SWITCH-Asia Programme
European Union

High Level Seminar on Resource Efficiency and Decoupling approach in Bangkok

April 09, 2012
More than 45 high level policy makers and experts from the business, academic and research community participated in an intensive seminar on "Resource Efficiency and the Decoupling Approach" that took place in Bangkok, Thailand on 3-4 April 2012. The Seminar was organised by UNEP under its work on the International Resource Panel and the SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component.

The Seminar, the first in a series for Asia and the Pacific, had set the following purposes:

  • Enhance the awareness and understanding about Resource Efficiency: importance and necessity, opportunities and productive harmony between Resource Efficiency and economic growth, new innovative ways including decoupling
  • Identify challenges and opportunities for Asian developing countries to promote Resource Efficiency and what UNEP in general and IRP in particular could be of assistance

 

The Seminar was opened by the UNEP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Dr. Young-Woo Park and the deputy head of the EU delegation in Thailand Minister-counsellor Mr. Attila Nyitrai.

 

The seminar engaged policy makers, policy advisors and expert researchers who are familiar with challenges facing resource use, economic growth and environment sustainability and committed to finding a new pathway to overcome the dilemma including Resource Efficiency, decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation and other innovative technological and systemic changes. During the Seminar, IRP scientists and experts presented best science available and up-to-date information about the environmental impacts of production and consumption, decoupling economic growth from environmental deterioration, sustainable management of natural resources critical to economic growth and poverty reduction including water, land/soil, metal and biofuels.

The Seminar included a selective number of key-note presentations by resource experts and country representatives and many sessions of interactive discussions.  A series of questions in each session raised by the presenters helped to steer the dialogue in a dynamic and productive manner.  In the last session participants had the opportunity to engage on a “scenario” building exercise that evolved around two main issues:

  • ways in which public policy may help to achieve the desired vision for a better and more sustainable future in Asia; and
  • ways in which current policies and means of implementation are appropriate to guide necessary changes including a transition to greener economies

 

The final report of the seminar will be uploaded in about 3 weeks.

 

For to view the presentation of the seminar please click here.

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