An inaugural regional meeting to highlight successful initiatives in green investments, improved regulations, and increased capacity at national levels
June 12, 2019 – The first 2019 Regional High-Level Forum on Green Economy opened recently at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand as part of a series of regional conferences set to take place worldwide across five regions, namely Asia Pacific, Africa, Americas, Middle East and North Africa, Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. The 2019 Asia Pacific Regional High-Level Forum on Green Economy is organized to discuss and highlight green economy approaches that contribute to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The regional high-level event, which features evidence-based green economy solutions that have already been successfully implemented by some countries in the Asia-Pacific region, is being organized as a collaborative effort of the World Green Economy Organization (WGEO) and United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), in close partnership with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Asia Foundation and the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
During the three-day event, participants comprising high-level government representatives, representatives of international financial institutions and non-profit organizations, as well as key private sector players and civil society representatives from the region and beyond, explore and exchange the ways for advancing green economy transition. The sessions will focus on promoting green finance to meet SDG goals through public-private partnerships, developments in regulatory and policy frameworks for a green economy and increasing capacity to support holistic action on green economy at the national level.
H.E. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman, WGEO, said: “The first regional high-level forum on green economy is a testament to the increasing interest of countries and their respective stakeholders that green economy is the way forward to achieving a more sustainable future. Countries in Asia Pacific recognize the strong need to shift the traditional ways of doing business and have always been active in pursuing the path to sustainable development through holistic and ecologically sustainable ways. We are confident that this event will support fruitful cooperation among all stakeholders seeking to achieve the common vision set under the Sustainable Development Goals.”
As a regional platform, the Asia Pacific conference aims to create a venue for knowledge sharing and improve the level of understanding among various stakeholders in the region on green trends and opportunities. It also aims to provide a strategic networking opportunity for the region’s most active players in championing the green economy and leading cooperation initiatives that address the needs of other countries as they expand their efforts in sustainable practices.
Xiaojun Grace Wang, Deputy Director, UNOSSC, noted: “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. 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.”
The event is also set to highlight the evolution of the WGEO and its role in catalyzing the green economy agenda. The conference participants will also benefit from special thematic sessions on solar investment transition to the green economy and a talk by the UNFCCC on the climate action agenda. The WGEO executive training course on scaling up the transition to a green economy in line with the goals of the SDGs, will be provided within the framework of the conference.
