The third conference of the UN Alliance for Sustainable Growth (PAGE) began on Thursday, January 10, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa, with the German Parliamentary State Secretary Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter representing the Federal Environment Ministry.
For two days, high-ranking political, economic, civil society, and science representatives and various UN organisations in the South African coastal city will discuss the question of how to further accelerate the necessary transition to a greener, fairer economy. At the opening of the conference, Schwarzelühr-Sutter called for further efforts to be made in implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Schwarzelühr-Sutter said: “We have only 12 years left to reach the goals we set for 2015 as a global community with the 2030 agenda. Environmental protection must be an even more job and development motor, especially in emerging countries such as South Africa. For this, politics and business must already make the right investment decisions for the future. “
In addition to the UN environmental and development programmes, the PAGE Alliance includes the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The partnership demonstrates how to work successfully across sectors and countries for more sustainable business. On the sidelines of the UN conference in Cape Town, Schwarzelühr-Sutter and ILO leader Guy Ryder agreed to intensify cooperation on green jobs and socially responsible structural change.
PAGE’s work for sustainable business has been conceptually and financially supported by the Ministry for many years. PAGE’s goal is to help emerging and developing countries around the world move towards a sustainable, inclusive economy. This happens mainly through policy and strategy consulting. In addition, PAGE promotes the development of the necessary expertise at all levels. South Africa is one of the countries that has benefited from PAGE’s advice in recent years.
Among other things, PAGE assisted the African country in the further development of its so-called “Green Fund”, which is intended to finance projects for sustainable development in the country, and carried out regular training for the government, NGOs and companies.
