The third meeting of the Regional Ministerial Conferences on Green Economy is already mobilizing the city of Fortaleza, Brazil, which will host representatives from the Americas between the 24th, 25th, and 26th of June to discuss the theme. The meeting aims to discuss sustainable development solutions that can be applied in the countries of the continent.
The conferences were created by the World Green Economy Organization (WGEO) in partnership with the UN and other regional partners. They were designed with the aim of bringing the debate on the green economy to a reality closer to each region, where each country can present its reality.
The conferences have three main areas of focus: improving regulatory and policy frameworks for green economy; promoting innovative green investments through public-private partnerships; and increase the capacity of each country to development of holistic green actions.
The last meeting of the series happened on June 17 and 19 in Cairo, Egypt, and was focused on the African continent. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the WGEO, said that “the African region faces major environmental challenges due to the impact of climate change. However, the region has shown very optimistic and innovative ways to mitigate and adapt to its impact and this presents huge opportunities to change the course of the region’s development as they shift to green economy.”
“Countries in Africa recognize the need to change unsustainable practices to meet the current need for innovation, productivity and job creation and we congratulate the region for continuously taking positive steps forward,” he explained.
The first conference of the series was held in the Asia-Pacific region, which took place between 10 and 12 June in Bangkok, Thailand.
“The Asia Pacific plays a crucial role in leading the transition to green economy and this inaugural event sets the tone as to how countries in Global South can take advantage of opportunities in green investments and how policies must align themselves in accordance to green growth initiatives,” explained Xiaojun Grace Wang, deputy director of UNOSSC.
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“The opportunities are already being created when it comes to replicable projects that showcase sustainable results for both developed and developing countries. All we need to do is increase our commitment and open opportunities for expansion in the region based on green economy principles and practices,” he said
According to the study commissioned by the UN Environment, the critical mass of annual investment necessary to support the transition to a green economy during the 2010–2050 period should represent approximately 2% of the global GDP. These funding requirements for environmentally sustainable investments significantly exceed what the public sector can offer, requiring systematic involvement from private sources of financing.
“The opportunities are already being created when it comes to replicable projects that showcase sustainable results for both developed and developing countries”
The next conference will be held in Manama, Bahrain, which will host the Middle East and North Africa Conference from 2 to 4 July. The last of the series will be in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, which will target the region of Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States. This was the first time that WGEO held regional conferences to discuss the green economy.
Following the five meetings, the discussions and solutions presented at the Regional Ministerial Conferences will be used to expand the discussions at the World Green Economy Summit (WGES), which will take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, between the 20th and October 21st.
+ The Brazil Africa Institute is one of the supporters of the Regional Ministerial Conference of the Americas