Moving from unrestrained resource use to a new green economy is the path out of poverty for millions of people, Achim Steiner, the executive director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has told a major conference in Kenya.
The UNEP conference is discussing ways in which to aid lesser-developed countries through employment by creating green economies.
Countries of the global south currently hold over US$5 trillion in reserves and account for 47 per cent of global trade.
Mr Steiner, also Under-Secretary-General of the UN told the conference, “The question facing the global community right now is how to turn aside from this path and decouple the growth that will lift billions out of poverty from unrestrained and unthinking resource use.
“In order to make this transformation, strong leadership will be required and I believe that this leadership is growing day-by-day across the globe-particularly in the Global South.
“The greatest challenge of today is how to grow economies and generate employment in a way that keeps humanity’s footprint within planetary boundaries, in short, how to create a worldwide transition to inclusive Green Economies in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication,” he added.
At an earlier conference UNEP recommitted itself to the Green Economy Initiative within sustainable development and poverty alleviation.
There has been a push for Global South collaboration between differing countries, to aid in the long term goal of a sustainable and green environment that will help eradicate poverty in those areas.
‘”South-South Cooperation is still a work in progress,” Mr Steiner added.
“More promising opportunities lie ahead, not only through expansion of trade and investment, but also in other areas of sustainable development such as an ecological civilization and the inclusive Green Economy.
“The emerging economies of Brazil, China, India, South Africa and many others are playing important roles in driving South-South Cooperation not only in terms of bilateral aid, investment and trade, but also in their way of collaborating with other nations, especially least developed countries.” Mr Steiner said.
Mr Steiner also particular acknowledged steps taken by China, the world’s largest polluter.
“As Vice Minister Xiaoqing Wu (Ministry of Environment Protection of China) outlined, the Chinese leadership has made ecological civilisation a new dimension of sustainable development, together with political, social, economic and cultural dimensions.
“Indeed it is to China’s credit that it has seen the risks to its economy from ‘environmental losses’ and has signaled its determination to transform its development into the sustainability sphere,” Mr Steiner said.
“Forging the concept of ecological civilisation has been a long process, whose origin could be traced back over 4000 years, when ancestors of China enshrined the law to “observe, respect and protect nature.
“With growing economies in the least developed countries in the Global South, it is vital to keep such economies aware that the environment is not something to exploit.
“A clear global mandate in support of South-South Cooperation has emerged over the years as several countries of the global South have become economic powerhouses.
“Such cooperation must also be the main driving force for a green transformation and ecological civilisation.” Mt Steiner conceded.
