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Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 30 November 2015 - Mongolia has adopted a Green Development Policy setting out an ambitious vision for inclusive economic growth while safeguarding the sustainability of ecosystem services. The country is also committed to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) endorsed at the 70th UN session in September 2015. The question of how to measure progress towards achieving the objectives of GDP growth and the SDGs through a coherent set of indicators was at the heart of the discussions at a workshop organized by the National Statistical Office of Mongolia with support from PAGE entitled “A Road to Sustainable and Green Development: Policy, Planning and Measurement”, on 30 November 2015 in Ulaanbaatar.

The workshop was opened by the Chairman of NSO, Mr. S. Mendsaikhan; the State Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Green Development and Tourism (MEGDT) of Mongolia, Mr. Ts. Tsengel; and Mr. Fulai Sheng, Chief of Research and Cooperation Unit, Economic and Trade Branch, UNEP. Key messages highlighted by all speakers were the importance for countries to develop their own national development goals and the need to integrate Mongolia’s Green Development Policy into the national long term development planning in harmony with the SDGs. The workshop involved over 60 participants from 26 different organizations including ministries, government agencies, civil society organizations, the private sector, academia and international organizations. 

The workshop was structured around four sessions. The first session was “From Brown Economy to Green Economy” and in this session speakers from different ministries, the Mayor’s Office of Ulaanbaatar, and the Chamber of Commerce and Business presented. The second session focused on measuring green development and presentations included green development policy indicators developed by NSO Mongolia and international experience of developing and applying green economy indicators. The third session was centered around measuring SDGs, data availability, challenges encountered by Mongolia and opportunities and solutions.

The final panel discussion raised a number of points including:

1. Opportunities for providing incentives for the implementation of Mongolia’s Green Development Policy and related challenges given the economic downturn, debt and budget deficit.
2. The importance of agreeing on a limited set of green development indicators that is measurable and for which data is available.
3. The need for further capacity development support for collecting and analyzing data to measure progress towards green development.

The workshop was broadcast by the following channels:

• Mongolian national TV
• Mongolian radio
• Ekh oron TV
• Parliament TV Channel
• Aist Mongolia TV
• MNC TV
• Bloomberg TV
• Radio Khurd

Background: PAGE Support for Green Indicators

The National Statistics Office of Mongolia and MEGDT, together with PAGE partners are developing and supporting the adoption of green economy indicators and measurements, taking into account the Sustainable Development Goals. In 2015 a series of meetings were organized with officers of relevant ministries who are working on the development of an implementation plan for Mongolia’s Green Development Policy. As a result a series of indicators were identified related to measuring the implementation of the six goals and 52 strategies outlined in the Green Development Policy. The indicators have been compiled in a report, differentiating between three groups:

1)    Indicators that can be measured in the short term, i.e. the basic data is available.

2)    Indicators that can be measured in the medium term, i.e. the basic data should be improved and this work can be done in the near future

3)    Indicators that can be measured in the long term, i.e. it requires special surveys and censuses, creation of data collection systems, etc.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 27 Nov 2015 - Mongolia has taken a significant step forward in its transition towards a green economy, after the highly successful Mongolian Sustainable Finance Forum 2015, entitled Sustainable Finance: The Road to Green Economy  took place on 27 November.

The event - organized by the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) and by UNEP Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), with the Mongolian Bankers Association (MBA) and XAC Bank - brought together over 400 participants from government ministries, regulators, banks and other financial institutions, along with development finance institutions and international organizations, clients, businesses and civil society representatives, to initiate a green financing framework to support green growth in Mongolia. The event centered on the establishment of a green credit fund as a potential incentive in financing the country’s green development. It encouraged the investment in clean, green and environmentally friendly projects and the development of a collaborative approach to enhance the implementation of sustainable finance and green economy in Mongolia in the coming years.

Mongolia was the first country to join PAGE in 2013 and is leading the way in reframing its economic policies around sustainability.  The adoption of the Green Development Policy by the Mongolian Parliament in June 2014 was a milestone in Mongolia’s transition towards an inclusive green economy. However, the engagement among the finance sector, government agencies and the private sector can still be invigorated to mobilise finance for this transition to a green inclusive economy.

Today, putting sustainability at the heart of economic policies and national planning is urgently needed if the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are to be achieved and a low carbon development is to be realized.  This also implies looking at the governance structures and institutions which regulate market outcomes and human behavior, including in financial markets.

In her keynote speech, UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) President and Mongolian Parliament member Ms. Sanjaasuren Oyun emphasized that financing the strategic objectives of the GDP will not only contribute to a green inclusive economy, but will also meet some of the Sustainable Development Goals.  

Panelists from the Ministry of Environment, Green Development and Tourism, Bank of Mongolia, International Finance Corporation, Dutch Development Bank (FMO), Mongolian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and MBA, agreed that an immediate next step would be to convene a working group through which the financing needs and possibilities for Mongolia can be better understood and eventually designed.

Dakar, Senegal, 17 - 18 November 2015 – Over a hundred participants from the Government, the National Assembly, the Economic, Social and Environmental council, local authorities, civil society and the private sector, gathered to discuss policy frameworks and strategies to stimulate action for a green economy in Senegal.

The main goal of the two-day event was to provide a platform for exchange and sharing experiences on the transition to a green economy in Senegal.

The 1st edition of PAGE Week Senegal "The Transition to a Green Economy in Senegal: political and strategic framework to stimulate action” was hosted by the Government of Senegal under the auspices of the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development and in collaboration with the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE).

In his introductory speech, ILO Director-General Guy Ryder, on behalf of the five UN agencies behind PAGE, emphasised the importance of issues related to the transition to a green economy for inclusive and sustainable growth, green industry and the creation of green jobs in Senegal.

The representative of the Ministry of Labor, Social Dialogue, Professional Organizations and Relations with institutions stressed the relevance of green economy  for the Plan Senegal Emergent (PSE) in relation to growth and the structural transformation of the economy, as well as to human capital, social protection and sustainable development.

The representative of Senegal’s Economic, Social and Environmental Council (EESC) welcomed the involvement of the EESC in the production of a strategy paper on green economy in the country, remarking that a green economy approach can create many job opportunities. She also highlighted the need to further stimulate trade and engagement with the EESC members.

The representative of the National Assembly and Chairman of the Parliamentary Network for the Environment in Senegal (REPES), emphasised the association between elected representatives and practices and activities related to PAGE in Senegal, while underlining the substantial contribution that elected representatives can provide in terms of analysis and policy formulation on green economy in Senegal.

Senegal’s  Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development pointed out that green economy is operating in the country, by referring to the statement of the President of the Republic of Senegal, according to which "green economy must be part of a growth momentum, social justice and poverty eradication, since the aim is to break a vicious circle in which environmental degradation is both a cause and consequence of poverty". He also pointed out that green economy is not limited to the environmental agenda as it covers all segments of the economic, social and environmental arenas in Senegal. He concluded by emphasizing the role of PAGE in creating synergies between all initiatives that contribute to the promotion of a green economy in Senegal.

Specifically, the 1st edition of PAGE Week Senegal aimed at:

1. Validating a National Strategy for Promotion of Green Jobs;

2. Sharing a programme to support the creation of green jobs, green job opportunities;

3. Validating and sharing the results of various studies commissioned by PAGE;

4. Presenting and disseminating of national experiences in promoting the green economy and related best practices;

5. Identification of areas of collaboration among stakeholders;

6. Adopting recommendations for developing a roadmap for future actions of PAGE.

The event was divided into the following sessions:

•  Session 1: Opening and launch of the Days of the Green Economy;
•  Session 2: Policy and Operational Framework of green jobs / SNEV / PACEV
• Session 3: Evaluation of the green industry;
• Session 4: initiatives aimed at supporting the transition to a green economy;
• Session 5: Role of local institutions and officials and strategic directions;
• Session 6: PAGE Outlook and actors

It was like going back home, in some ways: the familiar smell and feel of the Andean tropics at 2,500 meters above sea level, the familiar cacophony of life on the busy streets of Bogotá, swelling now with over 9 million inhabitants; and the distinct chivalry and easy camaraderie that characterizes social interactions in South America, reminding me of the years I spent in the Ecuadorian capital of Quito and the many good people I met and interacted with over those formative years spent working at the Inter-American Development Bank.

Yet much had also changed - particularly since the time when, as a young boy, I lived with my parents in Chía, then a village on the outskirts of Bogota, and now virtually part of the metropolitan hub.

Colombia, as I discovered on this trip, is now roughly 75% urban, its citizens clustered around safe zones as years of conflict in rural areas took its toll, economically, socially, psychologically.

And, like many countries in the Andes, highly socially stratified, with some of the highest levels of income inequality, the largest gini coefficients, and a legacy of unequal endowments dating back to colonial times and that still haunts and pervades an economy largely based on resource extraction.

And yet: if there is a resilient and constantly innovating culture in South America, it is to be found in the headwaters of the Andes.

This came home to me during the course of the week I spent there, first in Cartagena contributing to the PAGE Regional Academy; and then, later in the week, when I headed to Bogota for consultations with partners and government officials keen on advancing a green growth agenda.

The PAGE Academy brought together over 50 participants from more than 10 countries in Central and South America, the Academy became a hub of learning and exchange: on fiscal policies, on modeling and measuring policy impacts, and building the social dialogues and platforms that enable policy makers and practitioners to communicate across disciplines and institutions.

Opened by the Minister of Labor from Colombia, Luis Garzón, the Academy also served as a rallying point for partners supporting a "just transition" from current economic policies and practices, to a future economy based on innovation, employment, and enhanced social equity - and of course, premised on and centered on improved human and environmental health.

From colleagues who heard the Minister speak, I learned of the great anticipation surrounding the upcoming Peace Accords, and hope that this spring, in 2016, Colombia can put its history of violent conflict behind it. And of the great opportunities for increased participation and employment that could derive from increased access and better management of Colombia's vast and ecologically rich and diverse ecosystems and landscapes.

Of course, the economic context in which Colombia - and indeed all of South America - finds itself is not auspicious: commodity prices, on which more than half of Colombia's export revenues are based, have plunged in the past year, marking the end of an oil and mineral extraction boom that brought economic growth to significant heights.

Yet, meeting later that week with the Minister - who expressed interest in PAGE as a possible vehicle for generating new decent and green jobs - and others, including colleagues from GGGI and the Departamento Nacional de Planeación, I couldn't help but feeling that Colombia was turning a corner, and would be emerging from the conflicts that have assuredly weighed on its growth and economic and social performance.

And indeed, in this, I was pleased and pleasantly surprised to find an anchor in the recently approved National Development Plan, which now contains a specific chapter on enhancing green growth.

Increasing the skills base, tapping (wisely) new resources, diversifying the economy away from a very exposed primary sector, revitalizing an industrial base that was once a large contributor to GDP and creating new job opportunities for the disenfranchised: what I heard and saw, led me to believe, that though Colombia is coming down from the peaks of a commodity boom, it has the wherewithal to emerge from the social and economic challenges facing it.

Certainly, navigating the peaks and troughs will not be possible without sacrifice, a shared sense of purpose, and a commitment to social justice that equals the zeal for continued economic expansion.

But with leadership of the like on display during this past week, it bodes well for Colombia, and indeed, for the continent.

A shared agreement that social dialogue and an economic transformation that is both socially just and environmentally sustainable - reaching across unions and employer associations and associations of banks to the public sector and beyond – seems like a great first step forward.

As I left Bogotá, reflecting on the many conversations and interactions over the course of the week, I was left with the distinct feeling that the leadership, capacity and commitment is there to navigate around the peaks and troughs, reshaping an economy that is both greener and more inclusive, geared for a new century of peace and prosperity.

Blog by Steven Stone - Chief of UNEP's Economics and Trade Branch (ETB) and the Green Economy Initiative

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 15 October 2015 – The concept of Green Economy and the best practices to promote the green economic development agenda were discussed by key media agencies, university journalism lecturers and students at the training course “Introduction to a Green Economy”, which took place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on October 15.

The training, organized by the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), jointly with the Ministry of Environment, Green Development and Tourism of Mongolia (MEGDT), aimed to engage the Mongolian media to collaborate with MEGDT and hence to promote green development actions and initiatives in the country.

In her opening speech, the Director of Green Development Policy and Strategic Planning, Ms. Bulgan Tumendemberel, underlined that the training course was significant for promoting the implementation of Mongolia's Green Development Policy. She also highlighted MEGDT’s effort to collaborate with the media to deliver green economy education and outreach programs. 

Both MEGDT and PAGE provided training covering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Green Development Policy and key economic sectors - in particular agriculture, the energy-water nexus, as well as construction tools and economic incentives for green development, consumption, learning and sustainable and green public procurement.

One of the learning points of the participants was to examine the costs and savings over the lifecycle of the building, including maintenance to minimize impacts on the environment and human health.

The training used an interactive and participatory approach that allowed participants to debate, share opinions, bring initiatives and work in groups. Furthermore, the handbook “Introduction to a Green Economy”, developed, edited and published under PAGE with the support of United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), was used as a key learning tool.

At the end of the training the participants were awarded with a Certificate of Attendance signed by the State Secretary of MEGDT.

The workshop was the second in a series of training events supported by PAGE, which were scheduled from October to November 2015.

Previously, to make sure staff across MEGDT departments have a good understanding of green development issues and how to engage with the public and the media in this area, MEGDT with the support of PAGE organized a training workshop on 17 September 2015. The training was organized in cooperation with the local company ‘Start Up’. 31 officers from 16 departments and divisions of the Ministry participated in the event.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 17 September 2015- The Ministry of Environment, Green Development and Tourism (MEGDT) of Mongolia is the lead government institution for promoting the implementation of Mongolia’s Green Development Policy. To make sure staff across MEGDT departments have a good understanding of green development issues and how to engage with the public and the media in this area, MEGDT with the support of PAGE organized a training workshop on 17 September 2015. The training was organized in cooperation with the local company ‘Start Up’. 31 officers from 16 departments and divisions of the Ministry participated in the event.

The training was provided using the ‘Design Thinking’ approach of Stanford University that promotes creative, practical and solution-based thinking starting with understanding of needs and goals. Participants developed concrete ideas on how to strengthen the promotion of green development through their own work, e.g. with regards to communication with media. The workshop also provided space to think ‘outside the box’, including the idea of a dedicated TV programme on green development.

The workshop was the first one in a series of training events supported by PAGE, including trainings for media professionals, the office of the mayor of Ulaanbaatar, as well as different line ministries which are scheduled for October to November 2015.

"We human beings are part of the environment … any harm done to the environment, therefore, is harm done to humanity."

 25 September 2015 - Pope FrancisAddress to UN Summit            

Big, bold, vibrant - New York City is nothing if not an exciting epicenter of thought and action, and never more so than the weekend of September 25-27, when over 100 Heads of State gathered to celebrate and formally adopt the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the United Nations (UN) Summit.

The hubris was evident everywhere: large convoys of limousines and hulking security vehicles in black paraded throughout the town, accompanied by the wail of sirens and an army of federal, state and city security officers.  Entire streets were cordoned off and carefully parsed and guarded to ensure safe passage.

But among this mayhem, and well below the din of hubris, the Pope arrived in a small, grey Fiat 500, decked out with a little yellow flag; and after addressing UN Staff alongside the Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, sat humbly in an oversize chair waiting his turn to address the General Assembly.

Drawing liberally from his recently released Encyclical, “Laudato Si”, he acknowledged that given the grave state of the situation, he felt compelled to speak frankly.

And this is what he said:  “The misuse and destruction of the environment are also accompanied by a relentless process of exclusion.  In effect, a selfish and boundless thirst for power and material prosperity leads both to the misuse of available natural resources and to the exclusion of the weak and disadvantaged, either because they are differently abled (handicapped), or because they lack adequate information and technical expertise, or are incapable of decisive political action…”

Thus began the General Assembly, kicking off the weekend in which the 17 Sustainable Development Goals were born and baptized.

My special concern was SDG 8, which focuses on "sustainable and inclusive growth, with full employment."  Many of us who have sought to advance the concept of a sustainable economy, a greener and more inclusive economy, came to New York to witness the birth and also celebrate the partnerships that, together, can make the goals achievable for the countries subscribing to them - that is, to all the countries.

The occasion at this summit was an event entitled, "Powered by Inclusive Sustainable Growth: Why and How We Decided to Alter Course" which we at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) were fortunate enough to host with colleagues from Germany and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

With a packed room of around 150 participants, the German Minister of Environment, Barbara Hendricks, opened the event with a reflection on Germany's experience and the key design decisions needed to alter course, focusing on the energy transition and the critical role of political choice and leadership. 

Accra, Ghana, 8 September 2015- The second consultative workshop for the formulation of a Green Economy Action Plan (GEAP) for Ghana, organized by the country’s Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), with the technical support of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), took place in Accra on 8 September 2015.

The workshop was the second of a series of consultative sessions that will be undertaken in Ghana to develop a robust GEAP for the country, as a vehicle for integrating and reinforcing inclusive green economy goals and national economic and development planning.

The aim of the workshop was to offer stakeholders an opportunity to review the inputs that were generated during the initial consultative workshop held on 16 August 2015 in Accra. During that initial meeting, key stakeholders in the agriculture, forestry and energy sectors were consulted in order to map out actions and strategies to inform the various segments of the GEAP document.

The findings from both consultative workshops will be used for the formulation of a draft GEAP which will be subject to validation by Ghana’s government during a workshop planned for October 2015. Additional activities to monitor and support this mainstreaming of inclusive green economy into national economic and development planning will be led by the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE).

The Green Economy Assessment Report that gives rise to the GEAP has been completed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and shall be officially launched during the upcoming Ghana PAGE Green Economy Week in October 2015.

The consultative workshop and the Green Economy Assessment study were commissioned by UNEP for the government of the Republic of Ghana with generous funding support from the European Commission and the Government of the Netherlands. 

New York, 25 September 2015 -  UNEP, the Government of Germany, and the UNDP, supported by the PAGE secretariat, hosted a high-level panel discussion in New York on the economic frameworks and investments that trigger a shift towards an inclusive sustainable growth path and opportunities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through this shift.