30 March 2012: Environment Ministers or their representatives from OECD countries and from Brazil, China, Colombia, Indonesia, South Africa, the Russian Federation, as well as representatives from business, NGOs and intergovernmental organizations recently convened in a Policy Committee Ministerial meeting on the theme “Making Green Growth Deliver.”
The ministerial discussions, which took place in Paris, France, from 29-30 March 2012, covered five themes: progress made on the environment and what the future holds; connecting environment policy to science; the Environmental Outlook to 2050- an urgent call for green growth policies; adding OECD value to Rio+20; and multi-level governance and the role of Cities.
In their policy statement to Rio+20, ministers welcome the OECD’s Environmental Outlook to 2050, which they say contains important findings in the fields of climate, water, biodiversity and human health that should inform deliberations at Rio+20. Ministers also consider that the OECD’s Green Growth strategy provides an important policy toolkit, which can be used to address many of the development challenges facing the global community.
The ministers ask the OECD to broaden its green growth analysis, thematically and sectorally, in recognition that green growth should be encouraged across all sectors. In the policy statement, they also stress that the concept of green growth is not a replacement for the broader paradigm of sustainable development. Ministers support efforts to mainstream green growth into economic policy and note that the private sector will play a major role in delivering green growth.
Ministers commit to ensuring that the green growth policy agenda, open trade and investment for sustainable development and the spread of green technologies and innovation are mutually supportive. They stress that green growth should not constitute a means of discrimination or provide a pretext for environmental protectionism. Ministers also consider that work on sustainable development and environment should be a priority in OECD cooperation with enhanced engagement countries (Brazil, China, Indonesia, and South Africa) the Russian Federation and other emerging and developing countries. [Policy Statement] [Chair’s Summary]