PAGE Ministerial Press Event
"Partnering for Pollution Free Economies" 
05 Dec     |      17:15pm     |      Press Room, UN Environment, Nairobi

Our economic and investment decisions continue to play a fundamental role in making progress towards a pollution free world. The trends in public policy and private investments of the last few years are a source of inspiration and encouragement. For example, annual global investments in renewable energy capacity, which reached USD 241.6 billion in 2016, has been outstripping that in fossil fuel generation for last five consecutive years. The investments made in 2016 alone, have prevented an estimated 1.7 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. The green investors are reaping higher returns on their investments as the cost of renewable energy production continues to decline. Similar examples from greening of agriculture, infrastructure, building, transport, and tourism sectors, among others, are inspiring action by countries, communities and businesses.

The 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement offer an unprecedented opportunity to build on this momentum towards a pollution free economic and employment growth. To support and further accelerate this global transition, by simultaneously supporting policy reforms at macroeconomic and sectoral levels and mobilizing private finance to support these reforms, the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) brings together knowledge and expertise of five UN agencies and champions from policy, finance and private sector as well as innovators and thought leaders.

Since its establishment in 2013, more than 2000 agents of change from over 90 countries have benefited from the capacity building portfolio that the Partnership offers. In addition, it is providing multi-year support to 13 counties in reforming 32 macroeconomic and sectoral policies. To strengthen South-South-North learning and knowledge exchange, PAGE together with member states, hosts global forums, conferences and learning academies. A notable example of the convening potential of the Partnership is the 2017 Ministerial Conference, Co-hosted by Germany in Berlin that brought together 430 participants from 45 countries, including ministers and state secretaries of environment, finance, climate, labour, economy, and energy.

The journey has just begun. The champions of change are crafting a new model of growth and prosperity. Let’s partner and join forces to transform our economies into drivers of a pollution free world.

The Ministerial press event brought together Ministers/Heads of Delegations of the PAGE partner countries and its funding partners as well as the five UN agencies to:

• Celebrate the successes that many countries, including those supported by the Partnership, have made in moving towards green and sustainable economic models to achieve SDGs. The 2017 Annual Report of PAGE will be launched at the event.
• Expand the Partnership and invite new countries to join PAGE.
• Honour the Funding Partners of PAGE including the European Union, Finland, Germany, Republic of Korea, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates for their continuous commitment to support a global economic transformation leading to a pollution free world.
• Announce the venue and date of the 2018 Ministerial Conference of the Partnership for Action on Green Economy. 

Tegegnework Gettu, Associate Administrator, UN Development Programme; Vidar Helgesen, Minister of Climate and the Environment, Norway; Karolina Skog, Minister of Environment of Sweden; Edna Molewa, Minister of Environmental Affairs, South Africa; Erik Solheim, Executive Director of UN Environment ; Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany; Kimmo Tiilikainen, Minister of Agriculture and the Environment, Finland; Byungok Anh, Vice Minister of Environment, Republic of Korea; Daniel Calleja Crespo, Director General for Environment, European Commission; Klaus Tyrkko, Chief of the Stockholm Convention Division, UNIDO (From right to left)