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Friday 14 December 2018, Cape Town, South Africa - From 10-11 January 2019, 500 innovators and leaders from governments, civil society, private sector, development organizations, media and the public will meet in Cape Town for the third global forum on green economy.  Hosted by the Department of Environmental Affairs of South Africa, the third PAGE Ministerial Conference will highlight and celebrate innovation, entrepreneurship and inclusivity as drivers of green industries and as the bedrock for a better and more sustainable future for all.

As an alliance of five UN agencies –UN Environment, ILO, UNDP, UNIDO, UNITAR – the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), supports countries in meeting their sustainability commitments, particularly the Sustainable Development Goals related to the economy, jobs, industrial development and the environment. It also works with them to meet their national commitments to tackling climate change under the Paris Agreement through inclusive green economy approaches.

The third PAGE Ministerial Conference will focus on how to advance inclusive and sustainable economies for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and targets of the Paris Agreement on climate change. Over the course of two days, participants will zoom in on how we can develop and implement innovative policy solutions to green the economy, how to green the financial system and make it work for the future, how to find solutions that work for everybody and empower the most vulnerable and how to enable and incentivize consuming and producing sustainably.

It’s an ambitious agenda, and one that requires expertise from a diversity of our global community. That’s why PAGE is bringing together a group of similarly ambitious innovators and leaders to guide these discussions.  From Chief Economist of the UN, Elliot Harris, to Kimmo Tiilikaiinan, Minister for Environment of Finland, Pierre Venter from the Banking Association of South Africa, and Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General of Amnesty International – PAGE has gathered the most incisive minds from across the spectrum of social, economic and environmental leadership to work together towards real solutions.

Only limited spaces are still available – register now to secure your place.

For more information on the conference, including a full programme and list of speakers, please visit the PAGE Ministerial Conference 2019 website.

New Delhi, India, 30 November 2018 – Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) held a two-day Inception Workshop in the national capital with multiple stakeholders from UN agencies, Government and other organizations. India, recently welcomed onto the PAGE programme in May this year, is fast becoming one of the largest economies in Asia. With an economic growth averaging 7.4% annually, India faces significant challenges including exploitation of natural resources, rapid industrialization, poverty and unemployment.

The purpose of this workshop was to engage stakeholders such as Government of India, funding partners and UN agencies regarding priority policymaking and capacity building activities that, with the support of PAGE, can make substantial contributions to India’s national targets regarding Inclusive Green Economy, Nationally Determined Contributions to the Paris Agreement, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) initiatives. The workshop also provided an opportunity to identify sectors under resource efficiency where work on green economy could be mainstreamed. It also helped further refine the terms of reference for foundational work that would set baselines and help shape the scope of PAGE’s work in India.

Delivering the keynote address, CK Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said “Green Economy is a part of the Indian mindset. India is working towards equity and responsible growth and climate justice is at the heart of it. India’s PAGE operational strategy should take into consideration key sectors for intervention in India and the understanding of current sectoral policy regime to bring in visible changes.”

Along with the five UN agencies that form PAGE (UN Environment, UNIDO, UNITAR, the ILO and UNDP), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the coordinating Ministry on PAGE. Joint Secretary Nikunja K Sundaray, PAGE focal point, spoke about India’s approach and Additional Secretary Anil Jain spoke about the way forward. Senior representatives from European Union – one of PAGE’s seven funding partners, Ministry of Finance and TERI as well as members of other organizations actively participated in sessions focussing on resource efficiency such as sustainable public procurement, end of life management in emergent sectors, fiscal policies, skill and capacity building for a green economy transition, to name a few.

"I would like to congratulate India on being successful in obtaining PAGE approval. The government is committed and in the process of formulating a resource efficiency roadmap. The PAGE inception workshop is a stepping-stone to identifying green economy initiatives and processes as well as resource efficiency sectors in India which could potentially be a game changer,” said Yuri Afanasiev, UN Resident Coordinator, India.

 The workshop concluded with a robust discussion on green and circular economy with some concrete outcomes:

• PAGE India would bring in transformational shift through global green economy learning forum where in UN Agencies and other international organizations form a conglomerate and offer advice on emerging policy issues
• Through the forum a series of interactive and programmatic high-level regional consultations will be organised that will help finalise PAGE workplan in India, primarily identifying sectors for intervention.

“This is an exciting time to join the Government of India in its search for new pathways to greener and more circular economies.   The focus on sustainable consumption and production builds on a strong tradition of resource efficiency and circularity in India, and the PAGE team is grateful to be a part of this effort,” said Steven Stone, Chief, Resources and Markets Branch, Economy Division, UN Environment.

The Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) was launched in 2013 as a response to the call at Rio+20 to support those countries wishing to embark on greener and more inclusive growth trajectories.

PAGE seeks to put sustainability at the heart of economic policies and practices to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and supports nations and regions in reframing economic policies and practices around sustainability to foster economic growth, create income and jobs, reduce poverty and inequality, and strengthen the ecological foundations of their economies. 

NOTES TO EDITORS

About UN Environment

UN Environment is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. UN Environment works with governments, the private sector, civil society and with other UN entities and international organizations across the world.

About PAGE

Since 2013, The Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) has grown into an increasingly prominent alliance of UN Agencies, international partner organizations and governments. The partnership is recognized as an innovative and efficient model of excellence for delivering on the 2030 Agenda. Drawing on the expertise of five UN Agencies – UN Environment, the International Labour Organization, the UN Development Programme, the UN Industrial Development Organization, and the UN Institute for Training and Research – PAGE challenges business-as-usual growth and business models, and places sustainability at the heart of economic systems. At the global level, PAGE partners with the donor community, the wider UN system, governments, civil society and the private sector to amplify and accelerate transitions to greener, more inclusive development, and to support future generations and sustainable development pathways.

For more information, please contact:

Jasleen Dhanota Kanwal, UN Environment, Country Office India, jasleen.dhanota@un.org

29 November 2018, Paris, France – The PAGE family is set to grow even larger as the Partnership is inviting applications from new countries to join PAGE. Applications will be accepted until 15 February 2019., Ligia Noronha, head of the Economy Division of UN Environment announced the call for applications and said, “The recent UN-wide reforms have reinforced the usefulness of PAGE’s “one UN” joint-delivery model that is driven by expressed needs of the member states. It is the firm conviction of all PAGE partners that an inclusive and green economic future and Sustainable Development Goals can only be achieved through a collaborative approach that builds on and extends a vibrant network of partnerships - across disciplines, countries and stakeholders from around the globe”.

Since its inception in 2013, the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) has grown into a prominent alliance of five UN agencies, eight funding partners and eighteen countries that work together for transforming economies into drivers of sustainability to foster economic growth, create income and jobs, reduce poverty and inequality and strengthen the ecological foundations of global economy. Thanks to the wide-ranging “specialised’ expertise of the five UN agencies and PAGE partners, as well as a unique model of delivering as “one UN” PAGE is increasingly recognized as a model to deliver comprehensive and coordinated support to countries for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and addressing climate change.

More than 90 countries, so far, have benefited from PAGE activities and while governments of 18 countries are receiving multiyear support to create evidence-based policies that place sustainability at the heart of economic growth and investment decisions.

“The transformational changes needed for greening the economy and achieving SDGS are unlikely to take place automatically; they often need to be mobilized by public policy, in particular, fiscal and investment policies, monetary and credit policies, trade policies, industrial policies, and pro-active labour policies, in addition to the more familiar rules, regulations, standards and other economic instruments”. said Asad Naqvi, head of the PAGE Secretariat. “PAGE is an effort to break down the old silos and bring the science and economics together to identify win-win-win opportunities, in which we can grow the economy, reduce inequalities, and protect the environment.”

PAGE itself is an embodiment of this principle: an interdisciplinary partnership of five UN agencies specializing in the environment, labour issues, social development, industrial development and capacity building, PAGE know that the challenge of bringing together all the relevant actors is absolutely necessary to address the interconnected challenges that underpin the Sustainable Development Goals.

PAGE provides a range of tools and services, which can be employed in partner countries to inform evidence-based policymaking, understand gaps and challenges, and build coalitions to work across silos. The PAGE programme also emphasizes the value of peer-to-peer learning and south-south and triangular cooperation: the experiences of sharing experiences and knowledge between Kyrgyz Republic and Mongolia was recognized in a recent report highlighting best practices in south-south and triangular cooperation throughout the entire UN system.

The culture of knowledge-sharing and cooperation is also embodied in PAGE’s Ministerial Conferences, at which ministers from PAGE partner countries, PAGE funding partner countries, as well as technical experts, academics, business leaders and innovators gather to exchange ideas and share their expertise. The next PAGE Ministerial Conference will be held in Cape Town, South Africa, on 10-11 January 2019.

The new PAGE countries will be chosen taking into account the PAGE selection criteria described in the PAGE Application Form. Applications close on February 15, 2019.

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More information on applying to the Partnership for Action on Green Economy.
More information about the Partnership for Action on Green Economy
PAGE’s 2018 results
PAGE Resources
Latest PAGE news

22 October 2018, Georgetown, Guyana - Guyana’s inaugural Green Expo and International Small Business Summit was held in Georgetown from the 18th – 21st October 2018.  The event, held under the theme Sustainable economic growth through small business innovation, entrepreneurship and transformative government policies was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of the Presidency, UN Environment, Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), IDB, the African Business Roundtable, and the Small Business Bureau of the Ministry of Business.  

PAGE participated at both events and took the opportunity to enhance public awareness on the Guyana Green State Development Strategy: Vision 2040 and PAGE's work in the country. UN Environment and the Department of Environment presented the first draft of the Strategy to the Government of Guyana International Small Business Summit. 

The Green Business Expo provided small-scale entrepreneurs with an opportunity to showcase their green and innovative products. Patrons also had an opportunity to find out more about PAGE's work in Guyana, including the macroeconomic modelling and green industry assessments undertaken to inform the elaboration and support the implementation of the Green State Development Strategy Vision 2040. The significance of intermingling policy and small business was clear: entrepreneurs cannot make the shift to becoming competitive, green and social enterprises without a supportive financial, legal, regulatory and technical environment. 

Throughout the summit and expo you will see evidence of how small business are innovating in Guyana today, and the success of Government efforts to support them. Public initiatives like the small business procurement programme, the assistance offered by the Small Business Bureau, and the small business tax procedures, all strengthen the enabling environment and help small businesses thrive.

Leo Heileman, Director of the Deparment of the Environment, Guyana

At the International Small Business Summit, the connection between small business and green economy was also in focus. In his keynote address, Winston Jordon, the Minister of Finance, noted that small and medium-sized businesses have a vital role to play in the transformation of Guyana into a green economy. The Summit provided the platform for experts, entrepreneurs, academia, politicians and the other representatives from 16 countries to exchange information and experiences in green economy initiatives. 

17-18 September 2018, Dakar, Senegal – Earlier this month, PAGE supported a cross-sectoral training session in Senegal on the integrated Threshold 21 SDG model (T21-iSDG), a tool used to support green economy policy development by predicting the effects of policy interventions throughout the national economy. The training was led by a team from the Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Planning, and was attended by representatives from the Ministries of Environment, Fisheries, Agriculture and Energy, along with a number of academic participants.

 T21-iSDG is a system dynamics model designed to support comprehensive, integrated long-term development planning. It characterises feedback loops between social, economic and environmental factors, enabling insights into how strategies can interact and influence the sustainable development goals in addition to particular policy objectives.

The training in Senegal consisted of five key sessions over two days. The first day focused on establishing a grasp of the system dynamics approach more generally, whilst the second day dealt with the specific T21-iSDG Senegal model in more detail. The initial session focused on introducing system dynamics modelling, including how models are constructed, and their strengths and weaknesses related to their use for different planning strategies and time horizons. The next session outlined several key concepts of the system dynamics approach, such as stock and flow characteristics, accumulation and the concepts of delay and non-linearity. The days’ activities were capped off by a practical demonstration of the tool. The following day, the opening session provided an understanding of the T21-iSDG Senegal model and the various interlinkages between sectors, the second focused on the application of the model to the greening of the national economy with a focus on priority sectors (agriculture, forestry, water, energy, waste management and biodiversity), and the final session involved hands-on training and group exercises focused on simulating the effects of green economy policy interventions. The sessions highlighted the potential synergies between specific interventions at the national and sectoral level, and their overall contributions to achievement of the SDGs.

The Director of Green Financing and Partnerships expressed his delight in the insightful and enriching exchanges of the training sessions, which have deepened the understanding of the T21 iSDG tool used in the exploratory report on green economy.

14 September 2018 - South-south cooperation has gained increasing attention in recent years as a powerful mechanism to accelerate sustainable development, and as such has become a focal point of UN work. There is a growing consensus that the shared ideas, knowledge and skills promoted through these partnerships can stimulate effective solutions to common challenges and build on mutual strengths. On International South-South Cooperation Day, the 12th of September 2018, PAGE’s work in Mongolia and the Kyrgyz Republic was recognized in a report highlighting best practices in south-south and triangular cooperation throughout the entire UN system.

The Kyrgyz-Mongolian cooperation included peer-to-peer learning sessions on the development and implementation of the policy reform for green economy and the use of green technologies in business. The initiative emerged within the framework of an agreement between the International Labour Organization and the UN Institute for Training and Research – two PAGE partner agencies – to strengthen south-south cooperation between PAGE countries, which is technically and financially supported by the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ). 

This is a clear example of triangular cooperation and of how countries with similar political, historical, cultural, economic and social contexts can strongly benefit from peer-to-peer learning. PAGE provides an ideal platform to facilitate this learning, by bringing together countries at varying stages of their inclusive green economic transformation. While the Kyrgyz government recognizes sustainable development as a national priority, the country is at the relatively early stages of its inclusive green economy transition. Conversely, Mongolia is transitioning towards the end of its PAGE-supported programme, and is in a strong position to share best practices and learnings from its experience.

Mongolian and Kyrgyz participants at the Kyrgyz Republic Green Economy Forum in Bishkek last year

Mongolia’s expertise and experiences have been instrumental in shaping the Kyrgyz Republic’s identification of priority areas as they green their economy, particularly in green finance, sustainable public procurement and green jobs. Due to the similarities in the national contexts, replication and adaptation of policies and practices between the two countries has been especially effective.

On the back of these exchanges and complementary PAGE advisory support and technical guidance, the Kyrgyz Republic recently passed a new Development Program that places these priorities in the fore.

The experiences between Mongolia and the Kyrgyz Republic demonstrates how fostering productive south-south relationships can strengthen and accelerate the global transition towards an inclusive green economy, and emphasizes the importance of effective partnerships, collaboration and learning that is at the heart of PAGE’s work.

For more on the south-south cooperation between Mongolia and the Kyrgyz Republic, see Page Steering Committee Meeting and Sustainability Week Take Place in Mongolia and Kyrgyz Republic: Green Economy Forum Features New Opportunities for Business from Theory to Action.

South Africa