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UNITED NATIONS – 2nd MEETING OF THE PREPARATORY
COMMITTEE OF THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE
ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 2012
New York, 7 - 8 March 2011
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Session 2: Theme 1 of the Conference
A green economy in the context of sustainable development
and poverty eradication
Monday, 7th of March 2011
Statement of Italy
Delivered by Mr. Alessandro Busacca – Minister Plenipotentiary
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Distinguished Co-Chairs,
Mr. Secretary General of the Conference,
Dear Colleagues,
Italy aligns itself to the statement made by the EU delegation on behalf of
the European Union and would like to add a few remarks of its own.
My country considers the work to be done on green economy as fundamental
for the success of the UNCSD.
As pointed out in the EU intervention, we do not need to start from scratch.
The discussions we had during the inter-session meeting in January, as well
as the latest report of the Secretary General, the joint report of UNDESAUNEP
and UNCTAD and - last, but not least - the green economy report of
UNEP have provided a set of important concepts which may guide us in the
continuation of our debate.
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First, it is clear that the green economy, rather than replacing sustainable
development, should be considered as a driving force to achieving it, being
instrumental to the reduction of environmental risks and ecological scarcities,
as well as to the improvement of human well-being and social equity.
Along the same line, it should also be clear that, in the medium-long run, an
effective green economy strategy will be a powerful drive for delivering
growth, increase employment and eradicate poverty. Transitional difficulties
must not be neglected and have to be adequately addressed, but should not
be seen as an obstacle to fundamental changes.
It is equally evident that economic growth should be decoupled from the
ongoing rundown of our natural resources. The status quo, the preservation
of the economic models of the last century, are unlikely to assist in achieving
the multiple goals the International Community has to face up, from
combating climate change to supplying drinkable water, from improving
energy efficiency to eradicating poverty.
Moving towards a green economy has the potential to achieve sustainable
development and poverty eradication at a new scale and speed. The UN
Conference on Sustainable Development provides us with a unique
opportunity to ignite such a transition to a fairer, equitable and responsible
economy. In order not to miss it, we should agree in Brazil on a series of
concrete and operative steps (call it “green economy road-map” or “green
economy pathway”), based on a multi-stakeholders agenda with mutually
reinforcing measures agreed at the international, regional and national level.
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All actors will be needed in this process, but I would like to emphasizes the
fundamental importance of a full involvement of the private sector. The
structural changes and the scale of financing required for a green economy
transition cannot be achieved without the participation and the active
contribution of the private business.
Here too, we do not need to start from scratch, as there are already
promising signs of increasing private investments in green technologies. The
task of Governments and International institutions is to define regulatory
frameworks that support private sector’s commitment towards green
investments. They also have to devise market-based instruments in order to
mobilize innovative financing for green purposes.
In Italy, for example, we have developed the so-called “white certificates
scheme” – a trading mechanism aimed at promoting energy efficiency which
has proved effective in delivering energy savings in a cost-effective manner.
We believe that Small and Medium Enterprises, in particular, have the
potential to become key-players in the process of expansion of the green
economy. Because of their size and dynamism, they are more likely to adapt
faster than big companies to the new environmental standards. What they
need from Governments is improved regulatory frameworks, easier access to
international markets and supporting incentives.
Trade is another fundamental factor in any strategy aiming at achieving a
green economy. Removing environmentally harmful subsidies, especially
those to fossil fuels, should be the first step of a green trade agenda aimed
at eliminating the environmental distortions of the existing economic system.
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In such a framework, public investments and tax incentives in areas that
stimulate the greening of economic sectors and the transition towards
sustainable patterns need to be further explored.
Transportation, urban living, recycling, energy efficiency and renewable
energies are the areas where Governments can really make the difference in
leading the process of transformation of their national economies.
Environmental taxes and green taxes reforms, to be tailored to national
requirements, may be further important tools, as they can help to integrate –
in market processes – values which have been too long disregarded.
In conclusion, we believe that the time will be ripe at the UNCSD for agreeing
on a common path of transition towards green economy. Let’s work hard in
the coming months to prepare for this historical opportunity.
Thank you.
