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Green Growth, Resources and Resilience Environmental Sustainability in Asia and the Pacific
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| Author(s):
Environment and Development Division (EDD), Asian Development Bank (ADB), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
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| Economic Sector(s):
(1) Policies, planning and legislation; (2) Assessment and monitoring; (3) Management and rehabilitation; (4) Awareness and education |
| ESCAP Reference
No.: ST/ESCAP/2600 |
| Division/Office:
Environment and Development |
| Published Date:
16 February 2012 |
| Country:
Thailand |
| Hard Copy Price:
Free
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| The Asia and Pacific region faces a new economic reality, a development context that is increasingly influenced by resource constraints and growing risks. In recent years, convergent economic and environmental challenges have had dramatic impacts on millions of people, threatening continued progress toward reduction of poverty and hunger. High food, energy and commodity prices, persistent income inequality, and climate and environmental changes overshadow the regional outlook.
These storm clouds come with a tantalizing silver lining. Asian and Pacific countries have made “green” policy commitments and investments that just five years ago would have been unimaginable. This nascent transformation is marked by perceptible changes in awareness, attitudes, markets and technologies, making green growth and transition to a green economy more economically and politically feasible than ever before.
Green growth strategies can help economies and societies become more resilient as they work to meet demands for food production, transport, housing, energy and water. Strategies can help mitigate the impacts of adverse shocks by reducing the intensity of resource consumption and environmental impacts, while alleviating pressure on commodity prices. Green growth also offers competitive advantages to those countries that commit to policy innovations. The global market for green goods and services is vast and growing fast, offering countries the dual benefit of prosperity and job creation.
To take advantage of these opportunities, long-term solutions require policy initiatives to transform economies, building on already important initiatives in many countries. Economies must be recalibrated so that economic growth is directly aligned with sustainable development objectives. The need for new infrastructure investment in the region presents opportunities for planners and policymakers to design, build, and operate infrastructure on principles of sustainability, including accessibility and social inclusiveness.
Governments must play their part, enabling the private sector to seize emerging opportunities while also engaging the public in finding effective and equitable solutions that are adapted to the special circumstances and needs of each country and community. Governance approaches that emphasize inclusiveness and adaptability, as well as regional cooperation, are critical requirements for any transition.
Reflecting a common view that action is urgently needed, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the Asian Development Bank and the United Nations Environment Programme have joined forces to produce this report on Green Growth, Resources and Resilience. Each institution has its own mandates and the three find common ground in working together to help catalyze action for sustainable and inclusive economic growth—a future where all people have an opportunity for a better life.
Decision makers at the sixth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development in Asia and the Pacific (MCED), held in 2010 in Astana, Kazakhstan, have discussed the key findings and recommendations of a preview of this report. Looking beyond MCED, this report provides a wealth of information to facilitate the regional and global preparations for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, to be held in Rio de Janeiro in 2012. This report will help all stakeholders take urgent action to chart our way to a more sustainable future. |
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