International Conference on Green Industry in Asia

Over the past decades, rapid economic growth in the Asia and Pacific region has lifted millions of people out of poverty. But with rising population, rapid urbanization, motorization and industrialization, it has also led to increased consumption of resources and generation of waste almost beyond the limits of the region’s ecological carrying capacity. Dramatic increases in demand for energy, water and materials have contributed to natural resource depletion, environmental degradation and higher emissions of greenhouse gases, putting at risk the social and economic gains made by countries in the region during the past decades.

The current trajectory of growth in the region is increasingly seen as unsustainable.  This has led the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to launch its “green economy” initiative and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) to call for a “green growth” strategy. Complementing these approaches, UNIDO is promoting its Green Industry Initiative, a pattern of industrial development that is economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.

The coming decades will likely witness increased pressures on countries in the region to shift to more resource-efficient and low-carbon production processes as part of global efforts to sustain growth, conserve resources and slow down the pace of climate change. Countries and regions that successfully manage this transition will be better placed to exploit the opportunities created by the shift towards a low-carbon world economy.

The International Conference on Green Industries in Asia will serve as a platform to extensively discuss the opportunities generated and challenges posed by a move towards resource efficient industries and sustainable production and consumption patterns.

The first day of the conference will be devoted to Ministerial-level deliberations culminating in the adoption of a non-binding Ministerial Declaration and Plan of Action, outlining the steps needed to reduce the resource intensity and carbon emissions of industries in Asia and to monitor national efforts. The remaining two days of technical sessions will then focus on:

• Cleaner Production: how knowledge, technology and finance can move Asian industry towards greater resource efficiency and into low-carbon pathways;
  
  
• Eco-friendly Products and Environmental Services: how knowledge, technology and finance can build up the necessary environmental services sector in Asia, as well as the ability to design, develop and market eco-friendly products;
  
  
• Growth and Competitiveness: how Asian firms can become more competitive in international trade with increased resource efficiency and how they can participate in the new global value chains in the environmental services sector.