World Environment Day 2012Green Economy: Does It Include You?

Beirut, 5 June 2012 (ESCWA Communication and Information Unit) – The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) is marking the World Environment Day (WED) 2012, which turns 40 this year. Since 1972, WED is celebrated annually on 5 June to raise awareness on prevailing environmental issues and encourage global action. The WED 2012 theme is “Green Economy: Does it include you?” WED bears a special importance this year, as it will be hosted in Brazil, only two weeks prior to Rio+20. ESCWA, in cooperation with its partners the League of Arab States and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have been holding regional consultation meetings, which resulted in an Arab Ministerial Declaration on Rio+20, that reflects the regional position on green economy. But what does it mean for all of us in the Arab Region? ESCWA, in its Green Economy Report and recently published pamphlet on the occasion of WED, calls on its Member Countries and partners to assess green economy opportunities and challenges in light of their development priorities and needs. Successful initiatives that build on the components of green economy, have demonstrated its ability to increase growth and productivity in a sustainable manner, through allocating greater investments into green sectors such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean technology, water, efficient transport systems, efficient buildings and others. Now more than ever, the on-going global and regional challenges give countries of the region an opportunity to ensure that their long term public interest is reflected in their economic policies among others enacting comprehensive national sustainable strategies. One of the main themes of the Rio+20 Conference is Green Economy for Poverty Reduction, where the international community is discussing what UNEP defines as an economy “that results in improved human well-being and social equity while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. In its simplest expression, a green economy can be thought of as one, which is low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive”. A Green Economy attempts to remedy problems of market and institutional failures through a variety of reforms, regulations, taxes, and economic policies and tools. For more information on Arab preparations for Rio+20, please visit the dedicated webpage at http://www.escwa.un.org/information/meetingdetails.asp?referenceNum=1570E. ESCWA Communication and Information Unit kindly requests all news’ media to cover this event.