Development Account Projects
Strengthening national capacities in the ESCWA region on developing green production sectors
Countries in the ESCWA region suffer from severe resource scarcities and environmental stresses, a condition that is expected to worsen with climate change, therefore threatening already fragile social and economic progress achieved over the past few decades. Other emerging global challenges, including the food, fuel, and financial crises, are also leaving their mark on employment and development in the region.
In response to these inter-linked challenges, recent global initiatives – including the green economy initiative – have called for a greater convergence of government policies and programmes addressing economic growth, social development and environmental conservation. This has been triggered by a growing belief that environmental measures, including climate change mitigation and adaptation measures, need not be a deterrent to socio-economic growth but on the contrary that such measures should spur sustainable growth.
The project will enhance the local knowledge and awareness on the importance of green production and its linkages with green jobs and climate change mitigation, in a general framework that will address productivity and competitiveness while preserving the environment. The project will take into account lessons learned and experiences from different regions. Through regional and sub-regional networking, policy options, practices and lessons learned will be shared among all participating countries, and can thus be adapted to the special conditions of each Member Country. The pilot projects will then be used for raising public awareness in the area.
Collaboration with ESCAP will be sought in the development of guidelines and a set of training modules on green growth policy tools and applications. Collaboration will also include setting up interregional workshops and working groups to share practices and raise awareness of policymakers.
The main objective of the project is to strengthen the capacities of national and local governments in the ESCWA region to formulate policies and programmes for stimulating and developing green production sectors.
- Increased understanding of policies and programmes aimed at the development of green production sectors and awareness of global, regional and local experiences in this area
- Increased access by decision-makers to information on national/local green production opportunities and options
- Improved technical skills to formulate national/local policies and programmes for stimulating and developing green production sectors