Press Release

UNEP and GGGI Renew Alliance to Accelerate Green Economy

Promise to Support National Green Growth Plans and Policies

UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner (l) and GGGI Director General Yvo de Boer at the signing of the MOU

Nairobi, 25 June 2014 – Signalling their support to accelerate a global shift towards a low-carbon, climate-resilient, green economy, the leaders of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during the first United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA).

The MOU aims to consolidate and intensify cooperation between the two organizations, and outlines specific areas where they will align and scale-up their efforts to promote a transition towards a green economy at global, regional and country levels.

In addition, the MOU calls for UNEP and GGGI to support to national green growth strategies with concrete action plans and policy options. This includes examining opportunities to enable the financial system to support the transition towards an inclusive green economy—building on policy innovations and national best practices, as well as strengthening capacity for green growth policy making and the generation of green growth knowledge.

Acknowledging the organization’s shared common goals, GGGI Director-General Mr. Yvo de Boer said, “The MOU signing indicates commitment from both organizations to support countries to transition to a climate-resilient and low-carbon economy and society. The renewed MOU will ensure a continued and reinvigorated partnership between GGGI and UNEP, and enable the two organizations to enhance mutual collaboration to achieve a common goal of promoting green growth and advancing to an inclusive green economy.”

“It’s a great opportunity for GGGI to partner with an international organization like UNEP that has complementary objectives,” he added.   “I am confident that the two organizations will create synergies to ultimately enhance the well-being of humans, while balancing economic performance with environmental sustainability.”

The MOU strengthens existing collaborative efforts already underway. For example, UNEP and GGGI will seek to align their in-country programmes, in regards to the UN-led Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), which aims to support 30 countries in their national transitions.

UNEP and GGGI also reconfirmed their commitment to jointly manage and co-host the Green Growth Knowledge Platform (GGKP), a global partnership of international organizations and experts that identifies and addresses major knowledge gaps in green growth theory and practice. Launched in 2012 by GGGI, UNEP, the OECD and the World Bank, the GGKP has since expanded to include over 30 global partners.

About the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA)

UNEA is the highest-level UN body ever convened on the environment. It enjoys universal membership of all 193 UN member states as well as other stakeholder groups. With this wide reach into the legislative, financial and development arenas, the new body presents a ground-breaking platform for leadership on global environmental policy. UNEA boasts over 1200 participants, 170 national delegations, 80 ministers and 40 events during the five-day event from 23 to 27 June 2014 at UNEP’s HQ in Nairobi, Kenya. www.unep.org/unea

About GGGI

GGGI is an intergovernmental organization founded to support and promote a model of economic growth known as “green growth.” Headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea, the organization has 22 member countries and states.  GGGI also has offices in Abu Dhabi, Copenhagen and London, a liaison office in Songdo, Korea, as well as representation in Ethiopia, Indonesia and a number of other partner countries where it operates.  Overall, GGGI has 34 programs in 20 countries, helping them integrate green growth into their regional or national economic goals.

For more information, visit:

UNEP at: http://www.unep.org/

GGGI at: https://gggi.org/

GGKP at: http://www.greengrowthknowledge.org/

PAGE at: http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/

Or please contact:

Shereen Zorba, Head of News and Media, UNEP

Tel. +254 788 526000, email: Shereen.Zorba@unep.org

 

Jenny Kim, Director of Strategy, Policy and Communications, GGGI

Tel. +82 10 9530 9981, email: jenny.kim@gggi.org

 

Hee Kyung Son, Communications Manager

Tel. +82 10 9530 9957 email: h.son@gggi.org