Spain national dialogue
Coalition member, EcoUnion, in partnership with the Catalan Government, the Spanish Ministry of the Environment and other public-private stakeholders, is coordinating a national dialogue on a green economy for Catalunya, Spain and the Mediterranean region. The dialogue will be held in Barcelona (24 - 26 October) and is known as the Global EcoForum 2011.
The three-day dialogue will focus on the the global governance for sustainability and a green economy within the framework for Rio 2012. It will also consider the current economic crisis and the means by which a radical change in the economic model may provide alternative solutions for sustainable development. The event will be made up of a series of roundtable discussions and presentations and cultural activities. It will also be live-streamed online.
In preparation for the the national dialogue, a preparatory session was held on 14 July amongst a range of different stakeholders to kick-start thinking on a green economy and to analyse relevance of the concept to a range of different participating organisations. Participants noted that the UNEP definition of a green economy provided a useful framework but that it was too generic, and would need to be redefined in the Spanish context.
The session prompted a wide ranging discussion amongst all participants on the need for a green economy;
- To involve all economic sectors
- To mean poverty reduction and improvement in the quality of life
- To address ‘sufficiency’ and not merely ‘efficiency’
- To define broader objectives on behalf of the economy
- To define a longer term vision rather than short-term policy needs
A survey conducted with all participants noted that the concept of a green economy was relevant to their organisation and that it represented an important opportunity for mainstreaming sustainable development.
For more information, please contact Jeremie Fosse (EcoUnion) and Silvia Montoya (EcoUnion).
