UNEP Calls for Green Economy Focus at G-20 Summit

23 June 2010: Ahead of the G-20 Summit convening in Toronto, Canada, on 26-27 June 2010, Achim Steiner, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director, and Pavan Sukhdev, Head of the UNEP Green Economy Initiative, published an editorial emphasizing the importance for G-20 leaders to take action on the transition to a Green Economy.

In the editorial, the authors highlight the opportunity presented by the Toronto G-20 summit to examine how green investments are assisting recovery in many countries while generating employment and environmental gains, including on climate change. They argue that, over the past two years, the Green Economy has evolved from theory to practice and present case studies demonstrating the benefits accrued by developed and developing countries that have invested in the transition to a Green Economy. They call on G-20 leaders to enable this transition by taking a leadership role in Toronto, individually and in support of developing economies' aspirations. [The Editorial]