Green Economy Initiatives - Regional Perspectives

1. Green Economy Initiatives - Regional Perspectives Dr Subrata Sinha, UNEP, Bangkok

2. Over 60% of Population Rest of the world Asia Pacific Asia Pacific Rest of the world Rest of the world Asia Pacific 40% of Global Economy Over 70% of Poor Asia and the Pacific • 950 million still in poverty • 584 million undernourished • 480 million no access to safe drinking water • 1900 million no access to safe sanitation • Energy consumption increased by 50% between 1996 and 2006 • One-meter sea level rise would displace 100 million people • Asia shares 34% of global GHG emissions

3. Energy demand

4. Resource Use and Efficiency Asia and Pacific region is world’s largest resource user – growing “consumer class” increasing demand for food, water, consumer goods, energy, housing constructions, other infrastructure Figure below presents the Domestic Materials Consumption for the Asian and Pacific region, rest of the world, and the world, 1971–2005

5. Forest area change In Asia small-scale agricultural enterprises were responsible for forest area change (percentage of total) Source: GEO 3

6. Asia-Pacific – stark reality • Limited Bio-capacity • Productive area, arable land, freshwater availability per capita in A-P are all less than rest of the world • Deepening Ecological Deficit • Ecological Footprint is surpassing Bio-capacity

7. What is the future without change?(The business as usual path) By 2030 • Global energy demand up by 45% • Oil price up to US$180 per barrel (IEA) • GHG emissionsup 45% • Global average temperatureup 6°C • Sustained losses equivalent to 5-10% of global GDP • Poor countries will suffer costs in excess of 10% of their GDP (Stern)

8. Turning the Crisis into an Opportunity • Economic recovery must not longer be designed to simply “reboot” the economy.They should be seen as an opportunity to transform the vicious cycle of climate change and over-reliance on fossil fuel as energy source into a virtuous cycle of climate action and low carbon economic growth. • Investing in green economic sectors, low carbon technologies, and ecological infrastructure could bring about recovery and lay the foundation for future sustained growth. • A low carbon green growth will also reduce the threats of climate change and energy insecurity, contribute to poverty reduction and improve human well-being while renewing the earth ecological capacity.

9. Shifting to a Green Economy Moving towards low carbon and resource efficient economy with investment in nature capital Significant international momentum for transition to a green economy G20 reaffirmed their commitment to “move toward greener, more sustainable growth” (Sept 2009) United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012 (Rio+20) will include theme on “green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication” CSD 18th and 19th sessions will examine priorities and needs for shifting to sustainable consumption and production UNEP GC 2010 focus on green economy 6th MCED focussed on green growth

10. What is a Green Economy? • Increase in green investment • Increase in quantity & quality of jobs in green sectors • Increase in share of green sectors in GDP • Decrease in Energy/resource use per unit of production • Decrease in Environmental cost of production/consumption • Decrease in wasteful consumption

11. UNEP Green Economy Initiative Designed to assist governments in “greening” their economies by reshaping and refocusing policies, investments and spending towards a range of sectors • such as clean technologies, renewable energies, water services, green transportation, waste management, green buildings and sustainable agriculture and forests.

12. Green Economy and Climate Change Challenges: Business-as-usual risks increasing carbon dioxideemissions by 130% by 2050 and raising average global temperatures by 6˚C Emissions linked to deforestation and forest degradation account for nearly 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions Opportunities: In 2008, investments in renewable energy generation ($140 billion) surpassed investments in fossil fuel power generation ($110 billion) Projected investments in renewables could generate 20 million jobs REDD-plus - investments in reducing emissions from deforestation, forest degradation, and sustainable management of forests

13. Green Economy and Ecosystem Services Opportunities: Investing $45 billion in protected areas could secure vital nature-based services (e.g. carbon sequestration, flood control, etc.) worth $5 trillion annually

14. Green Policy initiatives Asian countries have led the world in “green policies” as part of stimulus spending response during the recent economic/financial crisis – examples: China – Circular Economy Law 2009 - 100 new high speed trains, expansion of the rail network to 120,000 km by 2020 Republic of Korea – Low Carbon Green Growth National Strategy Thailand – new ambitious targets in alternative and clean energy use Maldives: Carbon Neutrality by 2020 Indonesia – REDD benefits distribution policy 2009 Singapore – Sustainable Singapore Blueprint Widespread regional uptake of 3R policy in Japan, Vietnam, Philippines, etc. Source: Draft MCED Synthesis 2010

15. Carbon Intensity • China – 40-45% reduction from 2005 levels • India – 20-25% reduction from 2005 levels • Indonesia – 26% reduction by 2020 • RoK – 20% reduction by 2020

16. Green Growth • Sustainable Infrastructure: Building codes, energy and waste efficiency (Singapore), decentralized power production ((Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines), eco-city (China) • Green Markets, business: Green procurement (Japan , Korea), Eco-leveling (RoK), Cleaner Production Programme (Thailand, Vietnam)

17. Green Investment and Jobs • RoK: Suncheon City’s degraded ecosystem turned into ecotourism attraction generated 64,000 jobs and economic benefits at $100 million. 80% of Korean economic stimulus packages promoting green jobs. • India - employs 10,000 people in manufacturing wind energy equipment. Conversion of 6,000 buses in Delhi to CNG will create 18,000 new jobs • China – employs 22 000 people in generating wind power, 55,000 in manufacturing solar photovoltaic cells, 600,000 in producing solar water heaters, and 266,000 in producing biomass energy. 440 billion dollar stimulus package to expand its renewable energy, 1/3 of global solar manufacturing capacity. • Thailand: Greening its 180,000 vehicle manufacturing workforce • Vietnam: $1 million investment to plant 12000 Ha mangroves will save $7 million per year of coastal infrastructure

18. Green Economy Policies • New opportunities are emerging (green technologies, new markets, key industries changes, growing awareness, green jobs, community engagement, international governance, etc) • Projected $8 trillion in investment over next 10 years – green economy

19. Green Jobs Sizing and incentivizing growth in green & decent jobs TEEB Demonstrating the value of ecosystems & biodiversity, capturing these values, and reversing the vicious cycle of environmental losses and persistent poverty Policy Insight UNEP proposals to policy makers on how to “green” fiscal stimulus packages Green Economy Report Demonstrating that Greening is a new engine for growth, sizing sectoral opportunities, addressing hurdles & enabling conditions Country and Regional Green Economy Roadmaps The activities • Evaluating Biodiversity Business • Evaluating Ecological Infrastructure GGND investment, education & training, metrics for green employment growth Decent jobs from Community-based Conservation, PES/ IPES implementation 19

20. Thank you for your kind attention Dr Subrata Sinha United Nations Environment Programme sinha6@un.org