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PAGE Academy on the Green Economy Enhancing Institutional Capacities for Transformative Change

Turin, 13 June 2016 - UNEP, ILO, UNIDO, UNITAR and UNDP are pleased to announce that the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organisation (ITCILO) will host the second global Academy on the Green Economy from 3 to 14 October 2016 in Turin, Italy, organized within the framework of the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE).

Following the successful implementation of its first edition in 2014, and building on results achieved through PAGE national and regional activities over the past two years, this second edition of the Green Economy Academy will boost delivery and knowledge sharing across countries and organisations involved.

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

What is the “Academy on the Green Economy”?

The Academy 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.

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

Who will I meet?

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.

What will I learn?

By participating in the Academy you will be better equipped to analyse the opportunities and challenges for the promotion of a socially inclusive green economy. You will learn about suitable approaches, tested tools and best practices at national and sector levels.

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.

What is the working language?

The entire Academy is offered in English. Depending on the number of applicants from French- and Spanish speaking countries, the Academy may be offered in more than one language. Therefore, please specify the level of language proficiency in your application.

What is the cost?

The tuition fee is EUR 3,575 which includes all training costs, full board and lodging, study visits and insurance during the Academy. Please note that your travel to and from Turin, Italy, is not included.

When do I apply?

Registration is now open and closes on 8 August 2016. To submit your application, please complete and submit the following on-line form: http://intranetp.itcilo.org/STF/A909165/en

As an organization dedicated to fundamental human rights and social justice, the ILO is taking a leading role in international efforts to promote and realize gender equality. In line with this focus, women candidates are especially welcome.

Who do I ask 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

Lima, 8 June 2016 - On May 31, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) presented the Environmental Performance Review of Peru, an important milestone within the context of Peru´s commitments as part of its rapprochement to the OECD. Peru was the fifth state in the region where that evaluation was made according to the methodology of the OECD, after Mexico, Chile, Brazil and Colombia.

The Environmental Performance Evaluation (EDA) 2003-2013 contains 96 Conclusions and 66 Recommendations aimed at improving environmental performance, policy development and informed decision making process in the country.

In line with the goals of PAGE support to Peru, the 8th recommendation of the Conclusion and Recommendation, Part I (Progress Towards Sustainable Development), urges Peru to “Complete the Green Growth Strategy in Peru, taking into account the role of environmental policies as a catalyst for economic growth (…) and strengthen coordination between the National Centre for Strategic Planning, the Ministry of the Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Production, the Ministry of the Environment and other competent agencies to ensure the effective implementation of low-carbon green growth by defining specific, measurable and consistent environmental objectives”, additionally, recommendations No 9 and 13 strongly suggests Peru to "Incorporate environmental considerations into the tax system" and to “Bolster the role of the private sector in the development of eco-innovation, energy efficiency, nonconventional renewable energy sources”, as well as solid waste management, thus facilitating consumer awareness.

This set of recommendations is key to the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Deveopment, adopted in September 2015 and signed by Peru, and in particular, for the promotion of inclusive green growth.

Blog by Steven Stone, Chief of UNEP's Economy and Trade branch (ETB).

As I started my day on Friday, May 27th – the last day of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-2) in Nairobi – with a run through the Karura Forest Reserve, just behind the UN compound, I marveled at the broad African sky and all that bustled into life underneath it.

It had been an incredible week.  Little noticed in the press as President Obama made his way to Hiroshima, marking 70 years since that inflection point in our history, ministers from around the world descended on Nairobi for a very different conversation: how to address the common challenge of delivering on environmental sustainability, and in particular its central and underpinning role in the newly adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Much as a kaleidoscope pointed to the sun, a colourful array of policy issues and challenges - ostensibly environmental in the first instance but ranging from finance and economics to behavioral and hard sciences that play out upon the environment - moved and shifted and rearranged to provide policy champions, thought leaders and the world media a chance to interact and cast new light on the pressing challenges of the day.  And perhaps more importantly, to share and exchange an equally impressive and diverse array of solutions coming to light that can be deployed in advancing the Sustainability Agenda.

First among them, was the principle of plurality, or the recognition that different approaches, tools and visions can peacefully coexist among Member States, leading to a diversity of pathways towards sustainability. 

Enshrined in Resolution 10 of the first UN Environment Assembly, this concept was again front and center in Nairobi, as Member States stressed that in the common undertaking of improving and enhancing environmental sustainability, there are many different and equally valid ways of approaching and framing the issue, whether called mother earth, harmony with nature, gross national happiness, living well, or any number of other approaches.  

Side by side with China's Environmental Protection Minister, Chen Jining, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)'s outgoing Executive Director Achim Steiner, launched two reports that captured this plurality, and demonstrates the leadership that is emerging around the world to tackle common problems in ways that are culturally and nationally relevant and determined in ways that are unique to each country, and that taken together present a tapestry of local and national solutions capable of retaking the sustainability challenge. 

From Left: Yu Hai, Deputy Director, PRCEE; Chen Jining, Minister of Env., China; Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director; Sheng Fulai, UNEP


Turning the kaleidoscope slightly, and emerging from this plurality of approaches, a number of new and promising partnerships were showcased in Nairobi, and welcomingly, their ability to act together and join to form a mosaic of institutions and intellectual and financial resources joining together to support policy champions from around the world.  PAGE, GGKP, UNEP FI, UN-REDD, the 10YFP and GGGI, to name a few, teamed up to engage in a high level policy dialogue to examine the foundations of effective partnerships, how to reduce transactions cost and build "collective impact". Moderated by Amina J. Mohamed, former UN Special Advisor to the Secretary General on the 2030 Agenda, and currently Minister of Environment for Nigeria, this panel of leading lights came to the unsurprising but highly contemporary conclusion that, paraphrasing an African proverb, if we want to go far, we must go together.

Finally, against this backdrop of colors and diversity of players and approaches, emerged a growing sense of cohesion that can bring together formerly disparate and sometimes contradictory sign-posts for discerning our way forward. 

Showcased in UNEP's new report "Uncovering Pathways to an Inclusive Green Economy", a number of new and innovative approaches that stitch together the concepts of sustainable consumption and lifestyles, ecological red-lining, and resource efficiency are drawn together to emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of the challenges that face us – and the integrated nature of the solutions that are coming to light.  They also illustrate a growing ability to see a greater common interest that binds us when it comes to sustainability, beyond our narrow self and national interest, that will enable us to reach the sustainable development goals and have enabled important milestones such as the Paris Climate agreement.

One of the more important pathways to resurface at UNEA was the concept of market prices and environmental costs.  While hardly novel, new evidence is emerging that together with a growing awareness is making what once seemed an obscure economic concept a commonsense reality.

Take food pricing for example.  At UNEA, the study leads of TEEB AgriFood presented a growing body of evidence that while food prices may appear cheap - and particularly so in the current commodity price slump - the actual cost of cheap food may be hidden and distributed across the food chain: externalized costs on the farm in terms of soil erosion and aquifer contamination; externalized costs for the consumer and the public as human health costs from diabetes and obesity reach the hundreds of billions of dollars, prompting countries such the UK to propose "sugar taxes" to offset some of these social and externalized costs.

Looking farther upstream, and as these externalized, public costs grow, there is every indication that they will feedback through other pricing mechanisms as Mother Nature's invoices arrive on our doorstep. 

Another study launched at UNEA – ERISC Phase II – looked at sovereign credit ratings and ecological integrity, and the possible impact of increased climate variation and its transmission through price shocks in basic agricultural goods, with important consequences and messages for "biodiversity poor" countries:  ecosystems integrity is eroding, and this can have important spill over on economic performance, and even impact on borrowing costs for sovereign states.

Which leads us back into the terrain, again, of the central role of financing and capital markets, and how they are responding to the price signals, missing or otherwise, cascading through our economies.  The Symposium on Financing for Sustainable Development offered a chance for policy makers from central banks, ministries and the private sector to look at how to unlock financing and investments in the economy of tomorrow.

Which turns out to be a non-trivial point.  As our economies and societies are so full of inertia - behavioral, institutional, physical - it turns out that we cannot only point out the hidden costs that are slowly creeping up, un-ignorable, in other parts of the economy; but rather look to the investments and opportunities that a cleaner and greener economy could bring.  To engage proactively with those policy and business entrepreneurs who will shape and form the economies of tomorrow.  And, if needed, challenge the vested interests and status quo that is holding it back.

From Left: Eric Usher, UNEP FI; Jeremy Ngunze, CEO of Kenya Commercial Bank of Africa Ltd; Davaakhuu Tumurkhuu, Vice President Mongolian Bankers Association & CEO of Arig Bank; Bernard Osawa, Director, Frontier Investment Management, Kenya; Raymond Carlsen, CEO, Scatec Solar, Norway

Because as we reach mid-way in 2016, we have a golden opportunity: to build on the landscape change agreements of 2015 - in particular from Paris and the freshly minted 2030 agenda - to reexamine how we operate our markets and economies, and rethink the rules of the game for making them fit for purpose and vehicles to deliver on sustainability.

In this, we are fortunate to hear the call of Germany, which at a media event to welcome new partner countries to PAGE – the Partnership for Action on Green Economy - announced its intention to host the next gathering of policy champions in Berlin, this coming March 2017, as their presidency to the G20 kicks off the year. Making our economies motors of productivity and value, of shared prosperity. There are more than one way to do so - multiple pathways, in fact - but uncovering them has become and urgent and common undertaking. 

And we have the partnerships and platforms to carry them forward, linking and strengthening policy champions from around the globe, and reinforcing the sense of opportunity that lies ahead through shared and common purpose.

From Left: Mr. Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for the Environment, EC; Nik Sekhran, UNDP; Mr. Kwang-Hee NAM, Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea; Elliot Harris, UNEP; H.E. Bomo Edna Molewa, Env. Minister, South Africa; H.E. Denis Lowe, Env. Minister, Barbados; Daniar Imanaliev, Dep. Minister of Economy, Kyrgyz Republic; Pavan Sukhdev, UNEP Goodwill Ambassador; H.E. Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al-Zeyoudi, Env. Minister, UAE; Mr. Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary, Federal Ministry for the Envv, Germany 



There is strength and optimism under the skies of Africa - an old continent, from where our humanity emerged thousands of years ago.

And from whence, new points of inflection, new points of light, coalesce to form a rainbow of approaches and solutions to the environmental challenges before us.

As I ran through the Karura Forest Reserve in the pre-dawn light, I couldn’t help but feel that under this wide African sky, there is room for all, and that we have the ability to partner and forge ahead effectively, uncovering the pathways that exist before us but call out to be discovered, as we make our way forward into an unknown and unknowable future, but one that is now well marked with clearly defined goals and sign posts for measuring our progress along the way.

As Achim Steiner said during his remarks during UNEA-2, and captured in a recently released video tracing the evolution of the Green Economy Initiative: “Join us on this journey". 

Together, we can go far.

26 May 2016, Nairobi, Kenya – The Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) celebrated the joining of three new countries to its community: Barbados, Kyrgyz Republic and Brazil (Mato Grosso State).

The announcement was made during the second session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-2) in Nairobi, Kenya, at a press event which featured the participation of the Minister of Environment of Barbados and high level representatives from Brazil (Mato Grosso State) and Kyrgyz Republic, as well the Director for Sustainable Development, Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Nik Sekhran. The event was also attended by Ministers of Environment and high level representatives from South Africa, Germany, Republic of Korea, United Arab Emirates, Norway and the European Commission.

Mr. Daniar Imanaliev, Deputy Minister of Economy, Kyrgyz Republic, said: "The support that we will get from PAGE will help us to transition from a brown economy to a green economy. PAGE's support will help us to achieve true sustainability".

In her speech, H.E. Bomo Edna Molewa, Minister for Environmental Affairs, South Africa, said: "New PAGE countries, you have joined the team that is winning the world". 

PAGE represents a mechanism to coordinate UN action to assist countries in advancing the 2030 Agenda and reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all, given its clear focus on generating sustainable growth, employment, income and wealth in an inclusive manner while reducing environmental risks. Achieving the SDGs will require deepening and expanding bilateral and multilateral advisory mechanisms, networks, and partnerships such as PAGE to support countries. This is called for by SDG 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

In his speech, H.E. Denis Lowe, Minister of Environment and Drainage, Barbados, said "The PAGE movement is vitally important to the advancement of the green economy globally".

From Left: Nik Sekhran, UNDP; Elliot Harris, UNEP; H.E. Denis Lowe, Env. Minister, Barbados; Daniar Imanaliev, Dep. Minister of Economy, Kyrgyz Republic; Pavan Sukhdev, UNEP Goodwill Ambassador; 


The media roundtable provided an opportunity to engage in a discussion on the importance of partnerships for achieving the SDGs. The purpose was to demonstrate that cross-disciplinary and deep institutional partnerships, of the kind called for in SDG 17, are possible and in fact in place to deliver on key aspects of the 2030 Agenda, including sustainable and inclusive growth with full employment. The event also enhanced visibility of participating countries and agencies wishing to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, in particular by focusing on the key role of greening economic policies and setting a new frame for defining and measuring economic performance.

Bringing together the expertise of five UN agencies – the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) PAGE seeks to put sustainability at the heart of economic policies and practices to advance the 2030 Agenda. Working closely with national governments, private sector and civil society, PAGE has been assisting partner countries to embark on inclusive green economy trajectories since 2013. Currently, eleven countries are officially included into the Partnership and receive direct support from PAGE: Burkina Faso, China (Jiangsu Province), Ghana, Mauritius, Mongolia, Peru, Senegal, South Africa, Barbados, Kyrgyz Republic and Brazil (Mato Grosso State). The Partnership expects to assist an additional 9 countries, bringing the total up to 20 by 2020.

During the event the 2016-2020 Operational Strategy and the 2015 PAGE Annual Report were launched, showcasing PAGE alignment with the international sustainability agenda, a growing number of country and action partners, and the upscaling of country activities and global engagement.

Mr. Kwang-Hee NAM, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea, shares his views on PAGE

H.E. Bomo Edna Molewa, Minister for Environmental Affairs, South Africa, takes the floor

The intervention of H.E. Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al-Zeyoudi, Minister, Climate Change and Environment, United Arab Emirates 


From Left: Mr. Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission, and Pavan Sukhdev, UNEP Goodwill Ambassador 

From Left: Pavan Sukhdev, UNEP Goodwill Ambassador, and H.E. Vidar Helgesen, Minister for Climate and the Environment, Norway

Nairobi, Kenya, 25 May 2016 – The Republic of Korea signed an additional contribution to PAGE at the second session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 2). Under the overarching theme of Delivering on the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UNEA 2 joined high-level decision and policy makers in an effort to build a greener and more sustainable planet. At the event, the Republic of Korea co-hosted a "Forum on Partnerships for Inclusive Green Economy: Joining up for Delivery on the 2030 Agenda", which showcased the value of partnerships such as PAGE, 10YFP, and UN-REDD. 

The Republic of Korea has demonstrated continued commitment to promoting an inclusive green economy across the world. By extending its support to the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), the Republic of Korea has enabled transformational change towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient and socially inclusive economy.

The scaled-up support of the Republic of Korea will enable stakeholders – including national governments and ministers, the private sector, and civil society – to come together to deliver on the ambitious goals of the 2030 Agenda. The support comes at an important time, as PAGE announced at UNEA 2 the joining of three new countries to Partnership, Kyrgyz Republic, Barbados, and Brazil (Mato Grosso State).

The Republic of Korea was one of the initiators of the Partnership in 2012, and has shown  great interest in supporting a global green economy transition, such as with an upcoming Green Industry Conference (GIC). The 4th GIC, titled "Innovative, Inclusive and Sustainable Industry for Smart Cities" will take place from 28 to 30 June 2016, in Ulsan, Republic of Korea. 

Mongolia, 25 May 2016 - The National Registration and Statistics Office of Mongolia (NRSO), jointly with PAGE, Ministry of Environment, Green Development and Tourism and Ministry of Finance, organized a 3-day event on 23-25 May 2016.

The event started with the workshop “SDGs and Natural Resource related indicators” which was attended by sixty policy makers, government officers, members of academia, think tanks, researchers and practitioners from a broad range of organizations. The workshop aimed to explore, exchange views and provide recommendations on recent policy development in Mongolia, focusing on coherence between different policies, existing tools and mechanisms for policy monitoring and review. Participants discussed practical implementation of an SDG monitoring framework, including SDG indicators, natural resource efficiency indicators, methodology, data availability and institutional capacities challenges.

During the morning session, participants discussed harmony between national and sectoral policy documents and the global agenda for sustainable development. Presenters from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Environment, Green Development and Tourism focused on Mongolia’s long term policy documents – the Sustainable Development Vision and Green Development Policy of Mongolia - and their alignment with 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, while officers from the Ministry of Mining and the Ministry of Energy provided a sectoral perspective on mining and energy policies and their importance for Mongolia’s economic growth and social development.

Mongolia is a country whose economy is based on natural resources, in particular mineral resources. Even though the minerals’ commodity prices have fallen on the international market the mining sector alone made 18% of the state budget revenue, 17% of the national GDP, 80% of the production of the industrial sector in 2015.  The Government of Mongolia has recently approved the State Policy on the Minerals Sector, updated the law on investment and amended the law on minerals. Despite this significant progress, the Government of Mongolia is facing continued challenges to remain competitive in the sector in the global market, and needs to take measures to expand the railway network, improve the supply of the energy sources, solve transit transportation issues, and improve taxation policies. It was also noted that the material footprint from the mining industry is high, therefore the indicators to monitor environmental impacts need to be well developed.  

Mr. B, Yeren-Ulzii  from the Ministry of Energy highlighted that approximately 80% of the consumed electricity is generated in coal-fired power plants, 4% is produced by diesel generators and 3% by renewable energy sources (mainly hydropower). The remaining 13% is imported, mainly from the Russian Federation.  The State Policy on Energy (2015) outlines energy sector development for 2015-2030 including electricity and heat production, transmission, distribution and consumption as well as the fuel supply sector.  In the policy document, priority areas for the energy sector have been identified as safety, efficiency and environment, and the policy further elaborates support to innovation and advanced technology in energy sector, implementation of a conservation policy, increasing the production share of renewables and reducing negative environmental impacts from traditional power generation.  It has also been highlighted that Mongolia has rich resources of solar, wind and hydro and can be competitive in the region to provide renewable energy.

The afternoon sessions focused on indicators for sustainable consumption and production, resource efficiency and green economy, and their applicability in Mongolia. Ms. Janet Salem from UNEP explained that natural resources such as water, water, energy and emissions are the basis of all social and economic activities, and that indicators for resource efficiency inform issues and trends, help agenda setting, ensure informed public debate, underpin policy goals and policy statements in the form of targets, and measure progress in achieving policy objectives. The natural resource indicators include indicators for natural resource use, resource productivity, consumption, trade dependency, eco-efficiency of production and adjusted resource productivity.  

Indicators are valuable tools for tracking progress on policy priorities and targets, and for monitoring outcomes and impacts.  At the national and sectoral levels Mongolia has adopted a number of important policies and plans to promote the SDGs and an inclusive green economy. Monitoring and evaluating these policy instruments is essential to ensuring the successful implementation of national goals and the global sustainability agenda. The Mongolian Government has recently established 9 working groups to develop SDGs and Sustainable Development Vision indicators for measuring progress. Over 280 indicators have been proposed at the initial stage and these indicators will be reviewed and updated in the coming months.

Following the workshop, NRSO Mongolia will organise the 2-day technical training on physical flow accounts. The training will be led by Mr. James West from CSIRO.

See the link below:

http://ubseg.gov.mn/content/1309#.V0SGnjUrLIU

On Thursday 19th May, at 8h-12:30h, Peru’s final two presidential candidate teams debated the meaning of and opportunities for green growth in Peru. With the support of PAGE and Universidad del Pacifico, the 1st Public National Forum on Green Growth for the Peruvian Economy provided a platform for the candidates' political teams to share their views on green growth. Attendees included stakeholders from international organizations, civil society, the private sector and academia. The debates were streamed live and a recording of the event can be accessed here. 

At the forum, PAGE and Universidad del Pacifico presented key findings from the Green Economy Stocktaking Study and preliminary results from the Green Economy Assessment. Taking into account feedback on these studies will ensure consensus for future formulation and adoption of green economy policies and reforms by the incoming government. The coordinator of the Peru Green Economy Assessment was interviewed on national television and can be seen here explaining how the T21 modelling tool is used to inform policy makers. In addition to the debate, each presidential candidate is preparing a written statement answering targeted questions on their views of greening the Peruvian economy.

A press event held on 17 May engaged 18 journalists in preparation for reporting on green economy issues that will be discussed in the debate.  

Geneva, 22 April 2016 – A workshop on the first country results of the application of an Integrated Green Economy Modelling (IGEM) tool took place in Geneva, organized by the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)’s leadership. The workshop presented  the case of Mexico and the application of the IGEM to assess the implementation of the Climate Change and Energy Transition Laws.

The IGEM tool has been developed to combine the strength of economic modelling of a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model with the social and environmental modelling of a system dynamics model. The IGEM tool is designed to serve three purposes: it builds on UNEP’s past country experience with modelling green economy policies to answer increasingly complex requests from governments; it supports the endowment of countries with solid quantitative tools to inform the design and implementation of green economy policies; and it advances the process of implementing and monitoring some of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

As an introduction to the workshop, the video “Informing Green Economy Policy-making through modelling and assessments” was presented.

Representatives from two PAGE countries, Peru and Mongolia, participated in the workshop. Peru presented the experience with the T-21 model ("Modelling green growth policies in the agriculture, forestry and transport sectors in Peru”). In addition, a representative from Colombia exposed experience with the use of a CGE model to assess the impacts of implementing Colombia’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution.

Since the launch of the Green Economy Report (GER) in 2011, UNEP`s Economics and Trade Branch has supported countries in the development of a Green Economy Policy Assessment (GEPA). In September 2014, PAGE published a report entitled “Using models for green economy policymaking” to provide a framework to countries interested in green economy strategic planning exercises and held a workshop entitled “A Technical Workshop on Improving the T21 Model”.

The workshop offered a platform for exchanges on past experiences with modelling tools at the country level. The workshop also promoted an extensive exchange of ideas from a wide range of modellers who provided valuable comments on the way to apply the IGEM tool at the country level. The participants reflected on how the IGEM tool could be further developed to integrate other relevant dimensions to the green economy (e.g. fiscal policy and trade aspects) and the links with the SDGs.

Background

Since the launch of the Green Economy Report (GER) in 2011, UNEP`s Economics and Trade Branch has supported countries in the development of a Green Economy Policy Assessment (GEPA). A GEPA is a critical part of the work of policymakers to develop and adopt green economy policies to achieve sustainable development targets. A typical GEPA includes five activities:

1) establishing priority sustainable development targets based on the overall development plans of countries;

2) estimating the amount of investments required to achieve the targets;

3) identifying the policies or policy reforms that are essential for enabling the required investments;

4) assessing the impacts of the required investments as well as the enabling policies using a range of economic, social and environmental indicators and comparing the results with the business-as usual scenario; and

5) presenting the assessment results to inform the making of decisions. Modelling is a useful tool for GEPAs, in particular in activity 4) of the GEPA, to help analyse the effects of existing policies and discover the relationship between policy targets and relevant policy change. Furthermore it helps identify synergies and cross sector impacts among policy choices.

Introduced by UNEP for the first time in the GER (2011), the Threshold 21 (T21) World model made the economic case of investing 1% and 2% of global GDP in greening key economic sectors, namely, water, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, energy, tourism, waste, transport, buildings, and manufacturing. Following the same basis as the T21 World model, UNEP has gone on to conduct GEPAs, including customized national level T21 models for a number of countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia.

In May 2013, UNEP under the framework of PAGE, held a workshop on ‘Modelling Inclusive Green Economies’ at the University of Bergen, Norway, to take stock of the major modelling tools that could be used to assist policy making for an inclusive green economy and green growth development at the country level, as well as at sub-national and sectoral levels.

In September 2014, PAGE published a report entitled “Using models for green economy policymaking” to provide a framework to countries interested in green economy strategic planning exercises and held a workshop entitled “A Technical Workshop on Improving the T21 Model” with active participants from the Millennium Institute, the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI), the Centro Studi sul Federalismo (Italy), the University Iberoamericana Puebla (Mexico), the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the University of Bergen and Shanghai University.

During the workshop some important areas for improvement of UNEP’s modeling tools were identified: (a) the need for more environmental indicators, particularly regarding the environmental footprints of different policy options; (b) the need to capture multi-country dynamics such as trade; (c) the need to appropriately address short-term impacts; (d) the need to better track inequality and other important inclusiveness variables.

Taking into account the recommendations from the workshop and given the lessons learned from many of the country applications, UNEP decided to better integrate the current inclusive green economy modeling tools. To achieve this, in December 2014, PAGE under UNEP’s leadership initiated the IGEM tool project.

The Mongolian Bankers Association, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Green Development and Tourism of Mongolia, PAGE, the UNEP Finance Initiative and the Global Green Growth Institute is organizing a kick-off meeting of the Green Credit Fund Working Group on 12 May 2016. The meeting will bring together representatives from the Government, banking sector and international development agencies to inform stakeholders about recent policy developments at the global and national levels, officially launch the Joint Working Group for the Green Credit Fund, and agree upon an Action Plan for next steps.

Mongolia has committed to an inclusive green economy development path by approving the national Green Development Policy in 2014 and the Action Plan for its implementation in 2016. The transition to a green and inclusive economy will require the crucial collaboration of the Government, international partners and the private sector, especially the financial sector.  The Mongolian Bankers Association (MBA), being at the forefront of the banking and financing sector, is a key Government partner for ensuring sustainability principles at the heart of financing and promoting a public-private dialogue and advocacy on SDG-related issues including sustainable consumption and production, industry innovation, affordable clean energy and green jobs.

In 2016, PAGE will provide support for regular consultative meetings and discussions to promote the establishment of a Green Credit Fund, conducting a market study (demand side) for green financing and organising the Sustainable Finance Forum. Furthermore, PAGE is planning to collaborate with Mongolian universities to identify opportunities for integrating sustainable finance knowledge and tools into university curriculums. As a part of this support, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) will help Mongolian universities set up a “Center of Excellence” for the design of modules and training and educational materials inclusive of sustainable finance concepts.

The Center will also support the creation of a national pool of lecturers and researchers with knowledge on sustainable finance.  PAGE envisions this support will enable universities to prepare future professionals to understand and apply the fundamentals of sustainability in the finance sector.