to direct private finance towards projects that benefit the society and the environment. PAGE is working with the banking sector, the Mongolian Sustainable Finance Initiative and the UN Environment Finance Initiative to identify the opportunities for boosting green finance.

Partnerships for schools and the steady progress to green economies

The first area in which policy has begun to hit the ground is in the “greening” of buildings— one of the most important aspects of planning for any city aspiring to green growth because of its long lock-in horizons.

In this, too, the country found an opportunity: the anticipated need to house 526,000 school children in 2016 offered a chance for the government to develop sustainable state‑owned school buildings.

The greening of school and kindergarten buildings agrees with its Green Development Policy, which includes the introduction of a rating system for green building, energy, technology and standards. The goal is to reduce heat loss from buildings by 20 per cent by 2020, and 40 per cent by 2030. It is also to increase the share of renewable energy in its mix to 20 per cent in 2020 and 30 per cent in 2030. Heating supply accounts for 40 per cent of gross energy consumption, in a country where winter temperatures of minus 20°C (minus 4°F) are normal and wind chill can drive this down even further. Heating is needed nine months of the year, driving up annual per capita greenhouse gas emissions despite the relatively low national emissions .

To address these challenges, the UN Environment under PAGE and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) partnered with the government of Mongolia to prepare guidelines develop the design and prototype for green school buildings, which can be applied to the 1,200 schools that need to be built over the next five to seven years. These will follow sustainable design principles and have at their heart a cradle-to-grave life cycle approach that will see them built with safe, sustainable building materials.

Schools are just the entry point, a first step— the process should ultimately evolve into a national Green Building Rating System.

Partnerships like those under PAGE often help create and maintain the political and private sector momentum for the long-term, but a sustained effort is needed to build and bring together all the interlinked aspects of a green economy.

Sustainable lifestyles and economies will never be achieved in silos. It’s a lesson policymakers at all levels have learned over the centuries— what is successful in one policy area could spell disaster for another.

In the era of the all-encompassing Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, strengthening in-country alignment is crucial to accelerating the transition towards an inclusive green economy and realizing these agreements.

Stronger and innovative partnerships are key to mobilising and sharing knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources at the national level.

This trio— PAGE, GGGI and UN Environment— also bring together their complementary expertise to support Colombia and Peru in pursuit of their national agendas for greener and more inclusive economies.

The three organisations showcased these partnerships in Jeju Island, Republic of Korea, on 8 September 2016,  as part of Green Growth Global Week 2016, whose aim is to identify practical, innovative solutions to sustainability challenges and strengthen partnerships that deliver growth that is pro-poor, inclusive, and environmentally sustainable. 

The event was attended by ministers and senior officials from over 50 countries, over 500 executives from the private sector and financial institutions as well as the heads of many multilateral development banks and regional UN Agencies.

Jeju Island, Republic of Korea, 8 September 2016 – Environment and finance ministers and government representatives from Colombia, Mongolia, Peru and Senegal andinternational organization representatives today pledged to strengthen partnerships for an inclusive green economy during a high-level event at the Global Green Growth Week 2016 in Jeju, Republic of Korea.

Stronger, innovative partnerships are key to mobilizing and sharing knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources at the national level. In Colombia, Mongolia, Peru and Senegal, the Partnership for Action on Green Economy, through UN Environment and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), is supporting governments in transitioning to a green economy by providing technical support, capacity building, knowledge and forging long-term partnerships.

“Environmental degradation threatens people’s well-being in countless ways. Their health, their physical security and their economic security are all jeopardized by the deterioration of the environmental foundation of our societies. A sustainable approach to development acknowledges our environment underpins our long-term well-being. That's why UN Environment continues to support the Partnership for Action on Green Economy, which works closely with governments and the private sector in 11 countries to make their development plans inclusive and sustainable,” said head of UN Environment, Erik Solheim.

Erik Solheim, Head of UN Environment, discussing partnerships for achieving national goals

The high-level event took place at the Global Green Growth Week 2016, which brought together high-level government officials from over 50 countries, multi-lateral development banks, international development agencies and private-sector leaders, with the aim of identifying innovative solutions to sustainability challenges and strengthening partnerships that deliver pro-poor, inclusive and environmentally sustainable growth.

Download the concept note and the flyer. 

The event's participants analysed how various expressions of inclusive green economy have been incorporated into national and economic planning and policy processes  and how this collaboration can be improved and scaled up.

In Mongolia, the Partnership for Action on Green Economy and the Global Green Growth Institute collaborate on measuring and financing green growth with a focus on indicators and greening public education buildings, as the country plans to reduce heat loss through buildings by 20 percent by 2020 and by 40 percent by 2030. Through the project, a green school building design has been developed which can be applied to the 1,200 schools that need to be built over the next 5-7 years.

The partners are also working to support the development of Peru's National Green Growth Strategy for 2014 to 2018 and Colombia's Long Term Green Growth Policy. This policy will support the country's commitment to green growth and support the consolidation of peace processes through the identification of economic opportunities in conflict areas. 

KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Mr. Erik Solheim
Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme

PANELLISTS
Dr. Oyun Sanjaasuren
Chair, Global Water Partnership
Ms. Silvia Calderon
Deputy Director for Sustainable Environmental Management, National Planning Department, Colombia
Mr. Ernesto Fabio Bazán Alguiar
Environmental Specialist - Public Investment, Ministry of Finance and Economics, Peru
Dr. Balázs Horváth
Director, United Nations Development Programme, Seoul Policy Centre
Dr. Mamadou Konate
Deputy Director Green Funds and Partnerships, Ministry of Environment, Senegal

CLOSING AND A LOOK TO THE FUTURE
H.E. Dr. Thani Al-Zeyoudi
Minister for Climate Change and Environment, UAE
Mr. Yvo de Boer
Director General of the Global Green Growth Institute

MODERATED BY
Mr. Kees van der Ree
Coordinator, Green Jobs Programme, International Labour Organization

GGGWeek 2016

The Global Green Growth Week (September 5-9, 2016, Jeju Island, Republic of Korea) is organized by the Global Green Growth Institute with the aim of identifying practical, innovative solutions to sustainability challenges and strengthen partnerships that deliver growth that is pro-poor, inclusive, and environmentally sustainable. The Global Green Growth Week highlights four thematic priorities of energy, water, land-use and green cities that are central to achieving strong, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth.  http://www.gggweek2016.org/

As published by The People's Bank of China. Original article available from: http://www.pbc.gov.cn/english/130721/3131759/index.html

31 August 2016, China - The People’s Bank of China, along with six other government agencies, issued the “Guidelines for Establishing the Green Financial System” (Yinfa 2016 Doc No 228), with the approval of the State Council. The Guidelines – issued jointly by the People’s Bank of China, the Ministry of Finance, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, China Banking Regulatory Commission, China Securities Regulatory Commission, and China Insurance Regulatory Commission – will provide an essential next step for implementing the overall strategy of promoting ecological civilization, formulated by the Central Party Committee and the State Council. They will also advance the development concepts of innovation, harmony, greenness, openness and sharing, and promote the establishment of China’s green financial system, as well as bringing more private capital into green economy and ecological civilization development, and sending a positive signal to the market.

The Guidelines stress that the primary purpose of establishing the green financial system is to mobilize and incentivize more social (or private) capital to invest in green sectors, while restricting investment in polluting sectors. The green financial system will help facilitate a green transformation for the Chinese economy, promote technological progress in environmental protection, energy saving and other fields, and will accelerate the development of new growth drivers and enhance the potential for economic growth.

The Guidelines include a series of policy measures to support and incentivize green investment. These incentives include, among others, re-lending operations by the People’s Bank of China, specialized green guarantee programs, interest subsides for green loan-supported projects, and the launch of a national-level green development fund.

The Guidelines also spell out the important role of the securities market in financing green investment, require a unification of the domestic green bond standards, support qualified green companies to raise funds via IPOs and secondary placement, support the development of green bond indices, green equity indices and related products, and require a gradual establishment of the mandatory environmental information disclosure system for listed companies and bond issuers.

The Guidelines call for the development of green insurance and trading of environmental rights, as well as the drafting of laws and regulations for introducing a mandatory pollution liability insurance system. They also support the development of various carbon finance products, and promote the development of the markets for emission rights, energy rights, water rights, and other environmental rights, as well as financing tools based on these rights.

The Guidelines notably emphasize the role of local governments in supporting the development of green finance, and encourage local authorities to establish specialized green guarantee mechanisms and green development funds.

The Guidelines require a further expansion in international cooperation on green finance, continued promotion of global consensus on green finance under the G20 framework, a progressive opening of the green securities market, and an enhancement of the level of “greenness” of China’s outward investment.

Looking forward, relevant government departments in China should adhere to the responsibilities assigned by the Guidelines, and faithfully implement all their requirements. They should also strengthen policy coordination on green finance development, improve regulations related to green finance, and enhance the publicity of green finance concept, with a view to achieving a healthy development of China’s green finance.

Source: http://www.pbc.gov.cn/english/130721/3131759/index.html

6 September 2016, Geneva - Host of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympic Games, Brazil has been in the international spotlight over the last couple of years. The world’s attention has now shifted from sporting events to sustainable green economy practices, as the Brazilian government embarks on a quest to green their economy through boosting renewable energy, implementing green jobs, and maintaining biodiversity in alignment with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. With support from the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), Brazil will prove to be a model country for other South American countries by embracing an economic model that is more sustainable, green, and socially inclusive.

During the second session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-2), which took place May 23-27, 2016  in Nairobi, Kenya, PAGE celebrated the joining of Brazilian state, Mato Grosso. This inland state, whose name means “great woods,” is made up of an enormous plain, home to Pantanal swamp and small mountain ranges, and  is acclaimed as one of the great frontier regions in the world with intriguing biodiversity. Due to its vast wildlife and rich natural resources, preserving this area is of utmost importance to the government, which will work with PAGE to develop a state strategy for expanding green economy whilst protecting the natural habitat. 

Brazil is no stranger to the green economy transition. Over the last year, they have seen a 30 per cent increase in the use of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system, which has been boosting Brazil’s green and sustainable building design, construction, and operations, enabling businesses and politicians to attract new foreign investment and increase real estate portfolio competition. There are currently 32 million gross square metres of LEED space in Brazil from 1,114 participating projects.

Additionally, Enerray and Enel Green Power have planned to invest €1.4 billion over the next three years to build more than 1.6GW of capacity between wind and photovoltaic systems. Enel currently has 807 MW of solar projects in execution in Brazil, of which 704 MW is under construction. Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, BYD, has also recently agreed to place a $45 million solar manufacturing facility in Campinas, Brazil, creating 300 new jobs. BYD stated that they chose Brazil due to its growing solar capacity, which is expected to reach  2,734 MW in 2019 and 134 plants. These two investments highlight Brazil’s potential in the solar and other forms of renewable energy, which it can strive to develop, with the help of PAGE, over the coming years.

The Olympics also displayed Brazil’s transition to a green economy. As approximately 75 per cent of Brazilian electricity comes from renewable sources, new electrical distribution lines were installed to use as much grid energy as possible and reduce the use of temporary generators. Furthermore, when the generators were used, they were fueled by a mixture of fuel, including 20 per cent biodiesel. Additionally, the Rio 2016 aquatic centre contained 15,000 tiny holes that allowed air to flow naturally, sparing the use of the equivalent of 10,000 household air conditioning units.

Given the private and public sectors’ green-focused investments in renewable energy and green building, the country has set in place the necessary foundations for their transition to a green economy and drive for sustainable development. Brazil, with PAGE support, will continue its leadership in South America in green technology and inclusive and sustainable development.

China, 18 July 2016 - The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) of the People's Republic of China released the “Industrial Green Development Plan (2016-2020)” with the aim of implementing China’s Thirteenth Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, accelerating ecological progress and promoting industrial green development. PAGE work in Jiangsu Province is aligned with the goals of the Industrial Green Development Plan as well as the national Five-Year Plan, including capturing key opportunities to green the economy. 

According to the plan, China should prioritize the transformation of traditional industry; implement green manufacturing projects; accelerate the building of green manufacturing systems; intensify the development of the green manufacturing industry; establish and complete the long-term mechanism of Green Industry Development; and stick to the path of Green Development that is efficient, clean, low-carbon, and recycled.

The Plan also pointed-out that China’s industry is still in the developing mode of high input, high consumption and high emission, with mass resource and energy consumption. In addition, China has a serious problem regarding its ecological environment.

The Plan proposes 10 tasks for China's industrial green development, which are:

1.       To vigorously improve energy efficiency;
2.       To reduce pollution and emission substantially;
3.       To enhance the comprehensive utilization of resources;
4.       To cut the emission of greenhouse gases;
5.       To improve technical supporting capability;
6.       To accelerate the construction of a green manufacturing system;
7.       To push forward green and coordinated industrial development;
8.       To implement the mode of “green manufacturing + Internet”;
9.       To enhance the basic capability for green development;
10.      To boost green and open industrial development.

Objectives of China’s Industrial Green Development

By 2020, the concept of green development will become the general requirement for all industries, a promotion mechanism for industrial green development will be initially formed, the green manufacturing industry will become a new engine for economic growth and a new advantage in international competition, and industrial green development work will be elevated to a much higher level.

—Clear improvement in resource utilization efficiency. Growth in the consumption of industrial energy resources will be slowed down, the ratio of added value created by the top 6 energy-consuming industries among all industries will continue to drop, an inflexion will appear for some heavy chemical industries in their energy consumption, energy consumption for per unit product of major industries will reach or approach the world's advanced level, carbon emission of some industries will approach their peaks, and consumption of green and low-carbon energy resources will account for a larger proportion among total industrial energy consumption.

— Remarkable improvement of the resource utilization level. Water consumption for per unit of industrial added value will continue to decline, comprehensive utilization rate of solid waste of bulk industries will further increase, and recycling rate of renewable resources will see a stable improvement.

—A significant increase of clean production ability. Advanced techniques and equipment applicable to clean production will be popularized, clean production level in major industries such as steel, cement and paper making will be largely uplifted, emissions of industrial sulfur dioxide, nitric oxides and ammonia nitrogen, as well as chemical oxygen demand will be substantially reduced, and emissions of high-risk pollutants will be cut down dramatically.

—Rapid development of green manufacturing industry. The quantity of green products will be substantially increased, the manufacturing ability of electric vehicles and other devices powered by new energy, such as solar and wind power, will be improved significantly, new economic growing points powered by green industries, such as energy-effective environmental devices, products and services, will be created.

—The initial formation of a green manufacturing system. The basic standard system for green manufacturing will be formed, green design and appraisal will be widely applied, hundreds of green demonstration parks and thousands of green demonstration factories will be constructed, tens of thousands of green products will be promoted, and a green supply chain will be created among major industries.

The full Plan in Chinese can be accessed here.

Geneva, 19 July 2016 - PAGE developed this guide to provide practical advice on the evolving concept of Strategic Green Industrial Policy (SGIP) for policy practitioners. The guide details tools that can be applied to what some industrial policymakers may consider to be relatively under-explored territory. And indeed, some of the changes required for a transition to a green economy imply significant restructuring (if not disruption of technological paths). However, this guide also aims to ease this transition by providing detailed guidance, highlighting a number of changes that are relatively easy to implement.

The guide draws on tools and methodologies from disciplines such as industrial ecology and ecological economics, with other tools rooted in systems thinking, theory of change, or other fields of research and practice.

Any transformation of a country's industrial sectors has to be based on a holistic and coherent strategy, aimed at an overall transformation of markets and consumer behaviour by replacing resource intensive production, as well as consumption patterns with more resource efficient ones. Thus, greening will require multiple interventions to be developed and agreed upon by affected stakeholders. Hence, this guide aims to provide decision makers with the necessary tools and information to steer through this very necessary transition, and develop a SGIP that reflects their country's own unique ecological, economic and social context as well as aspirations.

In addition to the Practitioner's Guide to Strategic Green Industrial Policy a Supplement has been developed to provide more detail on several tools and categories of assessment that are useful for developing SGIP.

Read the Practitioner's Guide to Strategic Green Industrial Policy, and the Supplement Guide.