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A milestone for PAGE Morocco, a first Inception Meeting was held virtually on 29 July, bringing together key ministries and national agencies, PAGE agencies and key stakeholders to officially begin strategic work in the country. This is the first of several virtual inception activities to identify needs and demands for PAGE Morocco. 

Overall, PAGE inception activities in Morocco will include consultations between PAGE agencies, representatives of government and key stakeholders to identify needs and demands, and secure national engagement and ownership for the PAGE partnership; joint discussions between PAGE partners and the national authorities to jointly discuss the scope of the inception phase, and initiate dialogue with a long-term perspective; and identifying programmes and ongoing initiatives in Morocco in the area of green economy, climate change and related issues.

In 2019, Morocco joined PAGE together with Thailand. Morocco identified upon joining the potential areas for assistance by PAGE including: 

• Initiating policy and fiscal reforms that align with some or all of the strategic areas identified in the second challenge area of the SNDD; 

• Strengthening the national planning process to ensure continued alignment with green economic principles; 

• Engagement with various sectors and regions identified in the SNDD to support coherent green economy policy reform; 

• Capacity development of public sector employees, civil society organizations and private sector to enhance efforts to establish an inclusive and sustainable economy. 

• Reconciling modernization of the agricultural and fishery sector and requirements of sustainable development; 

• Improving the value of forests to ensure their sustainable management; • Including industrial acceleration in a green economy trajectory;

On the 11th of June 2021, the first meeting of the PAGE Economic Policy Advisory Group took place virtually to discuss ways to strengthen the Partnership’s support on economics to its partner countries. With its new phase starting in 2021, under the 2030 Strategy, PAGE has raised ambitions in delivering transformative results for the whole economy and the economic recovery from the impacts of COVID-19, paying special attention to shifting transformational levers, while keeping an eye on fairness and social justice. As a step in delivering on this, the PAGE Economic Policy Advisory Group — composed of economists from PAGE agencies and UN Resident Coordinators’ offices — met with PAGE country project coordinators and lead UN agency focal points from Argentina, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Thailand and Morocco.

This deep-dive discussion focused on three main themes: economic policies for 1) greening public spending and fiscal space; 2) addressing poverty gaps and inequalities; and 3) supporting a Just Transition. The discussion centred on pivotal and available tools/initiatives as well as opportunities, challenges, and potential entry points for future PAGE support to countries in these areas.

The discussion showed there is high demand from partner countries to receive further support across several key areas: Firstly, there is a need to connect economic evidence-based analytical work, such as data observatories and modelling, to actionable policy support in order to provide a framing lens for future policy design. This also can help raise the ambition and action for a green and inclusive economic transformation, while recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Second, there is a unique opportunity to make the UN a major partner in greening the economic recovery and planning by providing partner countries with analytical tools for robust policy analysis and engaging more strongly with line ministries leading economy, finance and development issues. Next, there is a need to adapt policy responses to specific country contexts when trying to bridge the poverty gaps and address inequalities through green economic policies, paying special attention to the most vulnerable groups. Fourth, technical support to partner countries is needed to influence the labour market, specifically focused on social protection, skills and human capital development and financing to ensure that the transition towards a green economy is just. 

This rich discussion was the first step for the PAGE Economic Policy Advisory Group to begin supporting interested PAGE countries in receiving further support on developing and implementing economic policies for greening public spending and the fiscal space, addressing poverty gaps and inequalities, and supporting a Just Transition in the context of a green economy. 

Held on 9 July 2021, Green Recoveries for a Job-Rich Future brought together leaders from the United Nations and national governments to discuss the realities of linking COVID-19 recovery with long-term sustainable development in the context of green job growth. 

The conversation between the panelists (Guy Ryder, Director-General, ILO; Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UNEP; H.E. Elizabeth Thompson, Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary, Barbados; Dr. Febrio Nathan Kacaribu, Head of Fiscal Policy Agency, Ministry of Finance, Indonesia; and Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany) broadly touched on sectoral potential, green finance and the importance of ensuring a just transition. 

The Transition Must be Just, Affordable and for Everyone

The discussion focused on grasping the opportunity to turn economic recovery into economic transformation — building resilient economies that account for planet and people. Each speaker noted the crucial need to make this green economy transformation just and for the whole society, noting the need to understand the connections of current global crises.  “We need to look on the big scale and with appropriate width at the big issues that we have to deal with,” said Guy Ryder. “If we try to compartmentalize the challenges, we will get it wrong.”

The Parliamentary State Secretary Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter noted that global partnerships are a key component to moving beyond the current crisis to a society-wide sustainable future.

“I want to emphasize [that] the partnership approach is particularly important because tasks this complex can only be managed in a strong team,” Schwarzelühr-Sutter said. “Everyone contributes their expertise and together we can overcome fragmented, siloed approaches.” Continuing, “We need to share best practices worldwide and PAGE is a role model in this respect.”

In practical terms, each country brought examples relating to energy transitions, national engagement and the challenges in financing. As building the circular economy is a central component to green recovery in Barbados, Ambassador Thompson noted that preparing micro-businesses — the most prominent in the Caribbean region —  for a post-COVID environment is crucial, particularly in light of a more digitized world. “One has to work with citizen engagement and community engagement to get them on board with new practices and behaviors, and to understand the role that individuals and communities will play in the transition process,” Thompson said.  

Dr. Febrio Kacaribu, Head of Fiscal Policy Agency, Indonesia similarly called out the importance of national engagement for an inclusive transition. Noting that Indonesia relies heavily on coal, Kacaribu stressed that conversations between government and industry are essential to ensure success. 

“How we transition out — this is a very practical, ‘reality check’ question. We have to talk to industry because the cost is going to be distributed,” Kacaribu said. “These are political decisions and it has to be made together as a country.”

Though noting that each country will have different circumstances, each will face similar choices. “We need to ensure [that] the transition path — it not only has to be just, it has to be affordable.” 

In Germany’s own ambitious plans for carbon neutrality by 2045, it has similarly laid out plans to support business and industry during the transition period. Schwarzelühr-Sutter noted that the German government will carry some of the financial burden of the transition within the energy sector: “We attach great importance to the social balance in this area.” 

In closing, Inger Andersen, UNEP’s Executive Director, captured the spirit of the discussion: “We are speaking about the green economy but maybe we should broaden it, '' Andersen said. “We should talk about the green society. We should understand that the future that we reach for has to be for everyone.”

Read more about the background of this event 

Utilising the Targeted Scenario Analysis (TSA) methodology developed by UNDP, this study assesses the impact of two management scenarios within Ecuador’s artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector (ASGM). Engaging with stakeholders from the private and public sector, the study aims to help decision-makers design and implement sustainable policies that incorporate the value of ecosystem services. The results show the possibility for significant gains for artisanal miners, processing plants, laboratories and the state if miners sell their ore to small-scale mining plants that are supported and strengthened with appropriate, mercury-free processes. 

Currently, about 100,000 people depend on Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) in Ecuador and ASGM produces 85% of Ecuadorian gold with an estimated annual value of USD 300,000,000. The TSA estimates the social and economic gains or losses resulting from continuing current practices (i.e. the business as usual scenario-BAU), which cause a high environmental impact compared to a more sustainable path that promotes socially and environmentally responsible practices. This alternative path is termed responsible mineral processing (RMP). 

The proposed RMP scenario promotes a change in the mineral processing model, where processing plants are instrumental in increasing profits over ten years. Within the RMP scenario, the avoided costs due to Mercury contamination during the gold recuperation process could be up to USD 80,000,000 per year. This includes between USD 25,000 - USD 40,000 increase per year for small and medium-scale artisanal miners; USD 134,000 increase per year on average for mineral processing plants; and up to USD 65,000 increase per year per plant in royalties for the State.

PAGE supported TSAs are part of a broader UNDP effort to use economic valuation to advance the mainstreaming of sustainable development policies. Lessons learned from the direct support of PAGE are being used to also to influence and inform additional TSAs financed by UNDP-managed GEF projects including some PAGE countries. In 2021, PAGE is additionally supporting TSAs in Paraguay on livestock/beef; in Thailand on Illegal Wildlife Trade; and in Kazakhstan on Forestry.

TSA STUDY ON THE ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE GOLD MINING SECTOR IN ECUADOR

Returning with a packed agenda, the 2021 PAGE Global Green Academy was held from 10-21 May, engaging 78 speakers across 11 plenary sessions and 8 technical sessions — presented in three languages — for 120 participants from 29 countries. The Academy was capped by a Knowledge Fair, where PAGE countries were able to share experiences and best practices in virtual booths, offering an opportunity for peer learning and exchange. The interactive Academy serves as an intensive tool for experts and leaders to deep dive into key topics on green economy. The 2021 edition focused heavily on all areas related to green recovery — aiming to enhance real-time and real-world experience and knowledge sharing for policymakers to gain essential insight and support in their respective recovery agendas. To extend the impact of the Academy’s shared exchange component, a follow-up survey is in progress to support future exchanges. 

Focusing on best practices and solutions, the Academy opened with a plenary session on “Recovery from the COVID-19 crisis: Understanding stimulus packages, countercyclical measures, how they come about and how they are funded” and was followed by technical sessions covering topics such as transformative change in renewable energy, the future of green construction, linking green recovery with climate objectives, and fostering a just transition. The final plenary session — “Working together on a green recovery: International partnerships, coalitions, networks and collaboration” — engaged speakers from the ILO, UNITAR, Green Growth Knowledge Partnership, and the PAGE Secretariat.

“In today’s times of stress and strife, there are two areas that really stand out, that we need to pay attention to — one is the social deficit and the other is the environment. We cannot look at one without the other.”

- Vic Van Vuuren, Chair of PAGE Management Board and Director of Enterprises Department, International Labour Organization (ILO)

 

 

Argentina continues to make strides in fostering a Just Transition towards a green economy with a number of key studies finalized, as well as assessments on a Just Transition in a COVID-19 context and on the Union Perspective on a Just Transition.  

The assessments on Just Transition were validated in workshops on 6 April and 30 March 2021 respectively, bringing together officials from the Ministries of Environment and Sustainable Development; Ministry Employment, Labor and Social Security; Ministry of Economy; Ministry of Social Development; Ministry of Productive Development; Ministry of Tourism and Sports; the ACUMARBasin Authority; and representatives of various UN agencies including the Chief Economist of the Argentine Office of the UN Resident Coordinator.

The assessments and subsequent workshops are part of a greater initiative in Argentina to develop a national Just Transition strategy and these papers have been developed through a participatory process, including more than 75 interviews and three workshops with workers unions, government institutions and employers. In particular, the union-centric workshop was the first in a series that brings together the key issues of green recovery and Just Transition from a range of perspectives across unions, employers and government representatives. The results will aim to inform a tripartite process to develop the strategy under a working group within the National Climate Change Cabinet.

Green Jobs and a Just Transition are key objectives in Argentina — This work follows on from a number of preceding achievements including the  ‘Labour Diagnostic of the Just Transition to a Green Economy’ report in 2020 (composed of five interrelated studies that provided inputs for different elements of the country’s IGE transition); a PAGE-developed analysis on the “Linkages between the 2030 Agenda and Just Transition for Green Recovery”, finalized in August 2020, and the High-Level Dialogue held in December 2020 among representatives from government ministries, labor and trades unions, and international organizations. 

Setting strong foundations

Laying guiding foundations for the ongoing work in Argentina, PAGE Argentina has also finalized its Stocktaking Study and Executive Summary; a diagnostic of labor, green economy and Just Transition; and a study on green recovery & circular economy.

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