Green economy: foundation of sustainable development

Promotion of green economy, eradication of poverty and consolidation of environmental institutional framework are the major axes of the national report on sustainable development presented and looked at on Wednesday at a seminar held in Tunis. This report will be presented as part of the Conference of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on the occasion of the "Rio+20" Summit, due next June in Rio de Janeiro. Mr. Samir Meddeb, expert in environment who presented the report, underlined that the development of a green economy in Tunisia requires among other actions promoting renewable energy, ensuring energy efficiency, processing and valorising waste and strengthening organic farming, industrial depollution and environmental upgrading of businesses. The report drawn up ahead of the Rio+20 Summit will highlight the different measures to be taken nationally in matters of taxation to encourage and support private investment and green economy. Regarding the institutional framework, the major orientations will focus on enshrining environmental rights into the Constitution, developing mechanisms of information, follow-up and assessment in the environment and sustainable development fields and involving citizens and the civil society in decision-making. Secretary of State in charge of Environment Salem Hamdi called on Tunisian environment experts to deepen thinking on the challenges of a real change to green economy in order to anticipate the risks of such choice and study the real opportunities offered in a context marked by the economic crisis, conflicts and revolutions. He also emphasised the need to start reforms in the areas of education, vocational training and research and development. These reforms, he said, are likely to improve the skills of human resources. The "Rio+20" Summit to be held from June 4 to 6, 2012 in Brazil, will take place ten years after the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in 2002 in Johannesburg. It will bring together heads of state and government representatives to present their national visions and their strategic commitments in enhancing sustainable development in the world.