18 July 2011: The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) organized an international conference on “Promoting Eco-innovation: policies and opportunities,” which addressed eco-innovation as an effective answer to environmental challenges and resource constraints. The conclusions of the conference are expected to provide an input to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20).

The conference took place in Tel Aviv, Israel, from 11-13 July 2011, and was organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel and the Prime Minister’s Office.

The conference provided an opportunity to discuss the need for appropriate public intervention for eco-innovation and a consistent long-term vision to encourage investors’ involvement. It gathered policy-makers, academics and private sector representatives, who reviewed policy experiences in different UNECE member States, discussed various initiatives to foster collaboration on eco-innovation and considered how to address the financing problems faced by eco-innovative enterprises.

During the conference, UNECE Executive Secretary Ján Kubiš underlined the importance of international collaboration to facilitate technology transfer, bridge gaps in research and development, and disseminate good policy practices. Brice Lalonde, Executive Coordinator for the UNCSD, affirmed that many technologies are already available; technology diffusion is the real challenge. Other speakers emphasized the need to embrace a broad concept of eco-innovation, going beyond a focus on research and development to include life-cycle considerations and the environmental impact of consumption patterns. Participants discussed how eco-innovation policies should not be seen as a niche area, but rather as a mainstream strategic concern with multiple ramifications. [UNECE Press Release] [Conference Presentations]