National Sustainable Development Strategies the way to green economy, MCSD says.

Strengthening National Strategies for Sustainable Development (NSSD) in the Mediterranean is necessary to accelerate progress towards a green economy, according to UNEP and the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development (MCSD), which met last week from 30 May to 1 June.

The meeting determined that stronger national sustainable development strategies, combined with a more effective regional institutional framework for sustainable development, would contribute to the implementation of the Mediterranean Strategy on Sustainable Development (MSSD). In addition, institutional arrangements for supporting sustainable development were also discussed. All these perspectives provide input into the Mediterranean region’s contribution to the next UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), scheduled for June 2012.

Mr Brice Lalonde, the UN’s Executive Coordinator of Rio+20, Dr. Moustapha Kamal Gueye, Economic Affairs Officer at UNEP’s Economics and Trade Branch, Division of Technology, Industry and Economy, and representatives of the World Bank and OECD presented an overview of the themes that will be debated at the Rio+20 Summit, as well as the various tools available to help governments move towards a green economy.

As part of the meeting, priority activities were identified that will help the region move towards a green economy, including climate change adaptation and sustainable consumption and promotion.

To download the meeting documents follow the link here.