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Mongolia Bankers Association Announces Next Steps Towards Mongolia Green Credit Fund
September 15, 2017

Blog by Altatsetseg Sodnomtseren - PAGE National Coordinator Mongolia

14 September 2017, Ulannbaatar, Mongolia - Today, we are celebrating a milestone achievement in Mongolia’s journey toward sustainability. It is with great pride we announce the next step towards the launch of the Mongolia Green Credit Fund, a national financing vehicle that will provide long-term finance to projects and programs that stimulate green growth. The MGCF is led by the Mongolian Bankers Association, and holds the special distinction in Mongolia as our first green financing institution. Its establishment came after detailed action plans of a working group, which consulted with instrumental players within and outside Mongolia, including the United Nations Partnership for Action on Green Economy, UN Environment Financial Initiative, International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).

Today, we are excited that its core funding will be used to further sustainability in four green development areas that matter to Mongolia: energy, housing, waste management and sanitation. The Mongolian Ministry of Environment and Tourism authority will play oversight roles on the investment projects and programmes within the remit of the fund. The launch of the funds moves us closer to sustainable development, given the challenges identified in our transition to a green economy: “Mongolia has developed dramatically in the last two decades, but the economic side has excelled compared to its social and environmental development.” – Davaakhuu Tumurkhuu, Mongolia Bankers Association.

Today, we are starting a process to unlock green financing at scale. The MGCF enables the development of bankable funding proposals to help Mongolia excel on the social and environmental fronts. In 2013, Mongolia became the first country to join a partnership of five UN agencies known as the Partnership for Action on Green Economy. As a result, Mongolia committed to place sustainability at the heart of its economic policies and then developed a Sustainable Development Vision in 2016, which among other objectives, commits Mongolia to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 14% by 2030. With our current development plans, we are also placed to advance the 2030 Agenda, and achieve positive climate targets in the Paris Agreement. The MGCF now enables a key source of financing – reinforced by the Green Climate Fund – to support these sustainable development plans.

Today, we reflect on our journey toward this launch announcement. The Mongolian Bankers Association organized the 1st Sustainable Finance Forum in 2013. The 2016 Forum on “Sustainable Development 2030: From Planning to Action” attracted 300 delegates from government, international organizations and the private sector. The forum resolved to advance the sustainable finance initiative, including through the establishment of the Mongolian Green Credit Fund together with the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, the Ministry of Finance and international partners - PAGE, IFC and GGGI.

Today, we also recognize the 5th Mongolian Sustainable Finance Forum held on September 14, 2017 at Shangri-La Hotel in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The Forum focused on the theme: “Fostering Partnerships to Scale Up Sustainable Finance”. Mr. Erik Solheim, Executive Director of UN Environment made the keynote speech, having paid an official visit at the invitation of the Government of Mongolia. The Forum was hosted by the Mongolian Bankers Association, in cooperation with Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Arig Bank, IFC, GGGI, BMZ, UN Environment, PAGE, UNDP-Biofin, the Ministry of Finance, the Bank of Mongolia, the Financial Regulatory Commission, Ulaanbaatar City Mayor's Office, and the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI).

Today, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed among the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Ministry of Finance, Mongolian Bankers Association and Global Green Growth Institute on establishing the Green Credit Fund. The MoU aims  to maximize financing with preferential conditions to the financial market, to reduce interest rate, to develop green investment methods, to efficiently use natural resources, to reduce air, environmental pollutions and greenhouse gas emission, and to boost environmentally friendly economic development.

Today, we are assured the 5th Mongolian Sustainable Finance Forum has helped to accelerate momentum on the green economy. In his opening speech Mr. O. Orkhon, the President of Mongolian Bankers Association affirmed that the “United Nations is standing with us and supporting us." The Minister of Environment and Tourism Ms. D. Oyunkhorol highlighted that PAGE has provided continued support to Mongolia since the country joined PAGE in 2013 and took the opportunity to express her gratitude to Mr. Erik Solheim for UN’s full support through PAGE. She added that Mongolia has requested to UN Environment to join the BreatheLife campaign, an initiative by UN Environment and World Health Organization.  At the Forum. Ms. Bulgantuya, the Vice-Minister of Finance confirmed that the Mongolian Government sees tremendous opportunity for the MGCF to mobilise private sector funding for sustainable development and believes in its future. She also highlighted the Government of Mongolia is considering the establishment of state-led Mongolian Green Development Fund that will oversee green projects and programmes to be funded through development financing as well as from the state budget and offer a source of support to the privately-led MGCF.

Today’s announcement about the MGCF launch is a testament to the power of multiple, collaborative stakeholders to achieve results for Mongolia’s green development. Today, we are more confident about Mongolia’s transition to a green future. PAGE supported establishment and operations of the joint working group, an assessment to determine the market demand for green lending on various projects and the Forum. This was led by the Mongolian Bankers Association. The results of the assessment gives us confidence about the future impact of the MGCF. Bankers have been discovering who wants green finance—and why. They also reviewed key legal, regulatory and tax structures, before developing the concept note for a green credit fund in Mongolia. The findings were presented to the Cabinet and support from the administration has been instrumental to steps leading to the launch of the Mongolia Green Credit Fund. 

      

Read the full Mongolian Sustainable Finance Forum 2017 Final Report

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PAGE countries share experiences on integrating Sustainable Development Goals
August 25, 2017

25 August 2017 - On 24 August 2017, Acting Head of the PAGE Secretariat, Asad Naqvi, moderated a virtual meeting on the position of PAGE as a contributor to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The virtual included presentations from representatives from Mongolia and Peru to showcase experiences with mapping the SDGs across national development plans. The meeting was attended by national coordinators from Mongolia, Ghana, Peru and South Africa, as well as stakeholders from across the PAGE community.

PAGE supports governments to work across sectors, seeking the integration of policies and strategies that will enable them to achieve multiple sustainable development targets through an inclusive green economy approach. Central to this objective is helping governments  to create the necessary conditions to meet their sustainability commitments, in particular the Sustainable Development Goals.

To achieve the challenge of implementation, the SDGs (and their respective targets) need to be translated into national and subnational policies with action plans that take a multi-stakeholder approach. PAGE works to share interdisciplinary information and expertise, while developed and supporting priorities aimed to achieve desired policy implementations.

Altantsetseg Sodnomtseren, PAGE’s national coordinator shared PAGE’s experiences in Mongolia, mapping existing policies against various Sustainable Development targets, and working towards a strategy for introducing policy to address the targets not covered by existing policy.

Representing Peru, Dorit Kempter discussed their progress in assembling a stakeholder committee to gather feedback on Peru’s policy capacity to meet SDG targets. Peru is currently in the process of finalizing national green growth strategy with input from the Global Green Growth Institute. SDG mapping is currently underway, which will provide information that will feed into a draft report from Technical Committee, and then be reflected in a presentation to the PAGE Steering Committee. There are also current efforts at greening the national accounting system by incorporating sustainability into modelling tools. 

PAGE is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by supporting policies and investments that promote income growth and employment, while at the same time reducing carbon emissions and pollution, promoting resource efficiency and the preservation of ecosystems.

Primarily, PAGE work supports SDGs 8 (Decent Work and Growth), 13 (Climate Action) and 17 (Partnerships). Firstly, PAGE is well placed to deliver on SDG 8 by focusing on generating sustainable growth, employment, income and wealth in an inclusive manner while reducing environmental risks. Secondly, by offering financial support, technology, access to environmental goods, capacity-building, trade promotion, and addressing systemic issues, including policy and institutional coherence, PAGE is contributing to SDG 17, to strengthen the means of implementation and the global partnerships for sustainable development in partner countries. Finally, PAGE works to support climate change action through low-carbon development plans in key economic sectors.

To find out more about how PAGE’s work supports the Sustainable Development Goals, click here. 

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Experts gather to discuss green industry and trade assessment
August 28, 2017

28 August 2017, Geneva - On Monday, August 28 2017, PAGE hosted an expert workshop to gather feedback and ideas for the draft Green Industry and Trade Methodology toolkit.

Green Industry and Trade Assessments (GITAs) are a major tool offered by PAGE to determine opportunities for sectoral development to drive the new green economy. These assessments are undertaken in various PAGE partner countries, in collaboration with respective national partner institutes. To inform and guide the work of national partners, PAGE is devising a methodological toolkit for national-level Green Industry and Trade Assessments.

The toolkit will provide a concise but encompassing overview of trade-related green industrial policy instruments.

The toolkit is targeted primarily at national policymakers and green economy professionals and can be used in two ways: 

  • Firstly, the manual can be used as a stand-alone tool-box by government officials, policy-makers and/or trade negotiators who want to consider a wide range of trade-related industrial policy policy options to advance the transition to inclusive green economies;
  • Secondly, the present manual can be used as a trade-related tool complementing the PAGE Practitioner’s Guide to Strategic Green Industrial Policy from 2016.

The workshop gathered 15 experts from various organizations, including international organizations, NGO’s and Trade Missions to discuss the initial draft of the toolkit. PAGE will now integrate comments and feedback from the workshop, as well as additional comments received in written form, before the toolkit will undergo a second review process.

The toolkit is projected to be completed and released by December this year.

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Green Finance as a launch pad towards Sustainable Development
August 24, 2017

24 August 2017, Geneva - There is an increasing realization of the opportunities to fundamentally shift development models to foster a prosperous, more inclusive and secure world. A range of new policy measures, market instruments and financing models are available that can protect against climate change and restore ecosystems, which supply the services underpinning development, while offering new growth paradigms, and creating new job opportunities.

Environmental challenges have impacted markets the same way these last ones have had an impact on the former ones. The global financial system requires to be set and considered intrinsic to reshaping our societies. Increasing investment into green economy sectors is one major practice to be included at the agenda-setting aiming to achieve the sustainable development goals.                      

Green finance is increasingly being prioritized at both global and national levels. In 2016, the G20 and the G7 summited to focus on green finance and its positive externalities on innovation and competitiveness. This trend has led page to work with key experts and initiatives, such as UN Environment Finance Initiative and UN Environment Inquiry to help partner countries connect their green economy projects and policies with investors. 

At the national level, PAGE has worked with the Mongolian Sustainable Finance Initiative, convened by Mongolia Bankers Association and guided by the Central Bank of Mongolia, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Finance and the Financial Regulatory Commission, to develop a Green Credit Fund to be launched in September.

In Mauritius, PAGE is working with the Stock Exchange and the Ministry of Finance to develop a green bonds programme focused on capacity-building, learning from other jurisdictions and disseminating knowledge to financial institutions and verifiers.

Mongolia and Mauritius demonstrate the increasing awareness and improved capacity of public and private actors in unlocking private finance towards green sectors. However, a global push towards a transition to green finance is required. PAGE is committed to continuing to make connections between green finance experts, innovators and policymakers to scale up and replicate existing models for action as well as to develop new, impactful innovations for harnessing the power of the market to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.  

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Green Economy Progress Measurement Framework
August 23, 2017

PAGE today has released a key tool for policymakers, analysts and other stakeholders for understanding how green economy is progressing. PAGE developed the Green Economy Progress (GEP) Measurement Framework to help countries evaluate their overall progress towards
an Inclusive Green Economy and to enable a cross-country comparison of progress. The GEP Measurement Framework complements UN Environment’s previously developed green economy indicators framework (UNEP, 2012; UNEP, 2014; and UNEP, 2015), which uses several types of indicators at different stages of a typical policymaking cycle.

The GEP Measurement Framework has four objectives:

  • To support the assessment
of progress in achieving a selection of the SDGs within the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and establishing direct links with them;
  • To help countries monitor progress against nationally set targets in priority areas;
  • To introduce greater levels of transparency to policymaking and provide policymakers with the tools necessary to set-up policies that support the transition to an Inclusive Green Economy; and
  • To measure and compare green economy efforts across countries.

The GEP Measurement Framework aims to understand the extent to which an inclusive green economy addresses three main global challenges, namely: (a) persistent poverty; (b) overstepped planetary boundaries; and (c) inequitable sharing of growing prosperity.

It includes measurements of accumulation of capital – be it natural, low carbon and resource efficient, human, or social – which serves as input for producing goods and services in an environmentally friendly manner. It also attempts to capture the transition of consumption, investment, government spending and trade towards such goods and services. The GEP Measurement Framework also includes measurement of the outcome of enabling policies that are conducive to an Inclusive Green Economy.

Progress in improving these outcomes is then analysed against specific planetary boundaries, such as greenhouse gas emissions, water and land use.

In its initial version, the GEP Measurement Framework is composed of a GEP Index and a companion Dashboard of Sustainability indicators. These components can be both analysed individually and combined to allow the ranking of progress by country (GEP+).

The first component, the GEP Index, measures the progress made in improving the well-being of current generations
in relation to economic opportunities, social inclusiveness and environmental protection. It is composed of 13 indicators that capture critical issues faced in achieving an Inclusive Green Economy transition, such as material footprint and inequality. The GEP Index focuses on the progress achieved by countries with respect to a target set for each individual indicator. Construction of the GEP Index utilizes a weighting system that allows for the assessment of how far off a country is from the global threshold on a specific component of
an Inclusive Green Economy (an indicator) and
an evaluation of the relative importance of one component (an indicator) with respect to the others from the country’s perspective.

The Dashboard
of Sustainability includes six indicators that track the sustainability of any progress that has been achieved as measured by the GEP Index. Its role
is to monitor the long-term sustainability of the factors underpinning humanity’s current and future well-being.

The GEP Measurement Framework Methodology, along with the GEP Measurement Framework Application package are now available to download here.

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Ghana Accelerates Agenda for Climate Change Learning in Schools
August 22, 2017

August 14 2017, Accra, Ghana - The energy was high in the room as Mrs. Patricia Appiagye, Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation crowned the gathering assembled to celebrate the inclusion of Climate Change and Green Economy into the National School Curricula. Young children in Ghana will be aware of climate change and green economy concepts as they go through school.

The 10-year Climate Change Learning Strategy, a fruit of an extensive and multi stakeholder effort, lays out 13 priorities that need to be implemented to incorporate climate change and green economy learning into the experiences of the Ghanaian society.

The Climate Change Learning Strategy is a product of UN CC:Learn in the effort to improve learning and awareness about climate change. Ghana is an example of the program’s high level of impact at the National level, where UN CC:Learn has enabled the Climate Change Learning Strategy to prepare future generations with the explanations about what they can do to minimize the impacts of climate change.

                              

The workshop was also an opportunity to share experiences. Mrs. Sarah Natunga from Uganda pointed out that it is extraordinary to see her peers in Ghana face such a challenging issue, and highlighted that the process in Ghana was happening at exactly the precise time. “In Uganda, we included climate change into the school curricula at a point when the curricula were not being revised.” In Ghana, the National Climate Change Learning Strategy coincided with the formal revision of the National School Curricula and the workshop helped formalize Ghana Education Services evident support and compromise with the National Climate Change Learning Strategy.

The next challenge the National Climate Change Learning Strategy will face is Parliament approval and formal inclusion into the country’s strategic framework. There is ample reason for optimism as the National Climate Change Learning Strategy is a fundamental aspect that will contribute to the uptake of the National Determined Contributions (NDCs) that country formalized as per the Paris Agreement.

   

About UN CC:Learn

UN CC:Learn is a partnership of more than 30 multilateral organizations supporting countries to design and implement systematic, recurrent and results-oriented climate change learning. At the global level, the partnership supports knowledge-sharing, promotes the development of common climate change learning materials, and coordinates learning interventions through a collaboration of UN agencies and other partners. At the national level, UN CC:Learn supports countries in developing and implementing national climate change learning strategies. Through its engagement at the national and global levels, UN CC:Learn contributes to the implementation of Article 6 of the UNFCCC on training, education and public awareness-raising, and the 2012-2020 Doha Work Programme. Funding for UN CC:Learn is provided by the Swiss Government and UN partners. The Secretariat for UN CC:Learn is hosted by the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

This article originally appeared on the UN CC:Learn website. For the original version, please click here
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Stocktaking Workshop for the PAGE programme in Uruguay
July 28, 2017

July 14 2017, Montevideo, Uruguay - A stocktaking workshop of the PAGE program for Uruguay was held this Friday,  the 21st July 2017, at the Uruguay Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining (MIEM).

Uruguay is one of PAGE’s newest partner countries, joining the partnership at the PAGE Ministerial Conference in March this year.

As a demand-driven project, countries wishing to join the partnership must complete a comprehensive application process, demonstrating cross-ministerial support for green economy transition in the country. Uruguay acceded to PAGE thanks to the commitment of Presidency of the Republic of Uruguay, several ministries and institutions of the academy, the private sector and civil society. They are, in addition to the MIEM, the Ministry of Economy and Finance; The Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment; The Ministry of National Defense; The Ministry of Labor and Social Security; The Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries; The Ministry of Health; The Ministry of Tourism; The Office of Planning and Budget; The National Secretariat for Environment, Water and Climate Change; The Uruguayan Agency for International Cooperation; The University of the Republic; The University of Montevideo; The Catholic University; Claeh; The PIT-CNT; The Chamber of Industries of Uruguay; The Pando Science and Technology Park; The Cerro Industrial Technology Park; And the National Association of Non-Governmental Organizations.

Since welcoming Uruguay to the PAGE family earlier this year, PAGE is setting its focus on catalyzing the process of green economy transition in the country, focusing investments and public policies towards a new generation of resources - cleaner technologies, healthy ecosystems, qualified green manpower - driven by strong institutions and good governance. Together, PAGE and Uruguay will promote the establishment of conditions that will drive increased prosperity, greater equality, conservation of natural resources and the eradication of poverty.

  

Interinstitutional work 

At the opening of the workshop, the undersecretary of MIEM, Guillermo Moncecchi, and the resident coordinator of the United Nations in Uruguay, Mireia Villar, spoke.

Moncecchi said that the work of the UN is taken "very seriously and with great force" in Uruguay. He also welcomed the fact that, since the project was presented in the Environmental National Cabinet, it brought together the multi-stakeholder approach. He considered that it is his "great strength" and the sample of the attitude with which this program is taken in Uruguay.

He also stated that this inter-institutional work "is not exceptional"; On the contrary, it is part of the state of development to which Uruguay has advanced, as the knowledge arising from the government, the academy, the private sector and civil society makes it possible to move to "new stages". "It is emblematic of the Uruguayan government and society," he said.

"Looking for what each one has to contribute will give us very good results as a country," Moncecchi said.

For his part, Villar said that PAGE represents an "open space" and an excellent opportunity to seek connections between the state, academia and the private sector. The objective is to accompany governments to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.

The UN resident coordinator, said that Uruguay is a country ideal characteristics to take the leap to accede to the "second half of the SDG table," referring to reductions in gaps in health and education, on which there have been years of work with good results.

However, he felt that he should be humble about the overall results obtained in areas such as the green economy, where, he pointed out, Uruguay has some progress to make, for which PAGE could be a valuable resource.

He explained that the alliance of PAGE is a platform for the exchange of knowledge inside and outside the partner countries. For this reason, high-level technical support is offered to those who want to "make a change in their public policies" and ensure policy coherence, avoid redundancy, provide overarching technical guidance, and the tools to measure progress and attract investors.

Villar congratulated Uruguay for wanting to join the Partnership, noting that this model was a good fit and consistent with the rest of the work that the country has done.

After the interventions of Moncecchi and Villar, the activity continued during the day, with interventions from, among others, the Secretariat of PAGE, the OPP, the National Secretariat for Environment, Water and Climate Change and the United Nations Organization for Industrial Development.

 

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Presenting the Integrated Green Economy Modelling (IGEM) Tool in Peru
July 20, 2017

12 July 2017, Lima, Peru - On 12 July 2017, a workshop on “the Integrated Green Economy Modelling Tool” (IGEM) brought together Peruvian governmental entities with two main goals. First, the workshop aimed to broaden and strengthen Peruvian experts’ abilities to align green growth with the formulation of economic models for short, medium and long-term growth. Second,  it encouraged incorporating the IGEM into the drafting, implementation and impact evaluation of public policies with a particular focus on green policies.

The workshop was organized by PAGE Peru in coordination with the Ministry of Environment and UN Environment and convened experts from the Millenium Institute, UN Environment, University of British Columbia, Universidad Iberoamericana de Puebla, Universidad del Pacífico as well as around 70 professional participants from civil service (INEI, MEF, MTC, MINAM, MINAGRI, PRODUCE, MTPE, CEPLAN), international cooperation,  the private sector and civil society.

The national coordinator of PAGE Peru, Miguel Ángel Beretta, opened the event by calling upon key stakeholders to share the main modelling tools they use.  At this point, Beretta also stressed the importance of green economy, saying, “Green policies can contribute to the sustainable development of Peru”.

José Pineda, UN Environment consultant and professor at the University of British Columbia, presented “the Integrated Green Economy Modelling Tool” demonstrating the existence of “modelling feedback” in a way that an output from one model can be an input for another one.

In addition, María Eugenia Ibarrarán, who works at the Universidad Iberoamericana de Puebla, spoke from her own experience in Mexico by highlighting the relevance of using the dynamics of modelling in order to build synergies between the social, economic and environmental spheres.

Finally, Susana Assuad, researcher and modeller at the Millenium Institute explained the practical use of the causal relations that the Model T21 presents in terms of measuring the general public policy impacts in the environmental, social and economic areas. With this tool in hand, it is possible to directly link policies with different green growth indicators and enhance sustainabe policymaking.

 

First published on pageperu.pe, July 16 2017. Read the original here (in Spanish.)

 

Speakers’s presentations: available for download
-Integrated Green Economy Modelling Tool, José Pineda, UN Environment
-La estructura del modelo de equilibrio general para simulaciones de Economía Verde, María Eugenia Ibarrarán, Instituto de Investigaciones Interdisciplinarias en Medio Ambiente “Xavier Gorostiaga” from the Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla (videoconference)
-Crecimiento Verde en el Perú Análisis cuantitativo de políticas verdes, Daniel de la Torre Ugarte, Universidad del Pacífico.
-GEP-Peru FV
-Modelo Económico de Equilibrio General
-PRESENTACION CUENTAS NACIONALES

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Recalibrating Market Forces to Build Sustainable and Equitable Economies
July 18, 2017

July 17 2017, New York, USA - As world leaders gathered over the last two weeks to discuss progress towards the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals, one partnership of UN Agencies had an ambitious goal of its own. The Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) believes that by convening international institutions, governments, the private sector and civil society, it can radically alter the way market forces work to promote sustainable and equitable economies. PAGE aimed to spread this message to thought-leaders and policy-makers at a side-event to the High Level Political Forum, entitled “Recalibrating Market Forces: How Greener and More Inclusive Economies and Finance are Delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals.”

In the aftermath of a G20 summit that marked shared prosperity and environmental sustainability cornerstones for a broader global development agenda, the question of how to shape this future has never been so relevant.  Global economic activity increased almost sevenfold between 1950 and 2000, but that increased productivity has come at a cost, with rapid biodiversity loss, increasingly polluted air and waterways and climate disruption indicating to many that a new model for productivity must be found.

PAGE explored this issue at the side-event by covening leading international institutions, governments, the private sector and civil society to discuss pathways and options for radically altering the way market forces deliver sustainable and equitable economies. A first panel, focusing on the challenges and opportunities of unleashing green finance, featured speakers who stressed that the dual imperatives to protect the earth and spark economic growth are not necessarily at odds with one another. The second panel stressed the challenges of recalibrating market forces and explored policy options and institutional innovation as solutions.

Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labour Organization, said “greener economies can be engines of growth, both in advanced and developing economies. They can generate decent green jobs that contribute significantly to climate mitigation and adaptation, but also to poverty eradication and social inclusion.”

Risto Artjoki, State Secretary to the Ministry of Finance of Finland, supported this point, proposing that an “increasing number of Governments and private companies recognize that future will be built on resource-efficient and climate-friendly solutions. In Inclusive Green Economy we do things in a smarter, more cost-efficient and sustainable ways.”

“More and more we are seeing that the choices that are good for profitability are the choices that are good for the planet. When the policy environment is ripe for it, we see that private investors are more than keen to jump on green investment opportunities,” said Simon Zadek, Advisor to the Secretary General on Financing for the SDGs. “What PAGE really does is help governments to create that policy environment, to give green enterprise, green trade, green jobs a place to flourish, and then investment can come in and really accelerate the progress on the ground.”

Panel on Unleashing Green Finance

Organizers hope that the side-event will help mainstream these ideas even further. “The High Level Political Forum is really the stage where global decision makers and international institutions come together and think about ways we can meet the SDGs. We think the PAGE model is a really good example of how we can help countries at the very beginning of the process, but then it really takes on a momentum of its own,” said Asad Naqvi, Acting Head of PAGE Secretariat.

The Side-event focused on reviewing green development progress with a particular focus on the SDGs in order to demonstrate the innovative ways that green policies already contribute to reaching these world benchmarks. According to Magdy Martínez-Solimán, UN Assistant Secretary General and Director of UNDP’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, “inclusive green economy approaches are central to advancing the integrated social, economic, and environmental goals of the 2030 agenda and successful implementation of the Paris Agreement.”

Others, such as Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, Parliamentary State Secretary of the German Ministry for the Environment agreed, added, “The SDGs lead us to redefine what economic success means. There are already several CEOs who tell us that the goals are an excellent reference point for their corporate investment strategies. But of course, this can only be a start. We must also ensure that the massive  investments until 2030 estimated at 6 trillion USD per year into energy, transport, water and agriculture systems will be truly sustainable. This will pay off financially and serve our societies in the long-term. PAGE is a unique alliance leading the way for this transition towards sustainable economies.”

The event closed with special remarks from Achim Steiner, Administrator of the UN Development Programme.  He mapped the evolution of green economy and PAGE as a concept and partnership designed to open new choices and options for countries, noting that the success of the partnership is driven by the strong country ownership expressed by the panelists and participating countries.  He remarked that this kind of initiative is totally aligned with the Secretary General’s call for system wide reform of the UN system, and its ability to work together and deliver on the 2030 agenda. The event included speakers from donor governments, PAGE countries, UN organizations and the private sector and took place on Monday July 17, 2017 at Scandinavia House, New York City, and was attended by more than 100 people. See more photos on our Flickr account.

 

Photos courtesy of UN Environment New York Office.

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Green economy trainings in South Africa go online
July 14, 2017

5-7 April 2017, Potchefstroom, South Africa - “Many officials lack good understanding of what the Green Economy means in practice and in the context of their work. It is will be very useful for them to have the concept linked to the key priorities and sectors in the country, as well as concrete measures and projects they are involved in.” – says Ms Najma Mohamed, National PAGE Coordinator in South Africa. To answer to demand for foundational training on green economy, an e-learning course specifically tailored to the context of South Africa is being developed by the Center for Environmental Management (CEM) at North-West University (NWU), South Africa, with the support of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), and within the framework of the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE).

Since the dawn of democracy, South Africa has transformed itself as an upper middle-income industrialized economy. Yet, economic development has not brought equal opportunities for everyone: income disparity is widening and unemployment remains high. Reliance on coal and natural resources results in high greenhouse gas emissions and a large ecological footprint. Recognizing these challenges, the South African government is set on transitioning towards an environmentally sustainable, climate-change resilient, low-carbon economy and just society.

Relative knowledge and capacities for inclusive green economy (IGE) are needed at all levels of the civil administration to support the implementation of national and regional strategies and plans. One of the focus areas of PAGE in South Africa is capacity building and learning for green economy.

E-learning presents itself as an efficient way to quickly scale-up foundational learning across key stakeholders and a number of national learning institutions have started to diversify their approach to executive training, with the goal of reaching to a wider audience.  “At NWU we are aiming to transform a large percentage of our continuing education programmes to electronic or blended format in the course of the next several years”, says Ms Christa North, Executive Advisor: Planning and Special Projects, Office of the DVC: Teaching-Learning of the North-West University. “We are currently utilising the financial support, content and the experience of UNITAR to tailor-make an existing UNITAR course on the green economy to be delivered on an e-learning platform of our choice to a mainly South African audience. This will serve as one of the pilot projects through which we assess our readiness to deliver high-end, relevant e-learning in South Africa. The pilot projects that we are involved in serve to develop our internal guidelines and tools further, and they also feed into a pricing model through which we hope to be able to create a stable and sustainable model for delivery of continuing education through blended and fully online courses. This is why NWU is fully-committed and is co-investing in this project.”

With the goal of supporting the development of the green economy e-course, and more broadly – the realization of the potential for scaling-up IGE e-learning at NWU and beyond, UNITAR organized a three day training of trainers (ToT) on “How to design, deliver and evaluate effective e-learning?”. The training was attended by 24 participants engaged in teaching and learning of various unit of the  NWU, as well as  external stakeholders from government, civil society and the South African academic sector.

The training was highly practice-oriented. “During the three days we went through the various stages of the development process of an e-learning course: from the assessment of the learning needs, to the evaluation of results. Now we understand the bigger picture and are better equipped to develop relevant and useful courses”, says Mr Reece Alberts, senior environmental legal and management specialist at CEM. At the end of the ToT several fully-fledged course concepts were developed, and their implementation onto the e-learning platform of the NWU had reached an advance stage. “We have never seen academics so involved with the e-learning platform before!”, exclaimed Mr Rassie Louw, who leads the Teaching and Learning Technology Unit at NWU.

Feedback received from participants at the end of the ToT was also overwhelmingly positive: 100% of respondents stated that the event was completely or mostly useful, 90% indicated the ToT was relevant to their work and they will likely use the knowledge acquired in the future.

Furthermore, the ToT served as a platform to establish a good working relationship between the members of the project team, who will be involved in the green economy e-course development. “We had very productive discussions as a team and set up a work plan for the course development. We understand much better now what the roles of each team member in this process will be going forward.”, says Prof Theunis Meyer, Chief subject specialist at CEM. As a first step, CEM will organize half-a-day workshop on 25 July in Pretoria to assess the learning needs and preferences of the course target audience.

UNITAR will continue its collaboration with CEM-NWU, and will provide continuous methodological and technical support to the green economy e-course development, as well as - more broadly - the upscale and diffusion of high quality e-learning courses for continuing education in South Africa.

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My experience as a PAGE trainer
July 5, 2017

July 5 2017, Accra, Ghana - Rahinatu Sidiki Alare is a Technical Officer at the Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies (IESS) at the University of Ghana. She is one of the many men and women who comprise the PAGE Community of Trainers, an initiative launched through a training of trainers (ToT) event in Turin in October 2016. Here, Rahinatu provides a short update on how she is using what she learned on green economy in Turin back home in Ghana:

“The Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies organizes regular seminars during which experts in related fields share research activities with staff, students and the university community. These seminars are also organized for students (MPhil & PhD) to present their research findings as part of their course work at the Institute. During one of such seminars, I had the opportunity to give a presentation on the issue of Green Fiscal Reform and Ghana’s Experience using the materials from Turin. The audience also interacted by asking various questions related to the presentation. Among the audience present at the seminar was the Programme Coordinator of the Institute, research fellows and students. The slides and case study materials were shared among the audience for further reading and practice.”

PAGE has been working on building up a pool of local trainers that can deliver learning action on core green economy themes. Many of the participants of the ToT in Turin in October 2016 are now actively advancing green economy learning in their home countries. Bat Buyantsogt, a professor of economics at the National University of Mongolia, for example, is carrying-out a feasibility study on integrating green economy learning into university curricula. Satchuda Arnachellum, another trainer, has supported the set-up of a partnership between the Civil Service College of Mauritius and UNITAR to run a green economy learning assessment; and Seynabou Diouf is playing a crucial role in developing a national network of green economy education and research institutes in Senegal. 

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Training helps Mongolia harness trade opportunities on their path to green economy
July 4, 2017

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia - PAGE, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism of Mongolia and the National Development Agency organized a two-day training on “Green economy, sustainable production and trade opportunities” on  29-30 May 2017 in Ulaanbaatar. The training brought together more than 60 participants from government  ministries, the private sector, higher education, and civil society. The training was divided into 5 sessions with focuses on the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development, nexuses between trade, environment and sustainable development, agricultural value chains and trade, frameworks for trade, and international best practices. Within these sessions, the topics discussed ranged from green trade concepts, eco labelling, organic agriculture, sustainability standards, and eco-tourism to how to best devise regional trade agreements and create market access opportunities for developing countries.

In addition to UN Environment, the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) also joined the training where they presented their knowledge on products and databases relating to sustainable trade. Participants were then divided into five groups for in-depth discussions on trade opportunities arising from organic agriculture, eco-tourism, renewable energy, and livestock products, and had the opportunity to discuss their ideas on the export potential of products such as meat and milk, hides and leather, wool, cashmere and knitted garments.

The training was followed by an experts’ workshop on “Sustainable Development and Trade Opportunities for Mongolia”, bringing together nearly 100 participants from government ministries, National Meat Producers Association, Dairy Product Association, Tourism Association, as well as companies and local producers. At this time, the Vice Minister of Environment and Tourism Mr. Ts. Batbayar delivered an opening address that highlighted green trade opportunities in Mongolia driven by the “Industrialization” Strategy, “Mongolian Export” Initiative and “Mongol Branding” programme, as well as ongoing and potential trade agreements with key trading partners.

The training and workshop kick started the new PAGE project on “Harnessing Trade Opportunities in Transition to A Green Economy in Mongolia” in an effort to develop a Mongolian green trade policy. Jointly implemented by the Environment and Trade Hub of UN Environment, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the National Development Agency, this project aims to improve the knowledge and capacity of the country to identify and harness green trade opportunities and to also support and complement Mongolia’s efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda and national development policies. Inputs gathered from this workshop will be incorporated into a stocktaking study of Green Trade opportunities and challenges in Mongolia with concrete policy recommendations for future development.

Looking to the future, the government of Mongolia will continue to build its trade policy, which can help the country move closer to a green economy. In 2016, the newly formed government developed its Action Program to be implemented for the period of 2016-2020 with a main objective to revitalize the economy within a short period of time, promote growth, support social sectors, and increase the income of the exports of non-mining sectors and diversify the economy. Since export programme is currently being developed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia and the National Development Agency, PAGE's new trade workshops can help provide Mongolia with additional training and expertise on green trade to inform these new policies.

Agenda, syllabus of the training, presentations: http://nda.gov.mn/1193.html

Agenda and report of the workshop, presentations: http://nda.gov.mn/1192.html

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Future economic leadership depends on green economy, says UN Chief
June 29, 2017

The future of economic leadership and growth is tied to green economy, according to United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres. Mr. Guterres’ statement was part of a call to action on climate change delivered to an audience of students, academics, and business leaders on 30 May 2017 at New York University. These words highlight a growing recognition of the role that green policymaking will play in shaping economies of the future.

During the speech, Guterres underscored the need for both national governments and private industry to become highly engaged in the worldwide green transition, proposing “Those that will be betting on the implementation of the Paris Agreement, on the green economy, will be the ones that have a leading role in the economy of the 21st century.”

Guterres furthermore outlined the downside of inadequately embracing green measures, explaining that “Those who fail to bet on the green economy will be living in a grey future [but] those who embrace green technologies will set the gold standard for economic leadership in the twenty-first century.” The message is clear: economies of the future will depend upon green policies and measures. 

The economic growth referred to by Guterres may be a result of the various opportunities that climate action provides, such as the creation of jobs, growth of key industries, and international cooperation to name a few. PAGE’s work in 13 countries, focusing on putting sustainability at the heart of economic policymaking has provided witness to these benefits first hand.

PAGE’s partner countries, as well as nations across the globe, are increasingly recognizing a green economy pathway as key to addressing poverty and climate change, and to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. As Guterres suggests, first movers towards this sustainable and resource efficient economic system will reap benefits of increasing profits, wellbeing, and environmental resilience.

To read the full story, please visit www.un.org

Photo credit: UN/Mark Garten

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PAGE outreach activities during South Africa Environment Month
June 23, 2017

During June, Environment Month in South Africa, PAGE participated in two key national events – Sustainability Week and the Sustainable Industrialisation Forum. These events provided opportunities to reinforce institutional collaboration for improved green economy analysis and implementation, and to share the work of PAGE in the country.

PAGE was one of 40 exhibitors at Sustainability Week, South Africa’s key sustainability platform devised as a multi-sectoral and cross-cutting forum for knowledge exchange, which was held at the CSIR International Convention Centre 13 – 15 June 2017. The event is reported to have attracted more than 1000 delegates and featured over 23 sustainability-oriented events. The PAGE exhibition presented key information through reports and videos, as well as a PAGE South Africa country brochure shared with delegates.

 

The exhibition brought together a broad range of stakeholders from public sector institutions, the private sector, and civil society, both from South Africa and other African countries. There was a marked interest in PAGE as an inter-agency UN programme, as well as in the country assessment, training, and capacity building opportunities PAGE provides. While a great opportunity to showcase the work of PAGE in South Africa, interactions at Sustainability Week also highlighted the need to expand communication around the work of PAGE in South Africa.

Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS), in partnership with the South African Research Chair in Industrial Development, based at the University of Johannesburg, and in association with the Green Economy Coalition (GEC), convened its 2017 Annual Forum from 13-14 June 2017 under the theme, Industrialisation and Sustainable Growth. The Forum is a platform for researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders to present research and engage in dialogue on policy-relevant issues.

The event, hosted at the Development Bank of Southern Africa, attracted more than 170 delegates from government, business, civil society, labour, research and academia and included high-level representation from the Department of Trade and Industry. During the programme, there were two presentations which shared findings of the South Africa Green Economy Industry and Trade Assessment (SA-GEITA), being undertaken by TIPS under the auspices of PAGE.

TIPS researcher, Christopher Wood delivered a presentation entitled, A Green Industry and Trade Analysis for South Africa while Bhavna Deonarain and Kelello Mashiane from TIPS drew on the SA-GEITA for their presentation, Transforming South Africa’s Transport Sector for Sustainable Development.

Both presentations gathered interest and delegates requested access to the SA-GEITA once completed. There was also an affirmation from the audience that the level of green technological and industrial change presented an opportunity for expanding South Africa’s technical base for manufacturing green goods, and that the assessment assisted in identifying opportunities for developing priority green industrial segments.

 

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PAGE workshop aims to unlock South-South trade in environmental goods and services in Jiangsu, China
June 21, 2017

Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China,  June 5, 2017 – The workshop on “Unlocking South-South Trade in Environmental Goods and Services in Jiangsu” was held in Nanjing as part of the newly launched Green Trade Project under the framework of Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE). The workshop convened around 50 participants from local governments, business associations, environmental companies, international organizations, and environmental NGOs. Key issues discussed included global and national trends in trade in Environmental Goods and Services (EGS), Jiangsu’s experience in trade in renewable energy and environmental technologies, the implications of rising global value chains of EGS, as well as opportunities and challenges of expanding green trade with developing countries.

The workshop was jointly organized by the Environment and Trade Hub of UN Environment on behalf of PAGE and Policy Research Center for Environment and Economy of Ministry of Environmental Protection (PRCEE) of China, in collaboration with Jiangsu International Environmental Development Centre (JIEDC). Keynote presentations were delivered by representatives from UN Environment, PRCEE, the Environmental Protection Department of Jiangsu Province, the Department of Commerce of Jiangsu Province, Jiangsu Association of PV industries, Global Value Chains Institute, and Shanghai University of International Business and Economics.

At the event, Ms. Liu Jianlin, Chief Engineer (Deputy Director-General) of the Environmental Protection Department of Jiangsu Province highlighted the importance of the workshop to Jiangsu’s Green Development and Green Economy Transition. She also anticipated that the workshop would further Jiangsu's understanding of green trade and South-South cooperation regarding EGS trade and value chain integration.

Mr. Xia Guang, the director-general of PRCEE noted the potential of Jiangsu to upgrade EGS trade as a pathway towards Green Economy, given its fast-growing trade in renewable energy and strong policy commitment from the local government. He regarded the workshop as an important starting point for translating EGS trade potential into local level development opportunities.

Ms. Zhang Ying from UN Environment took the opportunity to share the work of the Environment and Trade Hub on green trade in the context of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement, and the rising global momentum driven by south-south trade, global value chains, and regional trade agreements and plurilateral negotiations. She stated, “As an early mover of EGS trade and Green Economy Transition, Jiangsu enjoys great potential on green trade and has a lot to share with its trading partners. We hope the workshop could help Jiangsu identify and harness these opportunities, as well as scale up successful stories and good practices to more developing countries.” 

The workshop kicked off a new PAGE project to look at“The Role of Trade in Transition to a Green Economy in Jiangsu”. Jointly developed by the Environment and Trade Hub of UN Environment and PRCEE, the project aims to help Jiangsu evaluate and harness opportunities of green trade, summarize and share good practice, and explore how trade could facilitate the the transition to an Inclusive Green Economy and achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). To achieve the goal, the project has been actively engaging with public and private stakeholders in the province, including the Environmental Protection Department of Jiangsu Province, the Department of Commerce of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Municipal Bureau of Commerce, local business associations and environmental NGOs. Apart from the workshop, the project will also deliver a stocktaking study report on the development of green trade in Jiangsu with concrete policy recommendations. The project taskforce-an advisory body, was established to provide guidance and support for the implementation of project activities.

 

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Better Together: Mongolian Universities Join Forces to Prepare Students for A Green Economy
June 20, 2017

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Higher education is a competitive market. Universities find themselves in a race for staff, students, and research funds. While healthy to a certain extent, the American University Innovation Alliance warns that competition can “impede institutions' ability to achieve collective impact, diffuse innovation, and drive needed changes in higher education”. How does this play out in a country like Mongolia, where 16 public and 80 private higher education institutions are in operation? “Over the past 25 years each university has basically worked by itself,” states Prof. B. Tuvshintugs, Head of the Economics Department at the National University Mongolia. The last time he has seen major collaboration among universities was after the end of the Soviet Union when business schools were trying to come to grips with how to teach subjects like marketing and capital markets.

Students at the National University of Mongolia

Since a few months a new issue is fuelling cross-university collaboration. Economics and finance departments from different universities have picked up the concept of ‘green development’ and are jointly exploring options for incorporating relevant approaches in their course offerings. The engagement of the universities reflects a broader change in the development agenda of the country, encapsulated in Mongolia’s Sustainable Development Vision and the National Green Development Policy. By 2030 Mongolia “aspires to be amongst leading middle-income countries with stable and democratic governance and a multi-sector economy, which preserves ecological balance”. Higher education plays a critical role in leading the social and economic transformation needed to achieve this vision. 

Ms. Bulgan, Director for Green Development at the Ministry of Environment and Tourism is advocating for a stronger role of higher education institutions in green development.

Prof. Bat conducted a survey among 100 students and faculty about opportunities and challenges in teaching green economy.

“The basic concepts are there, however there is a need to align university programmes with the skills needs of potential employers, such as commercial banks and government agencies,” explains Prof. B. Bat from the National University of Mongolia, who has conducted a feasibility study on integrating green economy approaches in university programmes. He stands in front of a group of 60 people from academia, government ministries and the private sector who have come to develop action plans for creating new courses on ‘sustainable finance’ and ‘green economy and macro-economic modelling’ and incorporate relevant issues in existing programmes. One of the findings of his study is the importance of continuous training for professors and lecturers. 68% of the surveyed students indicated that the most important factor that influences training quality is teaching methodology and lecturer’s skills.

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Uruguay welcomes PAGE at the 2nd Regional Exchange and Practitioner's Dialogue Forum
May 30, 2017

The Second Regional Exchange and Practitioners Dialogue Forum, organized by the Ministry of Housing, Territorial Planning and Environment of Uruguay (MVOTMA) and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety of Germany (BMUB), and supported by members of the Inter-institutional Working Group on Green and Inclusive Economy, took place on April 26th and 27th in Montevideo, Uruguay. The forum was entitled “Putting Inclusive Green Economy into Practice in Latin America and the Caribbean” and gathered representatives from over 140 relevant public institutions, academia, the private sector, civil society, and 9 regional countries including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay and Peru.

The forum opened with words from the Uruguayan Minister of Housing, Eneida de León, and the Uruguayan Minister of Labour, Ernesto Murro, who underscored the importance of collaboration and coordination in support of inclusive green economy. The forum provided a space for dialogue and knowledge-exchange regarding economic transformation and its potential to bring sustainability to sectors such as tourism, products and services, waste and resource management, industry and innovation, consumption and renewable resources.

Addressing transformation paths in the light of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement, Professor Peter Poschen introduced green and inclusive jobs as a means to work towards the SDGs. Additionally, Professor Lucia Reisch, member of the German Council for Sustainable Development, introduced the use of behavioral economics to nudge policy makers towards a green and inclusive economy.

One highlight of the forum was the Ministerial Reception, where the Uruguayan Minister for Energy, Carolina Cosse, Viceminister for Housing, Jorge Rucks, and National Director of Employment, Eduardo Pereyra, jointly announced the start of Uruguay’s partnership with PAGE. At the reception there was a clear indication of strong cross Ministerial support for the work of PAGE. Building on the green economy work completed under an earlier UN Environment project, the key ministries have a clear vision for Uruguay’s need to innovate and create value around its bioeconomy. 

The event demonstrated that the concept of green economy has become more and more embraced in Latin America and the Caribbean since the first Regional Forum in 2013, with discussions focusing on the implementation of green economy measures rather than a debate over the concept itself. Furthermore, attendees expressed interest in cooperation and collaboration, such as through joining PAGE, and celebrated the increasing dedication towards a green and inclusive economy across the region.

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The World Bank launches Climate Action Peer Exchange (CAPE) to support green innovation for finance ministries
May 30, 2017

Over the past four years, the Partnership for Action on Green Economy has benefitted from robust support from finance ministries in creating sustainable green economic policies. From eliminating fossil fuel subsidies, to implementing carbon pricing policies and integrating climate policies in budget processes and national development plans, finance ministries play a critical role in addressing climate change.

In recognition of this vital role, the World Bank and the Morocco COP22 Presidency created the Climate Action Peer Exchange (CAPE), a new initiative that supports knowledge exchange and innovation among finance ministries on climate action. CAPE brings together finance ministers, technical experts, and other relevant stakeholders to discuss climate-smart macroeconomic policies and fiscal-policy measures for mitigating the impact of climate change.  CAPE held its first Partnership Meeting at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC on 19 April. The meeting brought together representatives from several governments to share success stories and their countries’ ambitions on climate policy.

Looking to the future, CAPE will further strengthen its support for finance ministries by developing an online knowledge sharing platform for CAPE members and organize learning events around the world. Formed upon the understanding that knowledge sharing opportunities can support better policymaking, CAPE will continue to encourage discussion between countries to help members deliver their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and effectively mitigate climate impacts.

To find out more about CAPE and their work, please read the recent blogpost by the World Bank on the Green Fiscal Policy Network website.

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Uruguay and Guyana join the PAGE Partnership
May 19, 2017

Berlin, Germany – On March 28, 2017, Uruguay and Guyana joined the Partnership for Action on Green Economy. The announcement was made at the PAGE Ministerial Conference in Berlin attended by over 430 participants, including 40 Ministers.

Both countries have demonstrated a strong commitment to making the transition to inclusive green economies, reducing pollution and emissions, and achieving Sustainable Development Goals. By joining PAGE, the governments of Uruguay and Guyana not only took a leap forward towards sustainable economies in their respective countries, but also created new opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-exchange in Latin America.

In Uruguay, PAGE will build upon a green economy scoping assessment completed in 2014 and conducted by Instituto de Economía (IECON) de la Universidad de la República, the government of Uruguay, United Nations Environment Programme, and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in 2014. The report identifies several areas for targeted support for green economy, including agriculture, livestock, industry, tourism and transport.

As said by Ambassador Alberto Guani of Uruguay, “Uruguay shares the view of PAGE in focusing on sustainability as the main core for all national policies, pursuing the purpose of aligning such vision to an economic growth that will reflect in higher income, creation of new jobs, moving towards poverty reduction and inequality by strengthening the fundamental environment of economic structures.” These changes will be made possible by the high-level and cross-sectoral commitment of the government of Uruguay to green economy as well as by the support of the private and civil sectors.

As in Uruguay, the government of Guyana has similarly demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainable and inclusive economy. In its application to PAGE, the government identified exceptionally strong cross sectoral support for inclusive green economy in the country. President David Granger of Guyana has said Guyana "is a state that will ensure a secure future for its people in the pursuit of a ‘green’ economy. It is one that is proud of its place as a reliable and cooperative partner in international efforts to protect the earth’s environment”.

Guyana’s transition to green economy will involve working toward de-coupling economic growth from the depletion of natural resources and pollution to ensure Guyana’s long-term sustainability and well-being. In December 2016, the government of Guyana and the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) hosted initial consultations on the National Green State Development Strategy, which brought together  government officials, civil society, the private sector, and bilateral agencies to generate an initial framework for action. The established core objectives of the framework include the following: social cohesion and inclusion; wellbeing; sustainable use of biodiversity and increased resource efficiency; decarbonisation and climate resilience; sustainable finance and; good governance.

Bringing together the expertise of five UN agencies – the UN Environment Programme (UN Environment), 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. With the inclusion of Uruguay and Guyana in the partnership, PAGE has renewed its commitment to supporting an increasing number of countries and has created exciting new possibilities for green economy and collaboration in the Latin America. 

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Powering the Sustainable Development Goals
May 8, 2017

 4 May 2017, Geneva, Switzerland – Over 20 ambassadors and 200 delegates from the permanent missions to the United Nations in Geneva gathered at a high level session titled, “Inclusive and Sustainable Economies: Powering the Sustainable Development Goals,” organized under the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) and hosted by the International Labour Organization at its headquarters.  

At the event, PAGE was honoured to have a panel consisting of the Ambassador of Germany and South Africa (represented by Counsellor), and heads of three PAGE  agencies, Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labour Organization, Erik Solheim, Executive Director of UN Environment, and Nikhil Seth, Executive Director of the UN Institute for Training and Research. Ambassadors and delegates discussed the role of transitioning to inclusive and sustainable economies in achieving SDGs and the need for broad partnerships, such as the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), to provide technical assistance on integrated policymaking to countries.

Participants expressed of appreciation for the PAGE model of joint-funding and resource mobilization, which has proven to be a successful model to promote effective cooperation among UN agencies and to deliver as one. PAGE is emerging and establishing itself as a unique partnership to support countries on SDGs and climate agenda, as well as a key mechanism to ensure a “just transition” to greener economies. Other important features of PAGE that were discussed at the event included national ownership over defining priorities for PAGE support as well as setting national targets and pathways for transforming economies into drivers of sustainability.

At the event, a message that resonated time and again was around the recognition by policy and finance communities that economic growth and employment opportunities increasingly lie within a world-wide shift to greener economies. This transition, however, cannot be left to market forces alone and there is an important role for government in policy making a need to ensure respect for international labour standards and social justice. PAGE offers advisory services that take into account social and environmental considerations in achieving economic growth. 

Attendees of the high-level event

“The jobs are in going green. We need to get out of the old fashioned idea that either you provide economic development or you provide for the environment,” said Erik Solheim, Executive Director of UN Environment. He also highlighted that the changes towards a greener world are already evident in financial markets through investments in green technology and energy, as well as in the examples of South-South partnerships for a greener economic future.

Within the area of green growth, each speaker highlighted various needs that must be addressed to ensure an inclusive and just transition. Among these concerns are the need for retraining programs for the labour force, greater international cooperation, and technological investment. With such a diverse range of needs to address in every country, PAGE provides a unique offer as an upstream mechanism for helping countries deliver smart policies to local communities by providing analytical and policy expertise.

In this regard, Guy Ryder, Director General – ILO expressed, “As a country-driven program, PAGE can… offer a meaningful contribution to deliver on urgent and essential demands of people and communities from all over world - deliver a safe environment, have access to decent work opportunities, to realize their aspirations.” This is made possible in part by the high degree of cooperation between PAGE organizations and their ability to leverage regional expertise and provide tailor-made solutions for countries. 

From left: Guy Ryder and Erik Solheim

There was also a call for PAGE to provide analytical support for national decision makers to compare trade-offs between short term gains, medium term targets under SDGs and long term prosperity, especially in those countries where fossil fuel reserves are being discovered.

Nikhil Seth, Executive Director United Nations Institute of Training and Research supported this point by stating, PAGE is a “model for reaching the SDGs and making countries follow smarter policies… [which should involve] not only governments, but all actors in society.” Mr. Seth also stressed the importance of concrete action and timeliness within this process: “It is the era of implementation, we have gone way beyond the time of conceptualization.” With PAGE’s unique funding mechanism that has proven to be a successful model for incentivising cooperation between agencies, it is possible to create “smarter policies” through the diverse institutional knowledge of PAGE’s five member agencies while delivering as a single unit.

Other panelists, such as H.E. Ambassador Antje Leendertse of Germany, highlighted the importance of international cooperation as exemplified at the second PAGE Ministerial Conference in Berlin for fostering discussions on how to best achieve the global development agenda.  In particular, she focused on a need to continue providing policy expertise and outreach to countries with the goal of producing more success stories. These should be made available to the international community to inspire other countries to make similar green transitions.

The event underscored the necessity of national ownership for green economy transitions and the necessity to invest in local capacity building. Mr. Nkombela, representing H.E. Nozipho Joyce Mxakato-Diseko, Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations, stated a need for capacity-building to ensure that South Africa can follow through on its many ideas for green economy and Ambassador Deep Ford of Guyana, spoke of the issues of trade-offs between green and brown economies during the transitional period. Representatives of Switzerland and Norway also spoke of their own achievements in green economy as well as their commitment to continue working with PAGE in the future.

During the open discussion, various  institutional and geographical perspectives on sustainable and inclusive economies were discussed.  The common thread between different viewpoints was that the transition to a greener economy is happening in all parts of the world and that the movement is gaining momentum. In addition to economic growth and employment opportunities, reframing economies around sustainability offers a pathway to achieve SDGs and keep the global temperature increase below 2 degrees. To achieve these goals, however, this process needs to begin progressing at a much quicker pace and on a global scale. It also noted that PAGE, as a partnership of five UN agencies, is a unique mechanism for meeting country and global demand for support in pursuing inclusive and sustainable economies. 

To watch the presentation in its entirety, please click here.

Photos from the event can be found on the PAGE Flickr account.

 

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