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Sustainable Development Goals
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), targets to achieve peace and prosperity for people and the planet. 2020 marked the Decade of Action — reaffirming these goals and accelerating efforts to transform societies and move sustainable solutions forward.
PAGE is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in many ways, especially with SDGs that relate to the economy, jobs, the environment and partnerships — supporting governments to work across sectors and to seek the integration of policies and strategies that will enable them to achieve multiple sustainable development targets through an inclusive green economy approach. With the COVID-19 pandemic, PAGE is further committed to supporting partners in accelerating action on the goals, aligning recovery strategies and protecting the gains already made.
"The COVID-19 crisis has emphasized the bedrock principles enshrined in the SDGs and revealed that they are sound: we must approach issues in an integrated way. A partnership like PAGE is needed now more than ever."
PAGE at the High Level Political Forum
The High Level Political Forum meets annually with a central role in the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the global level. To reinforce these goals, and to launch PAGE’s complementary 2021-2030 Strategy, PAGE held an official side event, Green Economy and COVID-19 Recovery: and Implications for the Decade of Action, gathering leaders from UN agencies and national ministries to call for renewed commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals and advocating for a green economic recovery from COVID-19. Further aligning the PAGE mission together with the sustainability and climate agendas, PAGE launched its Strategy 2021-2030 during this event, marking a renewed commitment to grow its reach over the next 10 years.
The High Level Political Forum meets annually with a central role in the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the global level. In its support to actualize these goals, and to launch PAGE’s complementary 2021-2030 Strategy, PAGE held an official side event, Green Economy and COVID-19 Recovery: and Implications for the Decade of Action, gathering leaders from UN agencies and national ministries to call for renewed commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals and advocating for a green economic recovery from COVID-19. Further aligning the PAGE mission together with the sustainability and climate agendas, PAGE launched its Strategy 2021-2030 during this event, marking a renewed commitment to grow its reach over the next 10 years.
Speakers included Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining of Uruguay, Omar Paganini; Indonesia’s Deputy Minister for Maritime and Natural Resources at the ministry of National Development Planning, Arifin Rudiyanto; Stephan Contius, the Commissioner for the 2030 Agenda, at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety of Germany; Sveinung Rotevatn, Minister of Climate and Environment, Norway and President of United Nations Environment Assembly; Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme Inger Andersen; Director-General of the International Labour Organization Guy Ryder, Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization; and Nikhil Seth Executive Director of the United Nations Institute For Training And Research.
PAGE & the SDGs
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End poverty in all its forms everywhere
Target 1.4: By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including microfinance.
- Mauritius: PAGE has directly supported the development of the Marshall Plan Against Poverty and Exclusion, launched with the 2016-17 national budget, and the drafting of targeted policy measures to prevent extreme poverty. Its most important proposal – the Marshall Plan Social Contract – provides financial assistance to households found eligible under the Social Register of Mauritius for families in poverty.
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End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
Target 2.3: By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment.
- Mato Grosso, Brazil: PAGE has supported the development of processes and tools for the implementation of the State Government Integrated Family Farming System (SEIAF) and its subsystems in Mato Grosso, which serve to promote sustainable development and poverty eradication in rural areas under the State Agricultural Policy. Furthermore, PAGE has supported the Rural Environmental Registration – a tool that allows farmers to access financial and technical programmes and services.
Target 2.4: Working to ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices.
- Burkina Faso : As a result of PAGE support green economy principles were integrated into the implementation of the second National Rural Sector Programme, adopted early 2018. The programme promotes productive resilient agriculture, fisheries, wildlife and natural resource management. Implementation and mainstreaming of IGE have commenced. Additionally, in 2020 PAGE completed a study on the impact of artisanal mining on sustainable agriculture.
- South Africa: On 1-2 July, PAGE held a virtual training workshop on “Climate Smart Agriculture and Trade Opportunities” in collaboration with the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries. The training was attended by 37 participants, which was targeted towards government officials, business and industry associates as well as aspiring and existing exporters and agricultural industry stakeholders and helped to build capacity to support and enable export growth in sustainably farmed products.
- Guyana: In 2020, PAGE, under UNEP’s lead, and in collaboration with the International Institute for Environment and Development, supported analysis on fiscal policies aimed at transitioning agriculture to more sustainable operations. The study takes a sector-wide analysis on fiscal policies to drive IGE transition, feeding into the Agricultural Ministry’s new Sector Strategy 2020-2030.
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SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being
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Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.
- Peru: PAGE has designed two university courses on green growth and development and green economy modelling, which the University of the Pacific will be offering as part of its curriculum from September 2020. A broader university course on green economics for public servants will be offered as an elective in the School of Public Management of the University to build capacity across government institutions.
- Ghana: PAGE, in collaboration with the One UN Climate Change Learning Partnership, has provided funding and technical support to government partners including the Ghana Education Service, to integrate climate change and green economy concepts in the curricula of primary and secondary schools. Learning materials were completed, and teaching commenced in September 2019, introducing a new generation of Ghanaians to green economy.
- Mauritius: PAGE supported a Green Economy Learning Needs Assessment in 2018, highlighting the learning needs of civil servants as well as entrepreneurs and workers in strategic economic sectors. The assessment provides a basis for national training and education institutions to design courses that meet the needs of both public and private sectors. As part of this work, PAGE trained civil servants to design and deliver effective e-learning programmes and delivered trainings to enhance knowledge and capacity of high school teachers on integrating green economy learning in the classroom.
- Burkina Faso: In 2019, PAGE developed modules on green economy, which were used to strengthen the Master of Green Economy curricula delivered by the University of Ouagadougou II and included in professional trainings offered by the Ecole Nationale des Eaux et Fôrets (ENEF), in particular, supporting the introduction of a professional course on IGE and sustainable agriculture into the curricula of the ENEF.
- Senegal: In October 2018, PAGE completed a Green Economy Learning Needs Assessment, focusing on the public sector. By providing a mapping of the existing offer for green economy learning and an analysis of gaps, the assessment contributes to the short-term goal of improving the green economy knowledge of civil servants and policymakers, while also supporting the long-term objective of integrating green economy principles into national curricula.
- Jiangsu Province, China: The Green Economy Progress Measurement Framework that was developed by Nanjing University to support evidence-based policy analysis has also been utilized by Fujian Normal University to monitor progress on provincial and city levels, fostering a learning network among universities. A Green Development Workshop in December 2019 provided a platform for dialogue and learning between government, research institutes, trade unions and enterprises. In 2020 the report ‘2015-2017 Green Economy Progress Measurement for Jiangsu and Fujian Province, China’ was published in Chinese and English.
- Indonesia: In 2020, PAGE conducted the Green Economy Learning Assessment, with a draft completed in November. The overall objective is to develop a comprehensive, nationally executed skills development programme on green economy for civil servants within BAPPENAS and other key stakeholders, in support of the LCDI Implementation Framework.
- Mato Grosso, Brazil: An ‘Assessment of Green Economy Learning Needs and available Mato Grosso Training Institutions’ was finalized in April 2020. The assessment will help integrate green economy into the curricula of education institutions, develop new courses, and guide specific training, in, for example, the family farming sector. Additionally, the Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT) is exploring the possibility of translating the course on inclusive green economy modelling developed by PAGE into Portuguese for inclusion on their online learning platform.
- Kyrgyz Republic: PAGE supported the Ministry of Economy in conducting 25 consecutive half-day online training sessions on building a green economy model for representatives of ministries and departments, the National Bank, academic institutions and the expert community. Since April 2020, a total of 292 participants attended different training sessions, out of which seven individuals completed the full cycle of the training, marking an important step forward for the further institutionalisation of the green economy model in the country.
- Uruguay: In 2020, the Green Economy Learning Assessment and Capacity Building Plan were completed and validated. The plan proposes the organization of trainings and workshops focusing on different audiences such as public officials at national and subnational level, small and medium enterprises. PAGE will continue to support this work in 2021, having already started to support some areas focusing on ecotourism and agroecology, and more generally training for trainers.
- Argentina: PAGE facilitated the participation of a tripartite delegation of key decision makers from the government, trade unions and the business sector in two online ITC-ILO training courses on “Green Jobs for Sustainable Development” and “Managing Just Transition Policies”. Following the training courses, PAGE coordinated a joint presentation in June 2020 from participants, which highlighted the need for a Just Transition in Argentina and presented a draft National Strategy for Just Transition.
- PAGE Global Work: Adapting existing modules, PAGE partner agencies jointly launched a global learning campaign ‘Learning for a Green Recovery’ to foster green and inclusive economic recoveries from the COVID-19 crisis. Through UN CC:Learn, six courses are being offered addressing key policy issues central to the green recovery. Furthermore, PAGE developed a global podcast series, engaging speakers both within and outside the UN system, aimed at informing the public debate on matters related to inclusive green economic recovery moving forward from the COVID-19 pandemic. Launched in November 2020, this project will carry through the course of 2021.
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Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Target 5.C: Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.
- Burkina Faso: In 2019, PAGE collaborated with gender experts, advisors and a multi-stakeholder training review committee to ensure participation of women in capacity-building. Several training workshops were conducted for agricultural staff and other stakeholders, with participation from women ranging between 30% to 44%. Trainings with gender-mainstreamed modules involved concepts such as sustainable agriculture, green taxation, greening the economy, and sustainable trade.
- Senegal: With a young action population, Senegal’s labour market is characterized by a constant stream of new workers, providing opportunities for job creation. The National Strategy for the Promotion of Green Jobs received recognition by the World Future Council as one of the most inspiring and impacting policies aimed at empowering young people to build a fair and sustainable future. This, together with other PAGE supported policies and initiatives relating to green jobs, includes a strong focus on promoting female empowerment and gender equality.
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SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
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Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
- Mongolia: PAGE supported the formulation of a ‘business case’ for green buildings and provided capacity development for stakeholders in the construction sector to further foster up-take of green design elements. PAGE also contributed to the establishment of a multi-stakeholder Green Buildings Advisory Council. Finally, in March 2019, a green building design and planning handbook was published in Mongolian to showcase how to achieve the efficiency standards proposed in the National Green Development Policy.
- Mato Grosso, Brazil: PAGE worked with the Foundation for Support and Development of the Federal University of Mato Grosso to assess the technical and economic potential for the generation and use of biomass and solar energy sources. Finalised in 2019, this study supported the elaboration of the Strategic Plan for the Development of Renewable Energy in Mato Grosso launched in 2020, which will serve as the basis for the State Government Renewable Energy Policy, currently being developed.
- Indonesia: Directly linked to the targets of the LCDI, and building on earlier support in 2019, PAGE commenced the development of LCDI energy sub-model with the Center for Research and Development for Electricity Technology, New and Renewable Energy, and Energy Conservation of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in January 2020. By providing a tool to assess policy scenarios, this aims to support the government to accomplish better planning in the energy sector and align with the targets of the LCDI strategy and on GHG emission reduction.
Target 7.3: By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.
- Jiangsu Province, China: Jiangsu Province foresees the greening of industrial parks as a means for achieving clean and circular production. PAGE has supported a range of activities, including the development of a Green Industry Progress Index covering the economic, environmental and social aspects of green transition of industries in 18 Chinese provinces. Following this, a pilot study was commissioned to assess the performance of four industrial parks in Jiangsu against the UNIDO/World Bank/GIZ International Framework of eco-industrial parks.
- Kyrgyz Republic: An assessment of green industry and trade was completed in 2018 with PAGE support and incorporated into the newly adopted Green Economy Development Programme. Moreover, PAGE has commenced a resource efficiency demonstration in the metal industry to be spearheaded by the State Committee on Industry, Energy and Subsoil Use, supporting the development of a National Industrial Resource Efficiency Policy.
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Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
Target 8.2: Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors.
- South Africa: The Green Economy Industry and Trade Analysis produced in 2016 identified small-scale embedded generation systems, water technology, the biogas-to-transport value chain and bio-composites as areas offering trade opportunities for green industrial development. The analysis informed the Bio-composite Action Plan and Implementation Strategy finalized in 2018 and a feasibility study for biomaterials completed and launched at the Bio Africa Convention in August 2020 to support diversification.
Target 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services.
- Uruguay: PAGE is supporting a programme for the greening of micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises, with an emphasis on cleaner production and labour formulization. In 2018, an app was created to help improve their energy efficiency, which will be freely distributed nationwide, with corresponding trainings provided. In addition, PAGE has played an important role in the policy design process to address issues around artisanal brick production, including the creation of the Pando Brick Production School and Park to provide theoretical and practical training to promote good practices and improve working conditions.
- PAGE Global Work: PAGE has developed the Integrated Green Economy Modelling (IGEM) framework to better respond to countries’ needs in terms of analysing the cross- sectoral impacts of green economy policies. This Framework presents a methodology on how to integrate three of the main modelling techniques used for green economy policy assessment to refine impact analysis of green policies and investments in the economy. PAGE has also held high-level events on recalibrating market forces for sustainable development and building green economies to implement the Paris Agreement.
Target 8.4: Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production, with developed countries taking the lead.
- Senegal: In Senegal, the prospects of oil and gas revenues are redefining opportunities and challenges for sustainable development. In this context, PAGE produced a study on the management of oil and gas revenues to support sustainable development that has become a reference document informing national dialogues and discussions, including the third National Sustainable Development Conference held in May 2018 and a session by the High Council on Social Dialogue in July 2019, mandated by the President of Senegal to play a central role in the national dialogue around oil and gas.
- Mato Grosso, Brazil: PAGE is supporting green employment and income generation opportunities in targeted economic sectors in Mato Grosso. In 2019, a study was initiated using the Green Jobs Assessment Methodology that entails developing a tool to assess income and employment generation potential in different economic sectors. The study was completed in 2020 and identified sectors that provide the greatest potential for green job creation.
- Kazakhstan: PAGE has initiated a pilot project activity to support green SMEs by directing a portion of emission payments to finance projects with a high potential to reduce emissions, therefore promoting green business and contributing to green employment. The Akimat of Pavlodar oblast has agreed to support this pilot initiative in the region, with a kick-off meeting held in May 2020.
Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
- Peru: PAGE has supported the Ministry of Labour and Employment Promotion in the development of a National Plan for Green Jobs. An important component of this work focused on encouraging teleworking, aiming to reduce the environmental footprint of workers´ daily commuting and to promote the inclusion of women and people with disabilities in the labour market. The National Plan for Green Jobs, once finalised, will be incorporated into the National Employment Policy, thus institutionalizing green economy principles into the national employment policy framework.
- Ghana: Together with the Ministry of Employment, PAGE has been working on a strategy for green jobs to be developed in line with Ghana’s NDCs. In 2019, a national study on skills for green jobs was conducted to identify needs and recommendations to meet the human capacity demands of a green economy. The study is an input to the development of a National Strategy on Green Jobs. Currently being drafted, this Strategy is expected to provide a framework to operationalise Ghana’s National Employment Policy.
- Burkina Faso: PAGE conducted a training course on green entrepreneurship for trainers from the Maison de l’Entreprise, a non-profit association supporting private companies. Five trainers have trained 20 coaches working with small- and medium-sized enterprises. The coaches integrated IGE into the support the Maison de l’Entreprise offers to entrepreneurs at different stages of their project cycles. To further support green entrepreneurship and green jobs, in July 2020, PAGE facilitated a green entrepreneurship training for nine female business owners. In line with this, a ‘Manual for Green Jobs Creation’ was finalized in November 2020.
- Mauritius: The country’s green jobs assessment model is being updated by a local modeler from the University of Mauritius with support from PAGE. Expected to be completed in 2021, this model will project the effects of the country’s NDCs on economy-wide employment effects, including green jobs. In addition, ILO completed a study on anticipated skills needs. A national capacity-building workshop will be held in January 2021, using these two inputs.
- Jiangsu Province, China: Led by ILO, PAGE promotes Green Jobs through Social Dialogue by engaging policymakers and industrial park stakeholders in Social Dialogue Round Tables and exploring strategies to promote green jobs alongside green industrial development. The first roundtable in April 2019 shared good practices focused on green employment policies and established a roadmap for supporting green jobs, leading to the formation of a working group with local government experts. The second roundtable in December 2019 focused on green jobs, Just Transition and the promotion of gender equality.
- Guyana: PAGE has begun a Green Jobs Assessment Model to provide an economy-wide analysis that uncovers the sectors and gaps with greatest potential for employment and fair work, while protecting the environment. The model will capture the effects on growth and income distribution at the sectoral level and evaluate green and conventional industries, household groups and job characteristics in Guyana’s economy.
- Kyrgyz Republic: A Skills for Green Jobs Assessment was finalised in 2018 outlining challenges and opportunities relating to capacity development in priority sectors to meet future skills needs. PAGE is also supporting the development of the Green Jobs Assessment Model prototype to inform the impact of green policies on the labour market and household income distribution, with capacity-building training taking place in 2020.
- Argentina: PAGE has worked on promoting green jobs and youth engagement to facilitate a just transition to a green economy in Argentina. In partnership with national organisations, PAGE organized a Green Jobs Fair focusing on sustainable ventures and training opportunities. PAGE also supported the organization of a “Youth Hackathon on Green Jobs and Just Transition” that discussed youth employment challenges and opportunities with 50 young people covered by employment programmes.
- Uruguay: In 2020, PAGE and GIZ conducted a Sustainable Entrepreneurship Training Programme for youth in collaboration with DESEM (a Youth Entrepreneurs foundation). Focusing on sustainable management, natural resource optimization and climate change positive practices, the programme took place in October 2020, featuring the participation from 60 young people between 18 and 29 years old.
- Argentina: PAGE in collaboration with the National University of Tres de Febrero conducted a report ‘Labour Diagnostic of the Just Transition to a Green Economy’ in 2020, comprising five interrelated studies. The studies will feed into the design and implementation of policies aimed at promoting a fair transition process, with a special focus on gender, specifically targeting the National Plan for the Promotion of Green Employment.
- PAGE Global Work: PAGE has produced a Green Jobs Training Guidebook, focusing on how to measure and model social and employment outcomes of climate and sustainable development policies. PAGE has also held high-profile global events, including official side events at COP 25 in Madrid on SDG: 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth.
Target 8.9: By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products.
- Mato Grosso, Brazil: PAGE work in the tourism sector is aimed at strengthening sustainability elements in the Mato Grosso State Government Tourism Policy, expected to be finalized in 2021. PAGE support has focused on the preparation of a study on sustainable tourism products, including a preliminary diagnosis on sustainable tourism was produced, together with a standardisation and certification guidelines manual and an incentives framework for public policies.
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Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
Target 9.2: Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and, by 2030, significantly raise industry’s share of employment and gross domestic product, in line with national circumstances, and double its share in least developed countries.
- Peru: PAGE and the Ministry of Production collaborated to develop recommendations for a Green Industry Policy that will feed into the National Industry Policy. This was accompanied by a series of forums on green industry between 2017 and 2018 to raise awareness among entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises about energy efficiency, reduction of emissions, sound industrial waste management, circular economy and industrial resilience.
- Burkina Faso: PAGE has supported the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Handicrafts in conducting a green industry diagnosis and developing a Green Industry Strategy. As a result, green economy was integrated into the National Industrial Strategy that was adopted by the government in April 2019 and disseminated through two workshops.
- Ghana: PAGE has supported training activities and resource efficiency demonstrations for firms in the steel and palm oil sectors and has raised awareness of the benefits of energy efficiency and cleaner production. At a national stakeholder consultation workshop in 2019, UNIDO and the Ministry of Finance submitted a proposal to the Green Climate Fund’s Readiness and Support Programme to ensure long-term sustainability of work done in resource efficiency. Through this proposal, PAGE intends to support the Government in formulating a national industrial resource efficiency policy and programme.
- Senegal: A green industry assessment was completed in 2015 to support the objectives in the Plan Senegal Emergent on Industrialisation. This was followed by a High-Level Roundtable on Green Industry in May 2017, as part of the Institute for Economic Development and Planning’s policy dialogue series. With PAGE support, the Ministry of Industry formulated several recommendations for an Action Plan for a Green Industrialisation in Africa and for Senegal, in particular.
- Guyana: Supporting further in 2020, PAGE, with he University of Guyana, co-organized a virtual training workshop for ministry officials of the Government of Guyana focusing on green industrial policies and trade.
- Indonesia: In 2019, PAGE Indonesia carried out a Green Industry and Trade pre-Assessment (GITA), focused on resource efficiency, energy intensity and other relevant indicators of the IGE, in four industry sectors: pulp and paper, cement, fertilizer, and food and beverage. Building on the findings, PAGE started the process to develop a resource efficiency assessment in the fertilizer industry in 2020, to develop policy recommendations in line with the LCDI.
- PAGE Global Work: Recognizing that green industrial policy is essential for enhancing competitiveness in the global economy of the future while safeguarding environmental resources, PAGE launched the Green Industrial Policy Trilogy in Geneva in February 2018. This work serves to inform policymakers, researchers and practitioners about the theory behind green industrial policies and current practices. PAGE also offers the Green Industry and Trade Assessment (GITA) Toolbox to guide policymakers and green economy professionals on policy options at the intersection of green industrial policy and trade.
- PAGE Global Work: PAGE has helped build capacity on green industry through development of learning materials and trainings. Building on the trilogy of reports on green industrial policy developed under PAGE, a self-paced e-learning course was launched to advance learning on green industrial policy at a high technical level. Furthermore, PAGE, in cooperation with the Central European University, organized the course “Green Industrialization: Pathways towards Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development” in July 2020.
Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities.
- Jiangsu Province, China: To support green industry in Jiangsu Province, PAGE is promoting the green transition of industrial parks. Together with local partners, PAGE developed a Jiangsu Green Industrial Park Assessment Study and Policy Guideline to take stock of policy instruments affecting green industrial parks at national and provincial level. The results were summarized into a report and launched in 2019 at the International Seminar on Green Industrial Parks, serving as a reference to scale-up work on domestic and international levels.
Target 9.B: Support domestic technology development, research and innovation in developing countries, including by ensuring a conducive policy environment for, inter alia, industrial diversification and value addition to commodities.
- South Africa: A diagnostic on the renewable energy technology (RET) sector was conducted by PAGE to identify areas of growth and development and their implications for skills needed in these areas. In turn, this contributed to a high-level roundtable discussion on skills in RET in 2018, supporting technology development, research and innovation.
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Reduce inequality within and among countries
Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
- South Africa: Under the OR Tambo Debate Series, PAGE has supported national dialogues and political inclusion to strengthen transition towards sustainable development. The 2017 debate on renewable energy and industrialisation accelerated policy reform in the energy sector. Also using this platform, PAGE collaborated with the National Planning Commission to engage youth and labour constituents for a social compact on pathways for a Just Transition to a low-carbon society (with roundtables held in 2018 and 2019 respectively).
Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard.
- Peru: PAGE has supported the Pact for Teleworking with the aim of reducing the environmental footprint of workers´ daily commuting and office use, while promoting the inclusion of women and people with disabilities in the labour market.
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Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Target 11.2: By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons.
- Peru: A PAGE study on green business models for urban transport was discussed between representatives from the public and private sectors, civil society and trade unions in June 2019. Once finalised, this study is expected to contribute to the National Mitigation Action on sustainable urban transport, including six priority areas focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, supporting local governments to implement a sustainable transport system and inspiring green businesses.
- India: In 2020, PAGE supported the National Academy of Indian Railways (NAIR) in developing training modules and organizing a pilot training programme from 10 to 17 July on environmental sustainability for 60 Indian Railways officials that combined online and face-to-face elements. The online training covered a variety of topics related to green economy, including aspects of green transport, resource efficiency, waste management, green building, sustainable public procurement, circular economy and India’s NDC and SDG targets.
Target 11.3: By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries.
- Mongolia: Mongolia’s National Green Development Policy (NGDP) includes goals around energy efficiency standards and a rating system for green buildings. These goals were translated into the new State Policy on Construction in 2019, followed by a supporting Action Plan. PAGE support has included the development of a handbook for green school buildings and the establishment of a multi-stakeholder Green Buildings Advisory Council.
- Mato Grosso, Brazil: PAGE has been engaged in the elaboration of a Methodology and Guidelines for the Implementation of the Participatory Municipal Development Master Plans – to be used by the 106 municipalities in Mato Grosso. The Methodology and Guidelines will serve to guide the development and planning of the Master Plans in a sustainable manner in accordance with the SDGs and the UN New Urban Agenda. PAGE supported the development of the Master Plan in the region of Salto do Céu of the Spring Pantanal Complex, including the development of a geo-referenced information system, which was adopted into law in 2020.
- Kyrgyz Republic: A section of green cities was included in the Green Economy Development Programme (approved in 2019), with PAGE inputs. PAGE provided expertise on analysis of legislation on urban development with emphasis on green economy and developed recommendations to integrate the aspects of inclusive green economy in the context of climate change into the legal and normative acts and documents on sustainable development.
- Uruguay: Since 2018, PAGE has been supporting the design and implementation of policies to relieve tensions between industrial activities and residential areas in metropolitan Montevideo. In March 2019, a final report was completed characterising an urban zone that shows tensions between leather tannery activities and residential use. The conclusions and lessons learned from this report serve as an important input for the design of public policy addressing this issue.
- Mato Grosso, Brazil: PAGE is supporting the State Secretariat of Cities in the development of standards for smart and sustainable construction and renovation of buildings at subnational level. In October 2020, the first part of this work was delivered through the preparation of a report that contained a compilation of experiences from state, national and international level regarding green buildings. This will feed into a document under development focusing on energy and water efficiency, including indicators to monitor the performance of the new standards.
Target 11.4: Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.
- Mato Grosso, Brazil: PAGE has been supporting the development of a sustainable management plan for the Historic Centre of the city of Cuiabá, with the aim to boost the local economy, improve inclusion of the vulnerable population, identify areas where green jobs could be generated, and support the development of tourism. In 2019, a cultural heritage and urban analysis of the centre was completed and in 2020 PAGE supported the development of a Sustainable Management Plan for the Historic Center of Cuiabá.
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Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Target 12.1: Implement the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production, all countries taking action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development and capabilities of developing countries.
- Peru: PAGE supported the development of the National Competitiveness and Productivity Policy adopted in December 2018 and the National Competitive Plan in July 2019. These documents outline environmental sustainability as a priority objective, with the aim to create green growth and jobs. PAGE provided technical assistance on this priority area by supporting the process through five specific work groups and complementary consultations. PAGE’s technical support informed the design of four out of the seven policy measures that were incorporated into the final version of the Plan.
- Ghana: PAGE, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, the National Development Planning Commission and the Ghana Statistical Service developed a guidance manual for mainstreaming climate change, green economy and the SDGs into Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies’ (MMDAs) development plans. This has led to the incorporation of green economy related actions into the medium-term plans of 216 MMDAs across the country. Furthermore, in 2019, 162 statisticians covering all MMDAs received training to support long-term mainstreaming of green economy goals.
- Mato Grosso, Brazil: As of 2019, the Federation of Industries is partnering with PAGE to produce a Green Industrial Development Policy with a focus on the development of a Strategy for the forest sector. The activity intends to create a policy environment in the State that contributes to reduce illegal logging and provides incentives for adding value to legal logging with the overall objective of reducing deforestation and the related impacts such as biodiversity loss.
Target 12.4: By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment.
- Mongolia: Following a study on industrial waste management and the recycling industry, PAGE carried out a baseline study on waste from end of life vehicles to determine the feasibility for local SMEs to process and recycle waste together with financing solutions. This work was advanced through approval of the renewed Law of Mongolia on Waste Management in May 2017 that aims to reduce the negative impacts of waste.
- Senegal: PAGE, in collaboration with WIEGO, is developing a pilot project to establish cooperatives among waste pickers in Mbeubeuss – the largest open-air landfill in West Africa. In August 2019, they co-organized a workshop involving national institutions in waste management. This drew on the findings of a scoping study on the waste site and presented the option of a cooperative, stimulating national media attention and integrating workers into the discussion. With the aim for organizing waste collectors into cooperatives, in 2020 the ILO and WIEGO completed a ‘Rapid assessment of the waste management market in Senegal’ and a follow on ‘Rapid assessment of the potentials of a cooperative approach in waste management in Senegal’. In addition to reducing waste, this work aims to promote decent work for all.
- Kazakhstan: In the context of the ‘Low-Carbon Economic Development Concept’, PAGE has contributed to the development of a policy vision for the waste sector, completed in March 2020. Ongoing modelling work is supported by co-financing from GIZ and results will further inform the waste section. Additionally, PAGE is supporting preparatory work for the development of a National Programme on Waste Management up to 2030 and action plan of its coordinated implementation, expected to be developed by early 2021.
- Kyrgyz Republic: PAGE is providing support for improved waste management in the Kyrgyz Republic, tackling the issue from three different but complementary angles. This includes supporting the implementation of recommendations of the waste chapter of the Green economy Development Programme, launching an eco-competition on solid waste management and conducting a situational analysis of healthcare waste management systems.
- Argentina: PAGE is supporting the development of both the National Plan for the Promotion of Green Employment and the Green Economy Stocktaking Study with the Ministry of Production. The documents will provide the basis for the development of a National Plan for the Promotion of the Circular Economy and a related Fiscal Impact Study. Additionally, in 2020 PAGE collaborated with Global Compact to raise awareness and increase support for circular economy through a webinar and contest for enterprises.
Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.
- Mauritius: PAGE supported an Industrial Waste Assessment in 2016 to serve as a strategic guide for national policymakers. Developed in partnership with the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Consumer Protection and Business Mauritius, the assessment quantified the amount and main categories of industrial waste currently being generated in major selected industries. Following on from this, in 2020 PAGE commenced a survey on industrial waste management costs to feed into the development of the Extended Producer Responsibility principle.
- Uruguay: Steps have been taken to support the development of a circular economy as a key component of a green economy transition. The focus has been the development of a National Action Plan on Circular Economy, expected to be finalized in April 2021, for which PAGE is conducting a study to design and implement a monitoring and evaluation system. In addition, PAGE has launched the National Circular Economy Awards in 2019, hosting a second Awards in 2020 following its success.
- Kazakhstan: PAGE is providing technical advisory support to develop legal tools related to the new Environmental Code (EcoCode) through analysis of best international practice and development of relevant secondary legislation. PAGE work focuses on four main areas: Environmental Assessment, Best Available Techniques (BAT) based Environmental Permissions System, Environmental Quality Standards and Waste Management. This work will be finalized within the first quarter of 2021.
Target 12.7: Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities.
- Mongolia: PAGE has worked in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance to incorporate sustainability principles into the national public procurement framework. This support included a market analysis and the identification of priority products for sustainable procurement. PAGE also supported an Amendment to the Law on Public Procurement with a supporting Action Plan, which were adopted in March 2019 and have the potential to have long-term impact on sustainable public procurement.
- Kazakhstan: PAGE is conducting analysis and consultations on the feasibility of introducing a Policy and Action plan for the insertion of sustainability criteria in Kazakhstan’s public procurement processes. The activity was launched with an introductory online workshop on Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) in December 2020, with participation from government, the private sector and international organizations.
Target 12.8: By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature.
- PAGE Global Work: PAGE is committed to advancing green economy learning at the global level. To support this, PAGE has held moderated and self-paced e-learning courses on green economy, green fiscal policy and green trade, as well as global and regional Green Economy Academies. As part of its Learning for a Green Recovery initiative, in 2020 PAGE further developed self-paced e-learning courses on green industrial policy, fiscal reform, economy and trade and indicators for IGE. Additionally, in 2020, UNITAR and the Green Growth Knowledge Platform (GGKP) launched a Green Economy Learning Network to create a common platform for learning institutions and education professionals to collaborate and develop quality green learning.
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Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.
- Mongolia: PAGE has supported the integration of sustainability objectives into sub-national planning, providing green economy training and technical support for local development plans. As a result, four aimags have adopted medium-term development programmes incorporating sustainability principles in line with national policies, with five working on final drafts.
- Mauritius: PAGE supported the development of the Public Environment Expenditure Review that sparked interest in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to introduce climate finance tracking tools within the budget process. PAGE assisted the Ministry to develop a methodology and comprehensive training programme enabling policy officials to conduct an annual computation of total public-sector expenditure on the environment. Going forward, this will facilitate the integration of climate change measures into the national budget process.
- Guyana: PAGE’s engagement in Guyana is centred around supporting the elaboration of the Green State Development Strategy: Vision 2040, which was received by the President in 2019, with implementation to begin in 2020. Through this strategy, the government is pursuing green economic and social development, with a focus on promoting economic diversification, ensuring social equity and strengthening the economy’s ecological foundations.
- Uruguay: As part of its support to the National Development Strategy Uruguay 2050, PAGE completed a strategic environmental assessment and greenhouse gases scenario analysis on the forest-wood-cellulose value chain to promote sustainable management and efficient use of natural materials and integration of climate change measures into national policies.
- Indonesia: Indonesia’s Low Carbon Development Initiative (LCDI) aims to support achievement of low-carbon development, sustainable natural resource management and poverty alleviation while maintaining economic growth. With Phase 1 completed on modelling the social, environmental and economic impacts of development scenarios, attention has turned to Phase 2, with implementation to focus on the energy, waste, industry, forestry, peat, agriculture, and blue carbon sectors.
Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.
- Ghana: A series of media trainings have been organized by PAGE in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI). The first took place in July 2015, with 15 media houses attending and media coverage from national outlets. Another two events took place in June and July 2018, with 60 media practitioners given a background on IGE principles in order to enhance reporting.
- Guyana: Guyana hosted a Green Economy Week in March 2019, bringing together representatives from various ministries, private sector, the media, civil society and research institutions. A specific session was held for the media to support effective communication on green economy concepts, particularly the Green State Development Strategy: Vision 2040.
- Senegal: PAGE conducted a three-day training workshop from 11-13 December 2020 for 20 young Mékhé women on renewable energy, to help women use clean energies and improve their health and environmental protection.
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SDG 14: Life Below Water
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Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements.
- Burkina Faso: PAGE supported the Ministry of Environment, Green Economy and Climate Change in developing the Action Plan for Sustainable Management and Export of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs), which was adopted in April 2019. The plan aims to make trade of NTFPs sustainable, efficient, competitive and profitable to the national economy.
Target 15.9: By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts.
- South Africa: PAGE is collaborating with the Department of Environmental Affairs to update the previously developed South Africa Green Economy Modelling report, which used system dynamics modelling to assess the impacts of green investments in select economic sectors. This update includes modelling of the water-biodiversity nexus, with a sub-national focus on the provinces worst affected by the country’s ongoing water crisis.
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SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
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Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
Target 17.1: Strengthen domestic resource mobilization, including through international support to developing countries, to improve domestic capacity for tax and other revenue collection.
- Mauritius: In 2019, PAGE, along with national partners such as the National Productivity and Competitiveness Council (NPCC) and SME Mauritius, supported a “Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprise (SCORE)” pilot training aimed at optimizing efficiency, productivity, cleaner production and competitiveness of local SMEs through improved workplace cooperation. SCORE-trained trainers will also instill SCORE’s methods into NPCC-supported training on a recurrent basis to ensure long-term sustainability.
- PAGE Global Work: PAGE has developed and implemented a moderated online training package on green fiscal reform. This training package aims to help governments face the triple challenge of reducing environmental risks, fostering economic growth and reducing poverty through policy approaches that improve fiscal consolidation, spur innovation, and help identify smarter ways for government taxation and spending. The course was reformulated as a self-paced e-course in 2020. Additionally, PAGE developed a new self-paced e-learning course on sustainable finance in 2019.
Target 17.3: Mobilise additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources.
- Mongolia: PAGE has supported the Mongolian banking sector in the development of green and inclusive financial products and services, in partnership with the UN Environment Finance Initiative. This work has contributed to the establishment of a working group to create a green credit fund, which aims to bring long-term financing to projects that stimulate green growth.
- Ghana: In collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, Bank of Ghana and the Banker’s Association, PAGE finalised a scoping study in 2019 to identify green finance interventions, investment opportunities and barriers, and support domestic resource mobilization. A set of recommendations and proposed actions were identified that included advancing work on Green and SDG bonds. Additionally, in 2020 PAGE worked with the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) to develop and pilot a course on green finance which will be rolled out in 2021.
- Mauritius: According to Mauritius’ 10-Year SME Master Plan, there is a need to improve SMEs access to finance by expanding their funding opportunities and reinforcing their capacity and financial awareness. A Forum on Green Business Development was organized in May 2018 to discuss issues related to sustainable procurement and access to green financing. Subsequently, stakeholder consultations were held in July 2019, and work commenced on a study on SME access to green finance in 2020.
- Barbados: PAGE Barbados has contributed to the successful development of a Joint Programme proposal entitled: ‘Harnessing Blue Economy Finance for SIDS Recovery and Sustainable Development’, which supports the sustainable development of offshore fisheries resources. The programme, developed jointly by UNDP, UNEP and FAO, will support the governments of Barbados, Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, in the development of financing strategies in the Blue Economy and creating an enabling framework for investments in SDGs.
- Kyrgyz Republic: PAGE is providing expertise to identify financial sector needs for the implementation of the principles of Sustainable Finance and to analyze existing legislative frameworks relevant to sustainable finance and the current level of enforcement. In line with this, PAGE released a report in May 2020 on ‘Investment Opportunities for the Development of a Green Economy in Kyrgyzstan’, which analyzes opportunities for green investments in Kyrgyzstan and provides related recommendations.
- Argentina: PAGE is exploring various avenues to support Argentina in the development of sustainable finance. In 2020, PAGE developed a financial instrument with the Public Bank of the Federal State of Chaco, which is based on Ecosystem Valuation. Going forward this will be replicated in other Provinces.
- Burkina Faso: The adoption of the support project for the implementation of the National Strategy on Green Economy paves the way for further resources mobilization beyond PAGE. In line with this goal, PAGE supported a virtual workshop from 16-18 December 2020 to train government officials from various ministries, as well as NGO staff, in the development of bankable projects, which could attract climate funding. There are plans to continue with additional trainings in early 2021.
Target 17.9: Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support national plans to implement all the sustainable development goals, including through North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation.
- Mongolia and Kyrgyz Republic: PAGE has supported a South-South cooperation project between the Kyrgyz Republic and Mongolia that is strengthening mutual exchange on green economy policy development and practices of the two countries. In 2018, on International South-South Cooperation Day, this exchange was recognized in a report highlighting best practices in south-south and triangular cooperation throughout the entire UN system.
- China and South Africa: China, through Jiangsu Province, was the first country to apply the Green Economy Progress Measurement Framework at the sub-national level. In 2018, policymakers in South Africa began to consider the tool to track their green economy transition and use it as a potential dashboard for green economy and sustainability indicators. Researchers from China were invited to share their experiences at a national training and stakeholder workshop in Pretoria.
- Uruguay and Argentina:Uruguay and Argentina have paved the way for South-South collaboration, jointly hosting the first regional webinar as part of a South-South Green Economy Network for Change in Latin America. The initiative is a direct follow-up to the Green Economy Academy held in Turn in October 2019, with 40 representatives from Brazil, Guatemala and Mexico attending. This webinar will be taken forward as an important information sharing platform for not only Latin America, but also the Caribbean.
- Mato Grosso, Brazil and Uruguay: In December 2019, a delegation from Mato Grosso visited Uruguay for an exchange workshop on capacity-building and meetings with national institutions focused on vocational training and circular economy.
- Senegal and Burkina Faso: PAGE Burkina Faso and PAGE Senegal have collaborated with UN CC:Learn and the West African Climate Change Learning Platform to support experience sharing among West African countries in the area of climate change and inclusive green economy. The purpose of the collaboration is to promote exchanges between institutions and countries through webinars, expert debates, training and the development of learning materials adapted to the sub-regional. Three webinars took place in 2020, with more experience sharing events to take place in 2021.
- South Africa and Argentina: Under the UNEP-GIZ GET project, in 2020 a virtual green jobs dialogue was initiated to promote South-South Collaboration between South Africa and Argentina. This included a first webinar on 18 November in collaboration with ILO and GGKP, featuring participants from both South Africa and Argentina.
- Guyana: To support the development of an online platform with the Ministry of Finance — which will facilitate monitoring and reporting on national development plans and policy targets — in 2020 PAGE, led by UNDP, has been in discussion other UNDP offices in Jamaica and Chile to facilitate South-South cooperation among Ministries of Finance through ‘virtual study tours’.
- PAGE Global Work: In 2019, PAGE and the Green Growth Knowledge Platform (GGKP) launched the Green Industry and Green Finance Platforms acknowledging the importance of the two sectors in a green economy transition. The new platforms provide users from the financial and private sector easy access to the latest research, data, guidance and tools through 194 country pages specified by region, sector, or cross-cutting themes. Linked to this, an interactive on-line community is under development to provide a medium for actors to communicate effectively.
Target 17.11: Significantly increase the exports of developing countries, in particular with a view to doubling the least developed countries’ share of global exports by 2020.
- Jiangsu Province, China: The PAGE Environment and Trade Hub conducted a study on south-south trade in environmental goods and services and collaborated with the Research Institute for Global Value Chain (RIGVC) for a baseline assessment of sustainable textile trade and value-chains. The studies provided the basis for multi-sectoral workshops and trainings on trade in environmentally-sound technologies and sustainable textile value-chains, and summarized good practices shared at international events.
- PAGE Global Work: PAGE has designed and delivered an interactive e-learning course on the nexus of trade and the green economy. The practice-oriented course provides participants from the government, business and civil society with an introduction to various approaches to promote and harness opportunities related to sustainable trade. In 2020, this course was reformulated to also be offered as a self-paced e-course.
Target 17.14: Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development.
- Senegal: With PAGE’s support, the Ministry of Environmental and Sustainable Development, led a modelling exercise to update the national green economy model and related green economy assessment report. The updated assessment was directly linked to the Plan Senegal Emergent II (PSE) and second Priority Action Plan (PAP 2019-2023) that is being implemented since the beginning of 2019. The model provided investment scenarios for six crucial sectors – agriculture, fisheries, forestry, energy, water resource management and waste management – providing important insights into the benefits and challenges of related IGE policy reforms.
- Burkina Faso: Building on macroeconomic and sectoral assessments supported by PAGE, the National Green Economy Strategy and supporting Action Plan were adopted in July 2019, marking a major milestone in the country’s IGE transition. The strategy promotes the creation, development and consolidation of a critical mass of competitive, sustainable, value-adding industries and decent job providers, primarily in the transformation of local raw materials. In October 2020, a project document to support implementation of the Strategy, including an action plan and Sustainability Plan for PAGE was adopted.
- Uruguay: PAGE supported the inclusion of environmental components into the National Development Strategy Uruguay 2050 officially announced in August 2019. In addition, PAGE supported the development of the National Environmental Plan for Sustainable Development launched in October 2019 to provide a framework for environment management.
- South Africa: PAGE has worked to enhance policy coherence for sustainable development by supporting the Green Economy Inventory for South Africa (GEISA), which serves as a platform for enhancing coordination and acts as a tool to guide decision-making among policymakers. GEISA covers 1,000 green initiatives in all provinces and sectors and has contributed to the development of provincial green economy strategies and sectoral policies in seven of the nine provinces in South Africa.
- Kyrgyz Republic: The Green Economy Development Programme 2019-2023 was approved in November 2019 during the Green Economy Week and officially enacted in 2020. PAGE supported the development of this policy document, through the completion of a macroeconomic assessment using system dynamics modelling highlighting seven priority economic sectors and three cross cutting areas. The Sustainable Finance Roadmap, Green Economy Learning Needs Assessment and Green Industry Trade Assessment (GITA) – all supported by PAGE – have been integrated into this programme to support policy coherence.
- Jiangsu Province, China: PAGE, through UNEP’s participation in the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), submitted policy proposals for the new ‘14th Five-Year Development Plan (2021-2025)’, released on 29 October 2020, which took into consideration the findings and experiences from PAGE in Jiangsu Province.
- Kazakhstan: In collaboration with GIZ, PAGE is supporting the development of National Low-Carbon Development Concept until 2050 (LEDC), anticipated to be completed in February 2021. PAGE will specifically contribute to the waste sector and on NDC implementation through fiscal policy reform. Additionally, PAGE supported the update of the National Development Strategy Kazakhstan 2025, contributing a chapter on green economy which was incorporated in the draft version of the Strategy as one of the seven key policies.
- Kyrgyz Republic: In January 2020, the government established a Coordination Commission on Green Economy and Climate Change, with PAGE supporting this process. This Commission will, among other things, coordinate action of the state executive authorities, local governments, non-profit and international organizations to support implementation of the Green Economy Development Programme.
- Argentina: PAGE developed an analysis of the ‘Linkages between the 2030 Agenda and Just Transition for Green Recovery’. This study, finalized in August 2020, emphasizes how the green economy can be a tool to achieve sustainable development with special focus on poverty eradication.
- Argentina: In 2020, PAGE supported the establishment of two additional ministerial boards on Green Jobs and Just Transition and Sustainable Production, coordinated by the Ministry of Labour under the National Cabinet of Ministers on Climate Change. They provide a mechanism for green economy issues promoted by PAGE to be officially discussed in a central policy making mechanism.
Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilise and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals in all countries, in particular developing countries.
- A UN collaboration: PAGE brings together five UN agencies – UN Environment, International Labour Organization, UN Development Programme, UN Industrial Development Organization, and UN Institute for Training and Research – whose mandates, networks and expertise combined can offer integrated and holistic support to countries on IGE, ensuring coherence and avoiding duplication. PAGE represents a mechanism to coordinate UN action on green economy and to assist countries in achieving and monitoring the SDGs. In addition, PAGE works with a wide network of actors and stakeholders, including eight funding partners and 10 action partners.
- Senegal: The National Green Economy Days have become an established initiative to bring together stakeholders to discuss IGE related topics, including the management of funds from oil and gas revenues and green jobs. Three events have been organized in 2015, 2018 and 2020. At the 2018 edition, the National Platform for Green Economy and related Action Plan was launched to stimulate dialogue, information sharing and continued action on IGE. This was built upon in 2020, when the Decree establishing and setting the organizational modalities of the platform was signed by the Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development. With two events organized in 2015 and 2018, a third is planned for 2020.
- PAGE Global Work: PAGE contributed to the development of a joint paper with the Partners for Inclusive Green Economy, which was launched on World Environment Day in 2020, identifying ten policy options to guide a fast, fair and green recovery from COVID-19.
Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.
- Guyana: PAGE’s involvement in Guyana has led to the establishment of regular Green Conversations—high-profile, multi-stakeholder events that explores a particular aspect of the Green State Development Strategy: Vision 2040, as well as green economy principles such as green economic growth and green fiscal policy, sustainable agriculture, and investments in renewable energy. The events have drawn a combined audience of approximately 200 with an online reach of more than 12,000 participants through live streaming.
- Kyrgyz Republic: An Alliance of Green Universities was formed in June 2019 to provide a platform to exchange knowledge on green economy and sustainable development. It also provides the opportunity to form inter-university research teams and carry out large-scale research projects and establishes links between universities and government agencies, to ensure there is a strong foundation for policy developments. The Alliance is a result of PAGE supported work, starting from the Green Economy Learning Needs Assessment.
- Argentina: PAGE organized a virtual High-Level National Dialogue on Green Economy on 15 December 2020, engaging the three government ministries through which PAGE works. The Dialogue provided an opportunity to strengthen coordination amongst Ministries on policies for a Just Transition, while using the social dialogue to increase momentum on sustainable and inclusive outcomes. This provides the starting point for a series of dialogues to be organized on an annual basis. representatives of the Union Central and the Industrial Union.
- PAGE Global Work: PAGE’s global events, such as the PAGE Ministerial Conferences, provide a unique platform to promote IGE and effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships. The Third PAGE Ministerial Conference held in Cape Town in 2019, welcomed over 500 participants from more than 50 countries, including ministers, UN heads, entrepreneurs, activists, and policymakers. The Cape Town Action Pathways Towards 2030 summarized key messages emerging from the discussion to support countries in advancing their own “just transition” to the 2030 Agenda. In 2020, PAGE held an official side event at the High Level Political Forum (HLPF), which brought together UN Heads of Agencies and ministers from PAGE funding and partner countries, to contribute to a high-level discussion on a renewed commitment towards the SDGs and climate and biodiversity targets, highlighting the ways in which an inclusive, green economic recovery can support the Decade of Action.
Target 17.19: By 2030, build on existing initiatives to develop measurements of progress on sustainable development that complement gross domestic product, and support statistical capacity-building in developing countries.
- South Africa: PAGE has worked with national stakeholders to develop a framework for monitoring the transition to an environmentally sustainable and low-carbon economy, following the example of Jiangsu Province. The framework, which was drawn from the PAGE Green Economy Progress Measurement Framework, was developed and validated in 2019 and formally launched in 2020, and takes the form of a dashboard of green economy and environmental sustainability indicators for South Africa.
- Guyana: Guyana’s green economy modelling, using system dynamics techniques, was completed in September 2019. Known as GEMS (Guyana’s Economy Modelling Study), this model assessed the economic, social and environmental impacts of selected green policies, with a focus on energy, agriculture, forestry and road transport. This assessment was vital in informing the development of the national strategy and in demonstrating to policymakers that with every $1 invested in green economy initiatives, the payback could be four times the investment. Furthermore, in 2020, PAGE has commenced preparatory work to support Guyana in the development of a comprehensive monitoring and reporting approach for its national plans.
- Ghana: In 2020, PAGE assessed the impact of previous PAGE trainings on mainstreaming green economy in development planning at the local level, looking specifically at the trainings on SDG metadata and on mainstreaming of climate change in development plans of MMDAs. Lessons learned from this process will be disseminated through national dialogues to inform training models, guidance and policies on mainstreaming, monitoring and reporting on climate change and the SDGs.
- PAGE Global Work: PAGE has developed a tool called the “Green Economy Progress Measurement Framework” for policymakers, analysts and other stakeholders, which can be used to understand how green economy progresses. Inspired by this Framework, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) launched the Green Growth Performance Measurement (GGPM) programme in 2019 to provide policymakers with a metric to measure green growth performance to support their decisions in line with the SDGs, and national climate and biodiversity goals.
- PAGE Global Work: PAGE has developed a package of teaching materials for a semester-long course on Inclusive Green Economy Modelling, pilot tested in spring 2020 at the Universidad de Pacifico in Peru. The course teaches participants how to utilize IGE modelling to inform policy and decision-making processes through integrated analysis of economic, social and environmental impacts and deliver on the SDGs and Paris Agreement. Additionally, PAGE has integrated content from modules for training on Indicators for IGE into a self-paced e-learning course, supporting policymaking for an inclusive green economy.
- PAGE Global Work: As part of an ongoing effort to support PAGE Partner Countries, the PAGE COVID-19 Hub was first developed in May 2020 to offer relevant news and academic articles on green economic recoveries. Closely following, the PAGE Data Observatory was developed to track socio-economic and health impacts from COVID-19, track policy responses and assess potential focus areas for green recovery in PAGE Countries. It now also includes tracking on green economy progress in partner countries by using selected indicators from the Green Economy Progress (GEP) Measurement Framework and its Dashboard of Sustainability.
