Bangkok (UN/ESCAP Information Services) -- A partnership to implement a $200 million fund to support Asian developing countries to pursue a low-carbon development path was discussed at high-level meetings in Seoul during a visit by Noeleen Heyzer, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
Prime Minister Han Seung-soo expressed his support for the proposal during his meeting with Dr. Heyzer. Other senior Korean officials, including the Environment Minister, Lee Maanee, the Minister of Trade, Kim Jong-hoon, and the president of Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Park Dae-won, also discussed the issue with Dr. Heyzer.
The $200 million fund is a key element of the East Asia Climate Partnership which was launched by Korea at the G-8 summit in July. It aims to support, over a period of five years, policy consultations for low carbon development, technology transfer, resource mobilization and pilot projects for climate change mitigation and adaptation technologies.
The fund reflects the Republic of Korea’s national vision of “Low Carbon, Green Growth,” which was declared by President Lee Myung-bak in August, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Republic. “The world has gone through the stages of the agricultural, industrial and information revolutions,” the President said in his national address.
“Now, it is entering the age of an environmental revolution. Leaving behind the era of wood, coal and oil, an age of new energy is now being opened.”
“The new vision and the partnership are very exciting developments,” said Dr. Heyzer. “They indicate a shift in development paradigm. The rapid economic growth in the region, with its heavy dependence on fossil fuel consumption, is ecologically unsustainable. As the fourth largest economy and a major carbon dioxide emitter in the region, the importance of this paradigm shift will not only be felt in Korea but the leadership of Korea will be felt in the whole region.”
Dr. Heyzer noted that ESCAP is well-placed to play a leading role as the implementing agency of this new initiative, thanks to its role as a champion of the Green Growth paradigm in Asia and the Pacific, and as the regional hub promoting cooperation, especially South-South cooperation, among member countries to achieve inclusive and sustainable development.
“I am very encouraged by the support expressed by the Korean government to the proposed collaboration and I look forward to further discussions to finalize the partnership,” she added.
ESCAP’s Green Growth initiative, which was endorsed by a regional ministerial meeting on environment and development in Seoul in 2005, emphasizes that a country does not have to sacrifice economic growth in order to be green. It proposes policy measures such as green fiscal and tax reforms, investment in sustainable infrastructure, promotion of green consumption and clean production, and the use of eco-efficiency indicators.
At its latest annual Commission Session in April 2008, ESCAP’s proposal of a regional energy security framework – with its emphasis on shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, and on improving energy efficiency – was embraced by over 50 member countries as a way to reduce carbon emissions as well as enhancing secured long-term access to energy.
Cambodia - October 2007
Government requests national training and briefing on green growth
Upon the request of the Government of Cambodia, ESDD, UNESCAP is preparing a national training seminar that is to be held in January 2007 in Phnom Penh .
The seminar will focus on the application of the green growth approach and is tailored to fit senior officials and decision makers from various Cambodian ministries, such as Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Environment, Mine and Energy, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery, the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Rural Development, the Ministry of Public Work and Transportation, the Ministry of Education,
Youth and Sport, the Ministry of Urbanization, Land Management and Construction, the Ministry of Economy and Finance,
the Ministry of Meteorology and Water, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The training seminar will cover the four major tracks of the green growth approach: green tax and budget reform; sustainable infrastructure (energy, ware and transport); sustainable consumption, and the promotion of green business.
A similar training seminar will be held later in 2007 for local government authorities in Thailand . Those include Directors of Provincial Environmental Departments and line agencies, International Cooperation Agencies and NGOs involved in Sustainable Development.
Kazakhstan - September 2007
National training workshop hosted by the Government of Kazakhstan
The Regional Adviser (RA) on Environment and Sustainable Development contributed to a training workshop on Sustainable Development held on 19-20 October 2006 for the Working Group under the Council for Sustainable Development of Republic of Kazakhstan.
He gave two presentations, the first on Green Growth, which was specifically requested by the Government; and the second on Eco-efficiency, Eco-effectiveness, Sustainability and Sustainable Development. He also discussed with a number of Working Group members, and contributed comments on the draft Sustainable Development Strategy Concept Paper prepared by the Ministry of Environmental Protection.
On 21 October 2006, the RA had a meeting with H.E. Dr Nurlan Iskakov, Minister of Environmental Protection, in the morning where they shared ideas and information on sustainable development. Later in the afternoon, the RA gave a Seminar at the Euro-Asian National University to about 60 undergraduate students on issues relating to environmental pollution/degradation, green growth, eco-efficiency and eco-effectiveness, so as to raise their awareness on these issues within the context of Kazakhstan.
China - August 2006
M-me. Zhao Jiarong announces six major measures of the resources saving society initiative in China in support of the Green Growth approach, August 2006
At the 2nd Green Growth Policy Dialogue on the Role of Public Policy in Providing Sustainable Consumption Choices: Resources Saving Society and Green Growth held in Beijing , China in May 2006, M-me. Zhao Jiarong, Director-General, Department of Environment and Resource Conservation, National Development and Reform Commission of P.R. China (NDRC) announced the following six major national measures in pursuit of green growth and a resources saving society:
To establish sound legislation, regulation and standardization framework;
To speed up optimization of the industrial structure, including improvements of energy consumption and use of high quality and alternative energy;
To promote improvement of technological processes and scientific research for energy efficiency and recycling technologies;
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To improve energy consumption management;
To develop appropriate and further improve existing incentive policies;
To develop new tools and mechanism such as energy efficiency labelling and energy and water conservation product certification to guide and provide sustainable consumption choices for consumers.
The Resource Saving Society Initiative developed and promoted by the Department of Environment and Resource Conservation of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) is currently implemented by the Government of China through the National 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010).
