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UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME PROGRAMME DES NATIONS UNIES POUR LENVIRONNEMENT
XVII Meeting of the Forum of Ministers of Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean Panama City, Panama 26 to 30 April 2010 B. MINISTERIAL SEGMENT April 29 to 30, 2010
Distribution: Limited
UNEP/LAC- IG.XVII/4
General Information that can be used by the Ministers and Heads of Delegation for the dialogue on
Green Economy
UNEP/LAC-IG.XVII/4 Page 1
4.
A green economy is typically understood as an economic system that is compatible with the natural environment, is environmentally friendly, is ecological, and for many groups, is also socially just. These attributes are the conditions that must be imposed on an economy from the perspective of many green economy advocates. This conventional concept of a green economy may be alternatively described as the greening of an economy. Some fundamental criteria for meeting these conditions have been established since Rio, such as using renewable resources within their regenerative capacity, making up for the loss of non-renewable resources by creating their renewable substitutes, limiting pollution within the sink functions of nature, and maintaining ecosystem stability and resiliencei.
5.
Conditions for social justice may include: 1) not compromising future generations capability to meet their needs; 2) the rights of poor countries and
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Page 2 poor people to development and the obligations of rich countries and rich people to changing their excessive consumption levels; 3) equal treatment of women in access to resources and opportunities; and 4) ensuring decent labor conditions. Additionally, issues of good governance and democracy are also seen as critical for ensuring social justice and equity.
6.
Less understood but should be of a much greater interest is a green economy as an economic system that is dominated by investing in, producing, trading, distributing, and consuming not only environmentally friendlyii but also environmentally enhancingiii products and services. In this sense, many green conditions such as those listed above should no longer be seen as constraints on an economy; instead, they should be regarded as forces that generate new economic opportunities. This is about expanding and reshaping, not reducing, the space for economic development and poverty reduction. 7. A green economy is one dominated and driven by the demand for, and supply of, environmentally friendly and environmentally enhancing products and services, which in turn safeguard and enhance human well-being. A defining indicator of a green economy, accordingly, is the share of environmentally friendly and environmentally enhancing products and services as a whole in total output and employment.
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to support increased green investment from both the public and private sectors.
11.
It aims at advising countries in greening their economies by working with a wide range of partners to provide cutting edge economic analysis and research products. It encompasses a wide range of issues ranging from: Energy efficiency in old and new buildings; Renewable energy technologies, such as wind, solar, geothermal and biomass; Sustainable transport technologies, such as hybrid vehicles, high speed rail and bus rapid transit systems; Natural resource green infrastructure, including freshwater, forests, and soils; and Sustainable agriculture, including organic production. The UNEP GEI activities include providing advisory services to countries interested in greening their economies; producing research products, such as The Green Economy Report, The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) series of reports, and the Green Jobs Report; and engaging partners to effectively promote and implement green economy strategies. Objectives of the Ministerial Discussion a) To obtain a comprehensive update on the recent green economy developments within major international policy forums and through the UNEP-led green economy initiative; b) c) d) To discuss how the concept of the green economy can be further implemented at the country level; To build on existing policies and processes that are supporting the shift to sustainable consumption and production and a green economy; To consider the contribution of UNEP to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012, in particular with regard to its focus on the green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication.
Questions for Discussion What would be the most useful interventions UNEP could provide to help countries that wish to shift to a green economy? How should the green economy be promoted at the national level? What inputs to the eighteenth session of the Commission for Sustainable Development, and specifically in the area of Sustainable Consumption and Production, would help promote a green economy and contribute to achieving the Millennium Development Goals?iv
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Page 4 How can the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012 (Rio+20) provide an opportunity for Governments to agree on the specific steps and policies required to achieve a green economic future?
WWF International, Sustainable Use of Natural Resources: Concepts, Issues, and Criteria A WWF International Position Paper (1992). ii The expression environmentally friendly refers to causing no harm to the environment such as low impact logging. iii The expression environmentally enhancing refers to strengthening ecosystem functions such as degraded land restoration. iv The 18th and 19th sessions of the CSD, 2010 and 2011 respectively, will examine priorities and needs for shifting to sustainable consumption and production. Among other things, countries will likely discuss the development and implementation of the 10-year Framework of Programmes for Sustainable Consumption and Production. This current Commission cycle may provide an important opportunity to integrate analysis and policy proposals relevant to promoting a green economic within the 10-year Framework of Programmes or other policies.