Green Economies Dialogue Sessions Held in Japan and Brazil

At the Tokyo dialogue (L-R): Hiroyuki Tezuka (JFE Steel Co.), Prof. James Sweeney (Stanford University), Hanni Rosenbaum (BIAC), Amb. Kenji Hiramatsu (Japanese foreign ministry), Norine Kennedy (USCIB), Brian Flannery (ExxonMobil [ret]).
At the Tokyo dialogue (L-R): Hiroyuki Tezuka (JFE Steel Co.), Prof. James Sweeney (Stanford University), Hanni Rosenbaum (BIAC), Amb. Kenji Hiramatsu (Japanese foreign ministry), Norine Kennedy (USCIB), Brian Flannery (ExxonMobil [ret]).

The Green Economies Dialogue, an innovative effort launched by USCIB to spur discussion and consensus around green growth policies in the run-up to this June’s UN Rio+20 conference, rolled into two more national capitals in April.

Working closely with BIAC, the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD, and its network, as it has in previous dialogue sessions, USCIB organized high-level discussions among business and other stakeholders in Tokyo on April 4, hosted by Keidanren, and in Brasilia on April 16, hosted by the Brazilian industry federation CNI.

The objective of the Green Economy Dialogue (www.green-dialogue.org) is to foster a productive approach to greener growth, with due recognition for both opportunities and challenges.  In particular, it is intended to increase dialogue before, during and after the Rio+20 conference, by engaging the private sector and informing international policy discussions.  In addition, the project involves commissioning a number of peer-reviewed, academic papers on various aspects of green growth and the green economy, to be published in the journal Energy Economics just prior to Rio+20.

At the Brasilia dialogue, Brian Flannery listens as Shelley Carneiro (CNI) makes a point.
At the Brasilia dialogue, Brian Flannery listens as Shelley Carneiro (CNI) makes a point.

The Tokyo Dialogue, which took place at Keidanren’s headquarters, brought together over 80 participants from international business and government, as well as key academic experts, in a constructive discussion on opportunities and challenges in realizing a green economy. The conference highlighted a series of business initiatives that make a pro-active contribution to sustainable development, including on the role of innovation and technology in building a sustainable society on a global scale.

A prominent part of the discussion was the improvement of energy efficiency as well as the development and global deployment of innovative technologies to promote a low-carbon society. The meeting also highlighted promising approaches to foster more efficient use of resources, the role of sustainable consumption and production, the importance of involving consumers as well as public-private partnerships, highlighting both challenges and opportunities for the business community.

The Brasilia day-long dialogue session, hosted by CNI, engaged over 70 participants from Brazil along with international participation from government, industry, academia and the UN.  Sessions focused on green growth issues of importance to Brazil and developing countries, including: perspectives on the upcoming Rio +20 Conference, green growth in emerging, developing countries, sustainable use of tropical forests, and implications of a low-carbon economy for food, fuels and forests.

USCIB and the partners and sponsors of the Green Economies Dialogue project are planning outreach and further discussions during the Rio+20 events in June. The Dialogue project will also publish its peer-reviewed academic “Green perspectives” papers in the journal Energy Economics contemporaneous with Rio+20.

For further information, please contact Kira Yevtukhova (kyevtukhova@uscib.org).

Staff Contact: Norine Kennedy

More on USCIB’s Environment Committee

Staff Contact:   Norine Kennedy

Senior VP, Policy and Global Strategy
Tel: 212.703.5052

Norine Kennedy promotes U.S. business participation in international environmental policy and management initiatives, and works closely with industry, government and NGOs to promote sustainable development and green growth. She also spearheads USCIB’s strategic international engagement initiative, which seeks to advance meaningful business participation and regulatory diplomacy in inter-governmental organizations.
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