environment for development

MDG 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability

Mr Razi Latif Senior Programme Officer

UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the PacificMay 28 2012

environment for development

MDG7: Challenges in Asia & the Pacific

• 66% of world’s poor– In world’s most densely

populated region

• 34% of global GHG emission – Due to high economic growth

(Annual per capita GDP growth: 7.5% in 2010)

• Lowest ecological carrying capacity amongst world’s regions

environment for development

MDG 7: Where are we?Asia-Pacific: Achieved 4 out of 6 MDG indicators

(early) – especially Middle Income countries: Forest Cover (North & Central Asia,

South Asia) Protected areas (All sub-regions) ODP substitute consumption (All

except North & Central Asia) Safe drinking water (South Asia,

South-East Asia) Is making no progress on reducing

CO2 emissions (Except the Pacific) Slow progress on providing basic

sanitation (All sub-regions)

environment for development

MDG7: Challenges in Asia & the Pacific

Increased resource use and degradation Climate change

CO2 emissions - highest in the world

Our common future depends on Asia and the Pacific’s production and resource consumption patterns

environment for development

MDG 7: Where do we need to be?

Himalaya

More than 7 billion people and only 1 planet.

Estimated 4-5 planets needed for everyone to live like an average US resident

Most estimates of the earth’s carrying capacity are between 8 and 16 billion people, many say around 8 billion;

People are at the centre of environmental use, degradation and challenges. People are therefore the solution.

We need to educate and change the way we view, use and interact with the environment – towards sustainable consumption and production.

environment for development

The Poverty Environment Initiative

Investing in the environment to achieve MDGs Focus on innovative approaches, policy, governance and capacity building to address the Poverty-Environment Agenda

Khon Kean - PEI pilot site in Thailand to address inconsistent agro-industry policies

environment for development

MDG 7: What can the Media do?

Himalaya

A lot:Educate and inform ordinary people about the issues, the solutions and what they can do;

Campaign to catalyze change and action by decision makers as well as the general public;

Highlight new developments and findings, bringing them to the widest possible audience;

Investigate, name and shame wrong-doers;

Publicise and highlight innovators and good practices.

environment for development

GEO-5 Coming Soon!

UNEP’s fifth Global Environment Outlook Report (GEO-5)•Will be launched on 6 June 2012 in Rio de Janiero, New Delhi, Beijing and around the world •Part 1: State and trends of the global environment•Part 2: Solutions – promising policies from regions including Asia-Pacific•Part 3: Options for action towards sustainable development

The GEO-5 report provides a sobering balance sheet of the

last years

Thank youFor more information: www.unep.org/roapwww.unep.org/geo