18 April 2011: The UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the UN hosted an event on “CSD 19 and Rio+20: Advancement of resource efficient and cleaner production strategy and programmes in developing and transition countries,” at UN Headquarters in New York, US, on 18 April 2011.

The event sought to provide a stepping stone for UN member States to develop a political consensus on green industry (or resource-efficient production) at the upcoming 19th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD 19) and at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20).

According to UNIDO, green industry pertains to the production side of Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP), an issue under consideration at CSD 19, and is also a major pillar of the UNCSD theme “green economy in the context of poverty eradication and sustainable development.”

Featured speaker Heinz Leuenberger, UNIDO, defined resource-efficient and cleaner production (RECP) as “the continuous application of an integrated preventive environmental strategy to processes, products and services to increase efficiency and reduce risks to humans and environment.” Leuenberger discussed the concept of eco-efficiency, or dematerialization, at the core of which is resource efficiency. He also highlighted the joint strategic program between UNIDO and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), under the 10-Year Framework of Programmes (10YFP), to establish global production centers to increase resource productivity and environmental performance. UNIDO’s green industry initiative supports conditions to improve resource (energy and material) efficiency, reduce pollution and stimulate new environmental technologies, while remaining competitive.

Eduardo Menez, Mission of the Philippines to the UN, noted that the Group of 77 and China (G77/China) currently is discussing its position on SCP and considering the Chair’s text from the CSD preparatory meeting. He also noted the Asian region’s attention to green industry, as reflected in the green growth initiative of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), and the 2009 Manila Declaration on Green Industry in Asia. The next step, he said, will be to broaden the understanding of green industry outside Asia. Menez also highlighted the relevance of green industry to small island developing States (SIDS), including with regard to sustainable tourism. Finally, Menez reflected on fears about a green economy and those fears’ impact on programs that have been in operation since the 1990s but now are grouped in with the green economy debate. Wider acceptance is a challenge, he said.

It was noted that UNIDO is preparing a proposal on green industry for the CSD, including clean indicators. [Manila Declaration] [UNIDO Green Industry Webpage] [UNIDO Cleaner and Sustainable Production Unit Webpage] [IISD RS Sources]