The way towards Green Economy€¦ · Green Economy is not a new concept. 1989 Blueprint for a Green Economy (Pearce and alii). 1992 Earth Summit Rio Declaration. 2001 EU Sustainable

The way towards Green EconomyWhat can be learnt from best practices and existing

instruments?

Claude RouamConsultant

Former European Commission Official

"Technical Assistance to Support the Development of Green Economy in Belarus"

Contract № ENPI/2014/350-889

This project is funded by the European Union

The project is implemented by consortium led by Human Dynamics

Belarus

Green Economy is not a new concept

. 1989 Blueprint for a Green Economy (Pearce and alii)

. 1992 Earth Summit Rio Declaration

. 2001 EU Sustainable Development Strategy

. 2008 UN Green Economy Initiative

. 2011 UNECE Environment for Europe ConferenceGreening the Economy (Astana)

. 2012 Rio +20


"This project is funded by the European Union

Belarus"Technical Assistance to Support the Development of Green Economy in Belarus"


Most International Institutions are committed to promoting Green Economy (GE)….

. Some refer often to Green Growth (OECD, IMF)

. Others to Resource Efficiency or Circular Economy (European Commission)

. Whereas others directly refer to Green Economy (UNEP, European Environmental Agency, FAO)

…. and UNEP gave a definition of GE largely accepted“ A green economy is one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities “


"This project is funded by the European Union



A difficult question : what strategy towards Green Economy ?

.There is a general consensus about what is Green Economy , the need to reduce human activities ecological footprint and to save energy and resources, but how to do it is much more controversial !. International recommendations do exist, best practices can be identified in various countries, they can be a source of inspiration. But there is no simple model which can easily be duplicated ,“one size fits none” and a strategy has to be defined on the basis of each country ‘specificities





Some key elements to promote Green Economy



Belarus

1 The environmental legislation and its implementation2 The governance system3 The need to define priorities and key sectors4 The creation of a market for green products and services5 The commitment of all stakeholders6 The promotion of innovative green technologies7 The necessary investments and their funding8 The capacity building effort



The environmental legislation and itsimplementation

. In the EU +/- 300 pieces of env. legislation !

. Some are only indirectly linked to GE ( f.i. : Nature protection). Most are of key importance for GE, such as EIA, SEA, Water and Waste legislation, the Industrial Emissions Directive (ex IPPC)... Key challenge = implementation and enforcement (linked to investments, capacity building, monitoring and control )







Belarus

Beyond environmental legislation : the major issue of governance. A successful GE policy depends not only on efforts of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, but also on policies relatedto transport, energy, agriculture, land use planning …. EU enlargement negotiations was always an opportunity to enhance integration of environment in other national policies(example : Water). Tax policy = example of governance reforms introduced since the 90s in Sweden and then D,DK,NL,FIN, UK…(taxation of pollution instead of labour) in line with PPP (polluter pays principle)





Belarus

Identification of key sectors and priorities. Env problems vary considerably between EU countries (for instance Water scarcity in SP and GR, climate adaptation in NL, waste management in PL –but also in Sofia,Naples or Marseille-,acid rains in D, ….

. In the EU 2020 Strategy, 10 sectors identified as priorities for green growth(agri, buildings, energy supply, fisheries, forestry, industry, tourism,transport, waste management, water)

. In Belarus, taking into account priorities already defined (National Strategyfor Sustainable Development NSSD 2020), a new GE policy could focus on some sectors : energy ? waste ? agro-industry ? chemicals ? others ?



Developing a market for green products/services (1) Ecolabelling. In the EU : several national Ecolabels, Blue Angel in D, NF Environment in FR, Nordic Swan in Scandinavic countries, Milieukeur in NL, … and the EU Ecolabel on the top (with 40000 products) . 37% of consumers can recognise the EU Ecolabel. Important to define which products/services have a major impact on the environment of your country. Need for a solid methodology (Life cycle analysis, craddle to craddle approach) to create confidence amongst consumers. Risk of proliferation of ‘self claimed labels’





Some well know Ecolabel logos





Developing a market for green products/services(2) : Green Public Procurement (GPP)

. What is at stake : +/-19 % of GDP (EU), 2 trillion € !

. GPP is voluntary but within the framework of EU Public Procurement Directives (2004). Conformity with WTO and single market rules : transparency, no discrimination, no hidden protectionism. National Action Plans (NAP) to develop GPP in nearly all EU Member states based on common GPP criteria for priority products (+/- 20 products or sectors such as transport, furniture, paper, roads, computers, textile…)





Examples of GPP

. National programme in Sweden (2011)for +/- 5000 Electric vehicles

. French Navy : tender for 150.000 jerseys in 2009 ; in the past award was based on quality and price (60-40%) ; new criteria are quality (45),price (35) and sustainability (no hazardous substances , organic cotton) for 20%. Vienna (AUT) ‘Eco Buy Initiative’ (legally binding list of eco-criteria for

public purchasing) saved 44.4 million € and 100.000 t of CO2 between 2004/2007.Examples of other cities : Barcelona, Stockholm, Malmö, Copenhagen, Sofia,…. Ideas for ‘twinning’ with cities of Belarus ?. The EU Commission is committed to an EMAS certification including GPP initiatives









The involvement of stakeholders

.All public actors have a role to play, from the National Government to local authorities.All consumers should be informed of the benefits which can be expected from GE ; role for Consumers’ associations ?. Schools and Universities could be involved in awareness raising campaigns in order to create a sense of ownership of the GE Challenge.Changing the structure of the economy (from manufacturing to services) is part of the move towards GE, business community must be involved





The promotion of Green innovative technologies (1) : the LIFE programme

EU ‘LIFE’ programme :-supports innovative projects (env, nature and climate change)-possible participation of non EU countries- 4200 projects since 1992 for 3.4 billions €- financial support aims at supporting innovation, not its

individual beneficiary !





Examples of successful LIFE projects

. ECOBUS project (SP,2002/2004) : collection of used cooking oil from restaurants and private homes in Valencia to produce bio-fuel for a fleet of 480 buses (reduced air emissions,better functioning of the sewer system). PAMELA project (FR, 2006/2007) : process for advanced management of end of life aircrafts (new approach for decommissioning and selective dismantling of aicrafts, weight of waste sent to landfill reduced from 45 to 15%). S-House project (AUT,2001/2005) : use of renewable and recyclable resources for building houses with highest energy efficiency standards. RIGA against flood (LV, 2010/2013) : flood risk management of Riga in a climate change perspective





From ETAP to Eco-AP

.ETAP (Environmental Technologies Action Plan) was launched in the EU between 2004/2011 to reduce barriers to innovation (financial,economic, institutional)

. From end of 2011 onwards, new initiative Eco-AP (Eco-innovation Action Plan) focussing not only on technologies , but on eco-innovation processes, products and services





Examples of successful Eco-AP projects

. Tallin ‘capital of free public transport’ (EST,2013)Budget transport of 53 Mio € a year , 12 Mio of ticket revenues paid by residentsReferendum about free transport for residents : 75% of yes !12 Mio € paid for cleaner and healthier city, better mobility, increased population (and increased tax revenues)Cooperation with the Chinese city of Chengdu. The ’lightcatcher’ (Belgium, Econation company,2013)This SME created a device drawing daylight into buildings in place of artificial lightThe ‘lightcatcher’ is a polycarbonate dome for flat roofs, with a solar panel and a system of mirrorsA roof opening of 1.6 m2 can provide daylight for a floor area of 60 to 120 m2 for 10hours a day . Subsidiaries in China and Morocco.





The necessary investments and their funding

.Environmental legislation means costs in the short term , but high returns in the middle/long terms. In the EU, the most costly legislation relates to Urban waste water and Drinking water. Funding of these investments is a key issue : EU candidate countries and new Member states benefit from various funds such as IPA and Cohesion Funds.. ENPI can be used in Neighbourhood countries as well as International Financial Institutions (EBRD, WB, IMF)





The example of the DABLAS initiative

.Initiative (2001) aiming at improving the water env. in the Danube and Black Sea (before last EU enlargement).Participants from Danube and Black Sea riparian countries + Interested Member States + Financial Institutions+ EU Commission.Main deliverable : common identification of ‘hot spots’, preparation of a list of investments, funding of these investments. Method now used with Mediterranean partners of the EU (Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Lebanon, ….





The need for capacity building

.A green economy will develop faster if well understood by the public

.Capacity building necessary both for developing green technologies and for changing citizens’ behaviour (example of waste management : selective waste collection, ban of plastic bags, end of life vehicles).Example of the creation of the REC (Regional Environment Center) in Hungary to help EU candidate countries to build capacities.Other example with Mediterranean countries for the depollution of the Mediterranean Sea





Conclusions :

1 A tailor-made approach is key for successful GE2 No public support = limited impact of measures3 Good balance needed between legislative tools and market

instruments 4 Ecolabelling, green public procurement, green innovation

schemes are necessary to speed up the GE process5 Capacity building and investments funding can be facilitated by

international partnerships and cooperation6 No indicator, no measure of progress made !





THANK YOU !

I wish you a green and successful future





Documents

The way towards Green Economy€¦ · Green Economy is not a new concept. 1989 Blueprint for a Green Economy (Pearce and alii). 1992 Earth Summit Rio Declaration. 2001 EU Sustainable