WWF- BRazil
WWF- Malaysia
Government of the State of Acre (Brazil)
Government of the State of Sabah (Malaysia)

Green Economy principles of valuing and investing in natural capital and people, reforming high impact sectors to address sustainability, driving investment and financial flows towards pro-environment and pro-people growth and improving governance and forging partnership are key to ensure the transition to a successful equitable and balance growth.



States of Acre in Brazil and Sabah in Malaysia are examples of important growth area in Latin America and Asia that are transitioning towards a green economic development pathways. The vision that guides this growth and the challenges in transforming its high impact sector, opportunities through adopting a credible and sustainable growth in the forest sector and partnership with NGO and private sector are some means by which changes are taking place. Heads of state will share their experiences and other partners will be contributing to the discussion on how to further transition these economies and how partners can play a role.

Thematic Focus: Green economy, south-south cooperation, forest economy.

Speakers:
Maria Cecília Wey de Brito (CEO, WWF-Brazil);
Glyn Davis (Conservation Director, WWF-UK);
Tião Viana (Governor of Acre State);
Frederick Kugan (Director of Sabah Forest Service);
Kingfisher Member

?Business-as-usual? is undermining the natural systems on which our economy and wellbeing depend, and it?s clear that new thinking is required to build an economy that?s sustainable in both economic and environmental terms. A balance growth that provides for society and the environment as well as ensuring quality of life is achieved within ecological limits of its natural resources is critical to continuous future growth.

Among the many principles in moving towards this growth trajectory, the core fundamentals would be in the valuation of its natural capital. This is critical to ensure its vision for each state in achieving food, water and energy security. Sustainable economic futures depends also on its people and that they benefit from this growth, be it local communities, indigenous people or man on the street, thus creation of jobs is an investment that cannot be dismissed.

A policy shift in investment and financial flow towards healthy ecosystems rather than just GDP growth is needed to drive new private sector markets that are pro-poor and pro-environment. Reforms in subsidies, taxation and public sector financing are where affirmative action is needed. Governance and partnership is key to measure progress that defines green economic growth. This means introducing new metrics, beyond GDP, that measure well being and environmental health; supporting long-term national action plans for an economic transition; and reforming corporate accountability standards to ensure that bad practice is penalized and good practice is rewarded.

In tropical regions, an important part of a green economy approach is the development of a low-carbon, forest-based economy that values standing forest and improves livelihoods for forest-based communities. In the Amazon region and in Borneo, at the sub-national level, Acre in Brazil and Sabah in Malaysia in particular present two important case studies of moving towards green growth pathways.

The state of Acre in Brazil has championed and implemented the Payment for Environmental System for Carbon Law while the state of Sabah in Malaysia has been a front runner in the Asia region implementing Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) and forest governance. Heads of state from both Acre and Sabah will share their experiences in moving this green agenda and challenges that they faced from grounded reality and not just theoretical and empirical hypothesis of green economic growth.

In sharing this vision, WWF as a common denominator in both states have been working towards ensuring the vision of green growth is measured through activities on the ground. The Amazon Program in Brazil and the Sabah and Sarawak Conservation Program in Malaysia are working towards ensuring critical ecosystems and habitats are protected and restored, forests are managed sustainably through credible systems that rewards environment and people, forest and other ecosystem are valued in development progress and institutional policy changes happens in moving towards a green economy implementation.

This side event would contribute to the green economy theme with a slant towards south-south cooperation and forest based economy outlook. The speakers would include Heads of State of Acre and Sabah, WWF-UK as supporter and investor of such activities in both state, WWF-Brazil and international private company, Kingfisher (UK) sourcing from both Acre and Sabah to give their perspective of the vision, challenges and what it takes to transition to a green economy.