..Press Release................................ UNESCAP News Services

Date 23 May 2006
Press Release No: G/27/2006

Role of Public Policy in Encouraging Sustainable Consumption,
Green Growth discussed

Bangkok (United Nations Information Services) -- The role of public policy in providing sustainable consumption choices for a resource saving society and green growth is being discussed at the 2nd Green Growth Policy Dialogue from 23 to 25 May 2006 in Beijing, China.

The policy dialogue is organized as a follow up to the 5th Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development (March 2005, Seoul, Republic of Korea) which adopted the “green growth” approach as a way to continue the economic growth necessary for reducing poverty, while maintaining environmental sustainability in the region.

The dialogue is organized by UNESCAP with the generous support of the National Development and Reform Commission of China, the China Standard Certification Centre the Governments of Republic of Korea, Sweden and Norway and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES). Participants at the policy dialogue include government officials from countries in the ESCAP region as well as representatives of UN agencies, international and non-governmental organizations and academia.

“Progress has been achieved by countries of the region in improving the eco-efficiency of production, but little progress has been seen in improving the eco-efficiency of consumption. The formidable challenge of sustainable consumption in the face of rapid economic growth is therefore the focus of the second Green Growth Policy Dialogue,” said Mr. Rae Kwon Chung, Director, Environment and Development Division (ESDD), UNESCAP.

“It is remarkable to note the steps taken by a major world economic power like the People’s Republic of China to improve the ecological efficiency of its rapid economic growth through its Resource Saving Society initiative. Similar initiatives include the 3Rs in Japan, Gross National Happiness in Bhutan, and the Sufficiency Economy of Thailand. Many of these country initiatives draw on traditional Asian views that are similar to sustainable consumption such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism,” he said.

During the second Green Growth Policy Dialogue UNEP and UNESCAP are announcing the establishment of a Regional Help Desk on Sustainable Consumption and Production, hosted by the China Standard Certification Centre. The help desk will increase opportunities for networking, information sharing and capacity building in the area of sustainable consumption and production.

More on the 2nd Green growth Policy Dialogue is available on:
< http://www.unescap.org/esd/environment/mced/tggap/2rpd_bm.asp>

For further information please contact:
Mr. Rae Kwon Chung
Director
Environment and Development Division
UNESCAP
Tel. (66-2) 2881510
Fax: (66-2) 288-1048
Email: esdd.escap@un.org
or Ms. Aneta Slaveykova Nikolova
Email: nikolova@un.org

For media information please contact:
David Lazarus
Chief
UN Information Services
Bangkok
Tel: (66-2) 288-1866
Fax: (66-2) 288-1052
E-mail: unisbkk.unescap@un.org

* *** *