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2ND PREPARATORY COMMITTEE MEETING UN CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
Statement on Green Economy by Switzerland
delivered by Daniel Ziegerer, Acting Head of Section Global Affairs, International
Affairs Division, Swiss Federal Office for the
The transformation towards greener economies all over the world is key to
achieving a more sustainable future. Business models that lead to the destruction
of our planet’s natural resources weaken the basis for long-term prosperity.
There will be no healthy economic future, if we do not manage to find ways for
better integrating environmental and economic interests.
Green Economy is not a new idea. What is new is the unique opportunity that the
UNCSD provides for taking decisions that will accelerate the shift towards a
green economy in the context of poverty eradication and sustainable
development.
On this path, the Green Economy Report that was launched by UNEP two weeks
ago at the UNEP Governing Council in Nairobi certainly is a milestone. First, the
report brings much needed conceptual clarity. This will be extremely helpful in
our endeavor to develop a better common understanding of the concept of a
Green Economy.
Second, the key findings of the Green Economy Report are obviously of
tremendous importance for our further deliberations. It for example provides
convincing evidence that there is no “trade-off” between economic progress and
environmental sustainability if a longer-term perspective is taken and wealth is
measured in all relevant dimensions.
In our consideration of Green Economy we should also draw from the
groundwork and experience of other relevant g lobal activities and reports such as
for example the OECD Strategy on Green Growth, as far as applicable both in a
developed and developing country context. Likewise, it is important to take into
account the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and
Technology for Development because the agri-food chain should be an important
element of a green economy in order to achieve global food security and
sustainable food production and consumption.
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In order to avoid that Green Economy is perceived only as a theoretical
construct, we need to identify best-practices and implement concrete measures,
while ensuring prosperity, poverty eradication and social justice.
At the national level in Switzerland, the two ministries in charge of economic and
environmental affairs have therefore joined efforts and have developed a
governmental action plan on green economy. The Swiss action plan on Green
Economy identifies six fields of action which we believe have a great potential for
bringing us closer towards a green economy. Amongst the fields of action are for
example the promotion of clean technologies, the development of better
information for consumers about the environmental impact of products as well as
an ecological tax reform.
Switzerland is convinced that collective action at the international level is needed.
As my delegation has stated already at the first PrepCom, we think that one of
the main outcomes of the UNCSD should therefore be an international Green
Economy Road Map.
This Green Economy Road Map should reflect progress on two levels, one being
the policy and the other the operational level. At the policy level, the Green
Economy Road Map needs to contain a common vision, common goals, common
strategies as well as concrete targets timelines for the transformation towards a
green economy. The vision, goals and strategies should build on the Rio
Principles such as Principle 16 about the internalization of environmental costs
which remain highly relevant until today. The strategies can build on the range of
possible policies, instruments and measures indentified in the UNEP Green
Economy Report.
At the operational level, the Green Economy Road Map needs to bring together
best practices and tools for example in form of an e-book or a platform that will
help us to put the common vision and goals into practice. An ambitious 10 Year
Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production to be
launched later this year at the 19th session of the Commission on Sustainable
Development will be an important building block in this regard.
Mr. Chair, my government is convinced that by adopting an ambitious Green
Economy Roap Map the UNCSD can take a large step on the path towards
sustainability.
