Environmental Affairs Minister Nomvula Mokonyane will host the Partnership for Action on the Green Economy (PAGE) Ministerial Conference at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on 10 and 11 January 2019.
South Africa joined the global programme in 2015 after spotting the potential for the forum to enhance multilateralism and drum up support for climate action.
Cabinet concurred and approved in September 2017 the hosting of the PAGE Conference by South Africa.
This platform supports countries and regions to put sustainability at the heart of economic policies and practices to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The hosting of the PAGE conference is set to advance inclusive growth and the adoption of a low carbon and climate resilient economy.
“Hosting the PAGE Conference will advance the agenda of inclusive growth, and the adoption of a low carbon and climate resilient economy, domestically and on the African continent,” said Mokonyane.
The 3rd PAGE Ministerial Conference, under the theme 'Advancing Inclusive and Sustainable Economies', follows two successful conferences which were held in Dubai in 2014 and Berlin in 2017.
South Africa hosts this high level conference on the back of the successful Global Climate Conference, which adopted the Paris Agreement Work Programme setting out the rules of implementation.
Approximately 500 delegates, including 17 Ministers and Deputy Ministers of Environment, Finance, Business, Science and Technology and Development, are expected to participate in robust discussions on tools and strategies for shaping greener economies to achieve the objectives of the 2030 Agenda.
Among the featured speakers are Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labour Organisation and Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General of Amnesty International, together with more than 15 Ministers and Deputy Ministers of Environment, Finance and Industry from all over the world.
The conference will kick off with a CNBC televised media debate on the topic of 'What makes your country wealthy' on the evening of 9 January.
Through a series of parallel sessions with high-level speakers from South Africa and abroad, the conference will share the latest thinking and evidence on four thematic areas including green finance, strategies and policies for a green economy, social and economic inclusion, sustainable consumption and production, and the circular economy.
The PAGE programme aims to strengthen cooperation, coordination and capabilities required by South Africa to implement the transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient and pro-employment development path.
The programme commenced in 2016 in South Africa, and will be implemented for a period of three years with a sustainability close out phase in 2020.
“The South African government has been at the forefront of championing the green economy. The third PAGE Ministerial Conference will provide an opportunity for member states to reinforce the commitment to transition to a green and sustainable economy and to demonstrate implementation of the tools and strategies to accelerate the green economy,” said Mokonyane.
In line with the National Development Plan Vision 2030, South Africa has adopted several green economy-related strategies which commit the country to an environmentally sustainable and equitable transition to a low carbon economy. – SAnews.gov.za
