Powering a Global Green New Deal
Business for the Environment Summit brings together
hundreds of key business leaders to discuss green solutions
More than 700 leaders from business, civil society, international
organizations and government are set to meet at the Business
for the Environment Global Summit in Paris on 22-23 April
to discuss ways of powering green growth around the globe.
The event, now in its third year, is the world's leading
international conference for business-driven action for the
environment. As the world struggles with a deep economic recession,
the conference will highlight the green solutions that can
turn crisis into opportunity.
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Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive
Director of UNEP, said: "Today's crises are a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to make a transition to a low carbon, resource
efficient society. Business has a key role to play in this
transformational process, and the B4E summit is a crucial
opportunity to bring together key decision-makers to sharpen
and discuss their role in delivering a Green Economy."
Participants to B4E will include the Chief Executives of
Suzlon, Suntech, Alcatel-Lucent and Siemens France, as well
as the seven inspirational laureates of the 2009 UNEP Champions
of the Earth awards, who will be announced in an award ceremony
on 22 April.
With a focus on a new, green economy driven by leadership,
technology and innovation, the summit will bring together
participants from more than 30 countries to make the connection
between the environment and global economic recovery. Delegates
will learn how to identify and manage the challenges posed
by climate change, and explore the many opportunities of investing
in a green economy.
The two-day conference will feature sessions on the Green
Economy Initiative, innovation and technology, policy, resource
efficiency, the extractives industry, and the global water
crisis among other key topics. |
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| The event is also held in conjunction with the UNEP Champions
of the Earth 2009 awards presentation on 22 April, which is
also Earth Day. The seven laureates - all of whom are inspirational
environmental leaders - are the living proof that amid today's
environmental and economic crises lay unprecedented opportunities
for innovative solutions, fresh approaches and dynamic leadership,
from policy action to grassroots initiatives.
The Business for the Environment conference comes on the
heels of the UNEP Global Green New Deal Policy Brief, which
advises policymakers on the key areas where investment is
required in order to power sustainable economic recovery.
The Policy Brief argues that investing just one per cent of
global GDP, or around $750 billion, into five key sectors
could be the key to realizing a Global Green New Deal that
in turn can set the stage for a Green Economy The five sectors,
from renewable energy to freshwaters, could in conjunction
with other measures play an important role in reviving the
global economy and boosting employment while accelerating
the fight against climate change, environmental degradation
and poverty.
Press Release UNEP
Main Art sourced from unep.org
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