Going Green: Why Asia is Moving Toward a Green Model of Economic Growth

8/3/2019 Going Green: Why Asia is Moving Toward a Green Model of Economic Growth

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A publication of the Asian evelopment Bank

GoingGreenWhy Asia is moving towarda green model of economic growth


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% L R P D V V X W L O L ] D W L R Q * H R W K H U P D O S R Z H U + \ G U R S R Z H U 6 R O D U S R Z H U : L Q G S R Z H U

Some solutions for climate changeare blowing in the wind

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PUBLISHER

$QQ4XRQMANAGING EDITOR

$QGUHZ3HUULQSENIOR EDITOR

)OR\G:KDOH\EDITORIAL ADVISOR

1HVVLP$KPDGASSOCIATE EDITOR

0DULD/L]D6RODQRCOPY EDITOR

&DUROLQH$KPDGART DIRECTOR

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Development AsiaIHDWXUHVGHYHORSPHQWLVVXHVLPSRUWDQWWR$VLDDQGWKH3DFLF,WLVSXEOLVKHGIRXUWLPHVD\HDUE\WKH$VLDQ'HYHORSPHQW%DQN7KHYLHZVH[SUHVVHGLQWKLVPDJD]LQHDUHWKRVHRIWKHDXWKRUVDQGGRQRWUHHFWWKHYLHZVDQGSROLFLHVRIWKH$VLDQ'HYHORSPHQW%DQNDQG+D\PDUNHW0HGLD/WG8VHRIWKHWHUPFRXQWU\GRHVQRWLPSO\DQ\MXGJPHQWE\WKHDXWKRUVRUWKH$VLDQ'HYHORSPHQW%DQNDQG+D\PDUNHW0HGLD/WGDVWRWKHOHJDORURWKHUVWDWXVRIDQ\WHUULWRULDOHQWLW\

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COMMENTS

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ADVERTISING

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PUBLISHERS NOTE


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evelopmentAsia anuaryarch 1 wwwdevelopmentasia

CNTENTA B AAAC

FOCUSENINMENT

6 TE BI EAIN EEN

0XVWGHYHORSLQJ$VLDVDFULFHLWVenvironment for economic prosperity?A growing number of political leadersthink notBy regg Jones___________________________________

14TE BI ICTEATMEIC EFFT

Already among the top threats tohealth outdoor air pollution is aconcern in cities across developingAsia hough the situation isimproving in many areas challengesremain as populations shift to urbancenters and growing economiesproduce more vehicles and industryBy Mark Blackwell___________________________________

16TE BI ICEA A

$QLQXHQWLDOWKLQNHURQWKHenvironment explains why the planetFDQQRWFRSHZLWKLQQLWHHFRQRPLFgrowth and why Bhutans grossnational happiness index is no jokeBy John tis

_______________________________

20 EENBAC The divide between environmentalistsand policy makers often remains wide

but bridges are being builtBy regg Jones

46 FIE IN EEMENTA IFE EXAMININ

$QQLH'XRLVSDUWRIDJURZLQJbreed of young developmentprofessionals who are working totest the effectiveness of developmentprogramsBy Jade ee-uffy

_______________________________

48 ECNNAIANCEA EFEIN EEMENT

n remote impoverished places whereclean water and medicine are hard toQGSHRSOHFDQVWLOOEX\DQLFHFROGCokeBy Andrew Marshall

_______________________________

DEPARTMENTS

4 FF TE Eoteworthy excerpts on global issuesfrom the international press

_______________________________

5 N TE EBevelopment hot spots on theworldwide web

_______________________________

40 FF TE EFecommended reading on economicand development topics

_______________________________

52 N TE ECotable quotes on key issues

24 IT BINEAsia is on the receiving end of some of

the worlds most toxic wasteBy illiam Branigin

_______________________________

28 CBooming economies and an expandingFDUORYLQJPLGGOHFODVVDUHIRXOLQJAsias skies and they might be the

best way to clear themBy loyd haley

Also sidebar -TEAIN

_______________________________

32 M ATEater pollution threatens millions inAsia but innovative solutions are beingfoundBy Jade ee-uffy and aren Emmons

_______________________________

36 CAMBIA E EENCambodia has aggressively embracedthe concept of green growth but seriouschallenges lie aheadBy aren Emmons

_______________________________

ARTICLES

42 INETMENT,QYHVWRUVZLOOLQJWRDFFHSWEHORZmarket returns to achieve positivesocial change are a rising force in globaldevelopmentBy regg Jones

4(205.;/,*(:,-69

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subjects. He is the author of the upcoming

book Honor in the Dust: Theodore

Roosevelt, War in the Philippines, and the

Rise and Fall of Americas Imperial Dream.

Andrew Marshall is a Bangkok-based

journalist and the author ofThe Trouser

People, a political travelogue about

Myanmar.

Floyd Whaley covers the Philippines for

the International Herald Tribune and The

New York Times. He is the senior editor

ofDevelopment Asia and operates Asia

Editorial Services.

Jade Lee-Duffy has worked

as a journalist in Hong Kong

for more than 10 years,

covering education, property,

the arts, food, and health

issues. She is a regular contributor to the

South China Morning Post.

Karen Emmons is a Bangkok-based

journalist who writes on public health and

social issues.

Gregg Jones was a

correspondent in Asia for 10

years, covering development

issues, civil wars and other

wwwdevelopmentasia

Contributors

evelopment Asia

ouse A

Mark Blackwell has more than 20 years of

experience covering issues ranging from

science and economics to politics and

international affairs for news organizations,

including the Hearst Corporation and

Capital Cities/ABC. He specializes in

information graphics.

William Branigin served as

Southeast Asia bureau chief

ofThe Washington Post

for 10 years, reporting from

more than a dozen countries

in the region. He was based in Bangkok

from 1981 to 1986 and in Manila from 1990

to 1995.


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wwwdevelopmentasia

6--;/,79,::

evelopmentAsia anuaryarch 1

ouchers solve many of the seriousproblems that have always plaguedinkind food aid And Aid ismultiplied as it helps not onlyrecipients but merchants

The New ork Times, November 2011

ood as Cash

irty ecoveryAnalysis by the ricewaterhouseCoopers ow Carbon conomy ndex shows

that during the recession many countries including Britain saw emissions fallfaster than gross domestic product a measure of the total economy because theirmanufacturing output fell But in 1 global growth was just above 5%while emissions rose by nearly 6%aily Telegraph, 7 November 2011

A Bright Idea

hile switching to compactXRUHVFHQWEXOEVPRUHHIFLHQWWKDQLQFDQGHVFHQWVKDVEHFRPHunremarkable in some developedQDWLRQVWKHVLJQLFDQFHRI>WKHeoples epublic of Chinas moveshould not be underestimatedith the C churning out billionsRIHIFLHQWEXOEVFRVWVZLOOIDOO7KDWmeans it will be possible to cut carbonemissions from lighting around theworld without denying the most basic

of amenities to the worlds pooramian Carringtons Environment Blog,

The uardian, 5 November 2011

6--;/,79,::

Blame ameuman activity has caused profoundchanges to the climate biodiversityoceanic acidity and greenhousegaslevels in the atmosphere But it doesnot automatically follow that the morepeople there are the worse the damage,Q$PHULFDQVDQG$XVWUDOLDQVemitted almost tonnes of carbondioxide each n contrast more than 6FRXQWULHVLQFOXGLQJWKHYDVWPDMRULW\RI$IULFDQRQHVHPLWWHGOHVVWKDQ

tonne per person lobal pollutionwill be more affected by the patternRIHFRQRPLFJURZWKDQGHVSHFLDOO\whether emerging nations become asenergyintensive as America Australiaand the eoples epublic ofChinaThe Economist, 22 ctober 2011

et sed to igh rices&DWDVWURSKLFRRGLQJDQGFURSORVVHVLQ7KDLODQGWKHZRUOGVOHDGLQJULFHH[SRUWHUDUHUDLVLQJFRQFHUQVWKDWDQRWKHUIRRGFULVLVPD\EHLQWKHRIQJ$OVRdisquieting is the possibility that the world may have already entered a newera where persistently high food prices are the ew ormal At a time when

policymakers are grappling with a host of thorny economic issues the possibilitymay be unwelcome but must not be ignoredAsian evelopment Banks Iwan J.

Azis in an opinion piece for The Japan Times, 7 November 2011

Consumption Trumps rowth

igns of the Times

As the report points out Considerable population growth continuestoday because of the high numbers of births in the 195s and 196s which haveresulted in larger base populations with millions of young people reaching theirreproductive years over succeeding generations es population growth

contributes to environmental problems o it is not the decisive factor ven theavailability of grain is affected more by rising livestock numbers and the use of

ELRIXHOVGULYHQDJDLQE\FRQVXPSWLRQWKDQE\KXPDQSRSXODWLRQJURZWKeorge Monbiots Blog, The uardian, 27 ctober 2011

rivate Money for the ublic ood3ULYDWHIRXQGDWLRQVKDYHHPHUJHGDVLQFUHDVLQJO\SRWHQWSOD\HUVLQWKHJKWDJDLQVWSRYHUW\DORQJVLGHRIFLDOGHYHORSPHQWDLG$FFRUGLQJWRD+XGVRQ,QVWLWXWH

UHSRUWWRWDORIFLDOGHYHORSPHQWDVVLVWDQFHZDVELOOLRQLQZKLOHJOREDO

SKLODQWKURS\DPRXQWHGWRELOOLRQ3ULYDWHFDSLWDOLQYHVWPHQWELOOLRQ

IRUPVWKHODUJHVWQDQFLDORZIURPULFKHUWRSRRUHUFRXQWULHVZKLOHUHPLWWDQFHV

ELOOLRQZHUHWKHVHFRQGODUJHVWRZThe Guardian, 9 November 2011

Any economic model that does not properly address inequality will eventuallyface a crisis of legitimacy nless the relative economic roles of the market andthe state are rebalanced the protests of 11 will become more severe with socialand political instability eventually harming longterm economic growth and

welfareEconomist Nouriel oubini, writing for roject yndicate in ctober 2011


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wwwdevelopmentasia anuaryarch 1 evelopmentAsia 5

65;/,>,)

hats our Footprint?

lobal Footprint NetworkO[[W!^^^MVV[WYPU[UL[^VYRVYN

ow much of an impact does your lifestyle make onarth? ow much land area does it take to supportyour consumption? lobal ootprint etwork has

made this a personal question with a quiz on their websitethat gives users an estimate of their ecological footprint

he website walks users through a variety of questionssuch as how often they eat meat how they heat their homeand how often they take the train After answering thequestions a report card on the users impact on the earth isprovided t includes such admonitions as f everyone livedthe same lifestyle as you we would require the regenerativecapacity of 16 planets each year and to support your

lifestyle it takes 8 hectares of the earths productive areaAlthough the science behind such a quiz might be

questionable (the website provides a link that outlines itsVFLHQWLFEDVLVWKHLPSDFWRQWKHXVHULVVLJQLFDQW7KHmere answering of the questions forces users to contemplatehow much they are consuming and the impact it is having

At the end of the quiz a link is provided to assess howusers can lessen their ecological footprint which after allis the whole point of the exercise or now the quiz is onlyoffered in Asia for residents of the eoples epublic ofChina ndia and apan; but work is underway to add morecountries

7KHTXL]LVDFOHYHUDVSHFWRIDWWHPSWVE\WKHQRQSURWorganization lobal ootprint etwork to develop astandardized method of measuring human impact on theearth he group seeks to develop ecological footprint reportcards for cities companies and individuals to be used as atool to lessen the impact on the environment

heir plan is ambitious but it all starts by taking a quiz

ealityedley Environmental IndexO[[W!OLKSL`PUKL_ZWOOR\OROVTLWOW

overnments around Asia are grappling with howto monitor and respond to air pollution ew havecome up with estimates on how much poor airquality costs society

he public policy think tank Civic xchange based inong ong China has taken the initiative and hosts awebsite that has become an example of how to measure andillustrate the impact of air pollution

he site publishes in real time the economic costs of ongong Chinas air pollution in terms of public health impactsand their monetary value his includes premature deathshospital bed days and doctor visits

:KHQXVHUVUVWODQGRQWKHSDJHDVSLQQLQJWLFNHUWHOOVthem how many dollars have been lost due to air pollutionin ong ong China since midnight Click another buttonand it tells how many lives have been lost since anuary 1DVRI'HFHPEHU$GDLO\FKHFNRIWKHVLWHLVDVREHULQJreminder of the impact of air pollution on society

he site also includes an air quality tracking tool thatallows users to compare current air quality to orldealth rganization air quality guidelines in real time orto compare historical records of good and bad air days tincludes a photo of the ong ong China skyline that isupdated every 15 minutes by the ong ong bservatory

he index is the brainchild of Anthony edley the chair ofCommunity edicine at the chool of ublic ealth at ongong niversity and a team of researchers who have fordecades worked on airrelated health issues in ong ongChina; and southern eoples epublic of China Q

esearched and written by loyd haley


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wwwdevelopmentasia6 evelopmentAsia anuaryarch 1

At the Boao orum for Asiain the eoples epublic ofChina (C) in 1 some political and business

leaders from around the regionapplauded when C iceresident

i inping in his keynote addresscalled for green and sustainabledevelopment is forwardthinking

blueprint for future Asian developmentincluded the promotion of renewableenergy and lowcarbon technology andefforts aimed at steeping Asians in theculture of conservationideals thatwere hardly priorities for most leadersin the region just a few years ago

7KHQDWLRQVRI$VLDDQGWKH3DFLFhave dazzled the world with theirrobust economic growth over the past decades reducing poverty ratesand delivering middleclass comfortsto millions But the region has also

become a leader in the unwelcomebyproducts of traditional developmentreduced water and air quality depletednatural resources and imperiled

biodiversityhat is beginning to changereen growth projects are

sprouting around the region he Cfor years best known for its spectaculareconomic growth and spiralingenvironmental problems has also

become a leader in the development ofgreen technologies n 9 the Covertook enmark ermany painand the nited tates to become the

rowing reenust developing Asia sacrifice its environment for economic prosperity?A growing number of political leaders think notB regg ones

,5=09654,5;!;/,)0.9,(+

GREEN PATH Soft light illuminates a

forest path in Bosung, Republic of Korea.

The country has committed to investing

2% of its gross domestic product (GDP)

in green growth.


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wwwdevelopmentasia anuaryarch 1 evelopmentAsia

PICTURECREDIT:UNPHOTOKIBAEPARK(REPUBLICOFKOREA)NASASEARTHOBSERVATORY

worlds top manufacturer of windturbines and its domestic marketfor turbines has already become the

worlds largest he C also boaststhe worlds longest highspeed railnetwork and holds close to 1 localand international patents for highspeed rail technologies

upport for environmentallyfriendly growth isnt limited to Asiaseconomically powerful At the Boaoorum in the C former hilippineresident idel amos urged Asianleaders to pursue a green recoveryeven if it meant a painful transition

for countries in the region ongolianrime inister ukhbaataryn Batboldconceded that it would take decades towean his country from its dependenceon fossil fuels but pledged to promotegreen strategies in mining railwaysand construction

he talk was similarly bold in eoulepublic of orea in une last yearat the lobal reen rowth ummithosted by the overnment of theepublic of orea and the rganisationfor conomic Cooperation andevelopment he theme of thegathering was Building lanetesponsible Civilization ighlevelJRYHUQPHQWRIFLDOVGHYHORSPHQWexperts and other participants sharedstrategies for green growth and cross

border cooperation in the pursuit ofsustainable economies n his openingremarks ee yungbak residentof the epublic of orea set the tone

by calling for technological advancesessential to building green economiesthat wont threaten the prosperity offuture generations

e can make changes he saidif we concentrate all our efforts onharmony between man and the arth

ACI AETITE

orwardthinkers in Asia havewarned for years that the days ofgrowth without regard for resourceconsumption or environmental costscould not continue But the pressure

DQGWKH3DFLF laid out the harmfulresults of the regions rush to delivereconomic growth eveloping

FRXQWULHVLQ$VLDDQGWKH3DFLFIRXQGthemselves challenged by associatedair and water pollution degradednatural resources and threatenedecosystems worsening water stressnatural disasters and increasedgeneration of wastes includinghazardous waste And the problemsare being exacerbated by climatechange

Anthropogenic climate change isa serious challenge to sustainability

notes the report t threatens notonly the integrity of natural systems

but also the very fabric of economicand social systems especially in thedeveloping world Among all theUHJLRQV$VLDDQGWKH3DFLFKDVWKHgreatest number of people at risk fromclimate change impacts

ith populations throughout muchof the region continuing to rise thepressure to deliver economic progressisnt going to ease in the foreseeablefuture ndeed the political imperativeto create more jobs modernizeinfrastructure and build new citiesonly promises to increase

he industrial transformation inAsias developing economies the risein the material standard of livingand the reduction of poverty in manyof these countries will require greatamounts of natural resources andgenerate large quantities of emissionssays Achim teiner an undersecretarygeneral at the nited ations andexecutive director of BecauseUHVRXUFHVDUHQLWHDQGWKHDEVRUSWLYHcapacity of the arths ecosystems islimited the aspirations of these nationswill most likely be constrained byenvironmental factors

Although rapidly growing countriesin Asia are becoming more resourceHIFLHQWRYHUWLPHWKH\DUHVWLOOUHODWLYHO\OHVVHIFLHQWWKDQGHYHORSHGcountries says essim Ahmaddirector of ABs nvironment and

ONE WORLD Leaders from around the

world will convene in June for the EarthSummit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

to produce rising prosperity left thosewarnings largely unheeded n 5Asias voracious appetite for rawmaterials hit a worldleading 5 billionWRQV7KDWJXUHLVRQWDUJHWWRUHDFKDstaggering 8 billion tons by 5 heregions soaring demand for energyis similarly insatiable Asia and the3DFLFVVKDUHRIJOREDOHQHUJ\GHPDQGspiked from about 5% in 195 toabout 56% in 5 and it is projectedto reach 5% by 8 according tothe nited ations nvironmentrogramme ()

A recent Asian evelopment Bank(AB) report reening rowth in Asia

The concepts of agreen economy andgreen growth arenow moving intothe mainstream of

global and regionalpolicy discourse notto mention nationalstrategies.

(ZPHU+L]LSVWTLU[)HUR

7YLZPKLU[/HY\OPRV2\YVKH


10/56


PICTURECREDIT

:AFP

,5=09654,5;!;/,)0.9,(+

afeguards ivision e notes that$VLDVUHVRXUFHHIFLHQF\XVLQJIHZHUresources per unit of gross domesticproductis a key factor in the regionssustainable development

n 5 for instance the C andndia had material intensities of 9and 68 kilograms per dollar of respectively while apan had a materialintensity of under kg per dollarRI*'37KHVHH[LVWLQJHIFLHQF\JDSVsignal a tremendous opportunity for aUHJLRQWRDGRSWPRUHUHVRXUFHHIFLHQWproduction processes while pursuinggrowth he says

he challenge for Asia is to delivereconomic gains while setting asidethe growthatanyprice developmentmodel Climate change andenvironmental sustainability areamong the key challenges Ahmadsays he grownowcleanuplaterapproach will undermine the futuregrowth and poverty reduction potentialof the region

he failure to change will cost the

region dearly experts warnAsia cannot continue its current

path of development which isnot sustainable says ay tuna former assistant secretarygeneral with considerable experiencein development environment andenergy issues he consequencesinclude increasing inequities povertysocial strife retarding economicdevelopment and growth andworsening environmental quality withserious effects on human health andwellbeing

he s teiner echoes thatdire note ltimately the regionscompetitive viability will be governed

by the speed and scale at which itadopts new industrial systems that usefar less energy materials and wateras well as its continued progress onachieving prosperity for the peoplehe says

hose stark realities have attractedAsian policy makers to the idea ofgreen development

INTEEENENT AN

INEAABE

ts hard to argue with the philosophyRIJUHHQJURZWK$VGHQHGE\3it increases income and employmentreduces carbon emissions andpollution enhances energy and

UHVRXUFHHIFLHQF\DQGSUHYHQWVWKHloss of biodiversity and ecosystemservices

he concept is a derivative ofsustainable development an ideathat arose in the 198s with the beliefthat economic advancement aroundthe world had to proceed in greaterharmony with the natural environmentA 198 report by the backedorld Commission on nvironmentand evelopment made the case forthe interdependence of economicdevelopment and the environmenthe environment does not exist as a

sphere separate from human actionsambitions and needs and therefore itshould not be considered in isolationfrom human concerns a summary ofthe report states he environment iswhere we all live; and developmentis what we all do in attempting toimprove our lot within that abode hetwo are inseparable

he idea gained critical mass in une199 when delegates from around theworld convened in io de aneiroUD]LOIRUWKHUVW&RQIHUHQFHon nvironment and evelopmenthe Agenda 1 action plan adopted

by the conference called on nationsto adopt a model of sustainabledevelopment in their pursuit ofsocial and economic advancementin the 1st century A year later the established the Commission onustainable evelopment to overseeimplementation of the agenda adoptedat io

en years after the io gatheringthe orld ummit on ustainableevelopment convened in

ohannesburg outh Africa toreinvigorate the efforts set in motion inBrazil

ver the past decade the conceptKDVXQGHUJRQHVXEWOHUHQHPHQWVgiving rise to a philosophy that placesgreater emphasis on growth ratherWKDQVDFULFLQJGHYHORSPHQWDPELWLRQVto save the environment ts a criticaldistinction for policy makers in Asia

WALL OF PROMISES United States

President George H. W. Bush signs the

Earth pledge with his wife Barbara during

WKHUVW8QLWHG1DWLRQVVSRQVRUHG(DUWK

Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992,

which set in motion the global drive for

sustainable development.


11/56


and other developing regions of theworld

he concepts of a green economy

and green growth are now movinginto the mainstream of global andregional policy discourse not tomention national strategies said ABresident aruhiko uroda in a recentspeech

,WLVDERXWQGLQJZD\VIRUcountries to grow more sustainably tseeks to create jobs and new sourcesof economic advancement based onthe development and deployment ofclean technologies that curb pollution

conserve our ecosystems and preventresource depletion

he campaign for green growth willmark another milestone at a propitiousmoment in 1 when delegates fromaround the world return to io forthe Conference on ustainableevelopment

EAIN TE A

At io representatives of Asia andWKH3DFLFZLOOEHDEOHWRSRLQWWRsubstantial progress in several areascritical to green growth energyconservation and renewable energydevelopment pollution mitigationexpansion of clean mass transitsystems improved urban planningand preservation of natural resources

eshaping and refocusingpolicies and investments can leadto better returns on natural humanand economic capital says teiner is already working with manycountries in the region to make thetransition to a sustainable developmentmodel which is still the overarchinggoal

e cites three countries in Asia thatare making progress on this front

7KHHSXEOLFRI.RUHDKDV

SURPRWHGWKHHIFLHQWXVHRIUHVRXUFHVwaste prevention and resourcereutilization extended producerresponsibility and recycling sincethe early 199s n 8 it developeda national strategy and action planfor low carbon green growth orerecently it has launched the reenew eal olicy to invest % of its in green growth and created thelobal reen rowth nstitute in eoul

-DSDQKDVSLRQHHUHGUHVRXUFH

HIFLHQF\DQGUHF\FOLQJZLWKLWVundamental aw and lan forstablishing a ound aterialCycleociety which was adopted in and its aw on romoting reenurchasing enacted in the same yearumerous initiatives have followed

7KH3&KDVODXQFKHGDVHULHVRIgreen growth initiatives beginningwith a law promoting cleanerproduction its olid aste Act(amended in ) and its Circular

conomy aw in 8 which promotesimproved resource utilization andreduction reuse and recycling ofresources during production he

C also recently adopted a greendevelopment plan as part of its 1thiveear lan

teiner notes other importantinitiatives underway around theregion ndonesias efforts to phase outfossil fuels and reduce deforestationhailands initiative on cleantechnology iet ams policies onenergy tariffs and subsidy reformsndias ural mployment uaranteeAct and Clean nergy und andBhutans ross ational appinessLQGLFHVDVSDUWRIDUHGHQLWLRQRIwealth and economic progress

n my opinion leadership andvision have been fundamental to thedevelopment of such green initiativesand the political leaders of Asia3DFLFVKRXOGEHFRQJUDWXODWHGIRUrecognizing the need to change andtaking steps toward greener and moresustainable development says teinerAt the same time the industrialand business sectors civil societyorganizations and ordinary people areall making an important contribution

hile working to achieve betterenvironmental balance in itsdevelopment efforts the C has also

EHHQDOHDGHULQWDSSLQJWKHSURW

RECYCLING PIONEER A TV set is placed

on a disassembly line in Japan where

workers dismantle the appliance and

remove parts that may be recycled.

-DSDQKDVSLRQHHUHGUHVRXUFHHIFLHQF\

and recycling with its Fundamental

Law and Plan for Establishing a Sound

0DWHULDO&\FOH6RFLHW\LQ


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,5=09654,5;!;/,)0.9,(+

potential of the shift to lowcarbongreen technologiesa fact underscored

by the Cs rapid emergence

as the leading world supplier ofwind turbines and highspeed railtechnology n 8 the C earnedmore than 6 billion1% of itsfrom green technology businessactivities

7KHUHFHQWQDQFLDOFULVLVKDVQRWslowed the gathering momentum forgreen growth in Asia n fact the 89 crisis was an impetus for cleangrowth Australia the C apanand the epublic of orea have been

singled out for praise by green growthDGYRFDWHVIRUGHYRWLQJVLJQLFDQWportions of economic stimulus fundsduring the crisis to green growth andclean technology investments

hile countries across the globeare now rethinking their economiesand patterns of development in orderto minimize the kinds of shocks and

wildly oscillating commodity pricesthat we have recently witnessed onelesson learned from the crisis was that

countries should not rely solely onexports for growth says teiner Asa result there has been a shift in theregion toward domestic consumptionas a driver of growth pportunitiestherefore lie in the deployment ofgreen technologies more widelywithin Asia rather than emphasizingexclusively external markets for theseproducts

ay tun notes that greeninitiatives have been launched not

just by governments but also bynongovernment organizations and theSULYDWHVHFWRULQ$VLDDQGWKH3DFLF

niversities too are greening theircampuses and curricula says theIRUPHURIFLDOZKRLVFXUUHQWO\research professor at tony Brookniversity in ew ork apan theeoples epublic of China andepublic of orea have major greenprograms n apan the ukushimaearthquake and nuclear disaster has

energized the government businessand industry and importantly thegeneral public to go green veryproactively and extensively

n another sign of the changingattitudes within the private sector a

major industrial and residential estatedeveloper in ndonesia ababekaerbuka now advertises environmental

responsibility as a selling point toforeign corporations looking to relocateto the outheast Asian country t toutsa pollution prevention program the concept (reduce recycle reuse)to lessen the negative impacts on theHQYLURQPHQWDQGDQHQHUJ\HIFLHQF\program to reduce greenhouse gasemissions orking with ndonesiaseminent environmentalist andsustainable development advocatemil alim the company has promoted

tree planting and other green activitiesAB the the orld Bank and

other institutions have provided vitalsupport to the green developmentefforts underway in the region Andthis broad coalition of partners is whatis needed in the future as well

A lot of progress has beenmade since the 199 Conference onnvironment and evelopment in ioand there is reason to be cautiouslyoptimistic about what comes in the

future says Bindu ohani AB vicepresident for nowledge anagementand ustainable evelopment

owever the challenges inachieving green growth remainnumerous and varied he says hishighlights the need for coordinatedaction and knowledge sharing topromote environmentally sustainableJURZWKLQ$VLDDQGWKH3DFLF

CAT AN TIC AAC

Among those challenges are thornygovernance and regulatory issuesCarbonpolluting fossil fuels remainheavily subsidized in many countriesn many cases entrenched businessand political interests and corruptionobstruct green policy changes

roponents of green growth arguethat ecological tax reform needs totake place to ensure equal treatmentof traditional fuels and practices andclean technologies hey advocatethe imposition of carbon taxes

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net over the Mekong River in Phnom

Penh, Cambodia. Keeping water sources

clean is one of the major issues facing

Asia, which is under pressure to

conserve this essential resource in the

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levies on the use of nonrenewableenergy and virgin materials andfees and charges on practices thatpollute the environment or wastenatural resources and they call fortax breaks on production methods orconsumption patterns that producegreen outcomes ne example cited bygreen growth advocates is the Cssubstitution of a standard road taxwith a fuel tax that encourages energyHIFLHQF\

he key is a mix of market incentivesand government regulation expertssay

ithout a strong and crediblecompliance enforcement system noincentives framework will deliver

behavioral changes necessary toachieve green growth says ABsAhmad or example experiencesin forest management show that amoratorium on logging backed up byincentives for sustainable managementand protection can work better thaneither approach on its own

he Asian nvironmentalCompliance and nforcementetwork formed in 5 has allowedHQYLURQPHQWDODJHQF\RIFLDOVIURParound the region to compare notes asthey attempt to enforce regulations and

improve environmental complianceAnother change that would facilitate

greater acceptance of the green growth

philosophy is a new approach tomeasuring economic performancesome experts say he contention is that needs to be adjusted to accountfor such factors as resource depletionand pollution

s recent reen Economyeport notes that a major challenge isreconciling the competing economicdevelopment aspirations of rich andpoor countries in a world economy thatis facing increasing climate change

energy insecurity and ecologicalscarcity t contends that this ispossible through a green economythat offers a development path thatreduces carbon dependency promotesUHVRXUFHDQGHQHUJ\HIFLHQF\DQGlessens environmental degradationAs economic growth and investments

become less dependent on liquidatingHQYLURQPHQWDODVVHWVDQGVDFULFLQJenvironmental quality both richand poor countries can attain more

sustainable economic developmentBut forging a consensus between

developing and developed countrieson these issues may be the greatestchallenge of all says ndonesias alim

an economist and an environmentaliste acknowledges that ndonesiacant sustain the depletion of natural

resources caused by its mining andplantationbased economy orndonesia the path to a greenereconomy would mean adding value toits exports transforming copper palmoil and other raw products into moreYDOXDEOHQLVKHGJRRGVXWKHVD\Vndonesias efforts in this regard are

being thwarted by the cost of foreigntechnology and the higher tariffs thatndonesias valueadded productsconfront when exported to the and

other developed countrieshat is an inequity in the way the

global market works he says aninequity that is blocking ndonesiafrom moving faster toward a greeneconomy and preserving its naturalresources e cant solve this problemon our own

ndonesia and other developingcountries face a similar dilemma whenconfronted with outside pressure toshift from polluting fossil fuels to

renewable energy sources he sayshe technology for renewable

energy is expensive he says henthe government is confronted withthe choicefood for the poor ortechnology for renewable energyitwill opt for food for the poor

ndeed throughout the region policymakers face the daunting challenge ofdelivering environmentally sustainabledevelopment while satisfying theeconomic demands of rapidlygrowing populations he acceleratingmigration of rural dwellers to citiesacross Asia presents the region withunprecedented infrastructure demandsAs Asias cities swell by millionpeople each year policy makers arefaced with the staggering prospect ofadding urban dwellings 5kilometers of roads and 6 million litersof potable water each day to meet thesoaring demands

hile acknowledging thedaunting challenge this presents

SHIFTING GEARS A commuter rides past

transmission towers in Beijing. Asia has

made solid progress in reducing poverty.

Yet, experts say the only way to achieveORQJWHUPSURVSHULW\LVWRPLQLPL]HWKH

impact on the environment by using less

energy and resources.

The technology forrenewable energyis expensive. hen

the government isconfronted with thechoicefood for thepoor or technology forrenewable energyitwill opt for food for thepoor

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ABs Ahmad contends it is alsoa great opportunity to design

build and operate infrastructure on

principles of sustainability includingDFFHVVLELOLW\HFRHIFLHQF\DQGVRFLDOinclusiveness

Complicating the enormous socialand economic demands that theJRYHUQPHQWVRI$VLDDQGWKH3DFLFwill confront in the coming decadesare the mounting challenges posed

by climate change AB is amongthose advocating ecosystembasedapproaches to cope with the extremeeffects of climate change ne such

example is making additional effortsto protect mangroves rather than

building sea walls as a buffer againstincreasingly violent stormseffortsthat are not only costeffective but alsopreserve vital ecosystems and generateRWKHUHFRQRPLFDQGVRFLDOEHQHWV

he political will of governmentswill be further tested as thetransformation to a greener economyunfolds As many as 5 million green

jobs could be in Asia by 5 thenternational abour rganizationestimates but millions of others will belost as the fossil fuel industry and otherLQHIFLHQWRUORZWHFKQRORJ\VHFWRUVdecline his will require interim effortsto cushion the impact

he transition to a sustainableeconomy in the region promises to becostly but green growth advocatescontend that delay or inaction iseven more expensive nvironmentalmitigation costs in developingcountries will top 1 billion by $VLDDQG3DFLFDORQHIDFHVDQQXDOcosts estimated at billion to adaptits economies to the demands ofenvironmental sustainabilityamounts

far beyond the means of governmentbudgets

he key is using limited public sector

IXQGVWROHYHUDJHIDUPRUHVLJQLFDQWamounts of private capital for greeninvestments

lobal venture capital investmentsin clean technology soared from

billion in 5 to 8 billion in 1but only about 1% of that amount hasfound its way to the region

AB has launched the Asia ClimateChange and Clean nergy entureCapital nitiative to increase thatratio AB aims to nurture the rise

of clean technology companies inthe regions developing countries

by supplementing the investmentsof venture capital funds withequity infusions he longtermgoal is to stimulate the movementof venture capital toward climatechange mitigation and clean energyinvestments in the region

nergy urban developmenttransport infrastructure waterwastes and biodiversity are all

interconnected says ay tun theIRUPHURIFLDO7KHSDWKZD\toward greening is an integratedand multisector multidisciplinaryapproach he major challengeis how to integrate hat are the

policies economic incentivesQDQFLDOPHFKDQLVPVQRUPDWLYHmeasures technology? Asias

challenge as in other countries willbe the imperative behavioral changetoward a developmental paradigm ofsustainability resilience inclusivenessDQGHTXLWDEOHEHQHWVIRUDOO

EENIN TE BA ECNM

n une 1 world leadersdevelopment experts environmentaladvocates and other stakeholderswill gather in io de aneiro for thepivotal nited ations Conference

on ustainable evelopment ioas the conference has been dubbedwill mark the th anniversary of thehistoric nited ations Conference onnvironment and evelopment in iowhich set in motion the global drivefor sustainable development t willalso coincide with the 1th anniversaryof the orld ummit on ustainableevelopment which reinvigorated themovement

he conference has three statedobjectives to secure renewedpolitical commitment to sustainabledevelopment assess the progressand implementation gaps in previousagreements and address new andemerging challenges But the theme

BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER

Buddhist monks build a bridge above

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$UHFHQWUHSRUWE\WKH$VLDQ

Development Bank calls climate

change the most dramatic symptom of

unsustainable development.


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wwwdevelopmentasia anuaryarch 1 evelopment Asia 1

that will dominate the io sessions isthe urgent drive to rebalance povertyeradication and economic development

efforts in an increasingly fragile globalenvironment experts and advocatessay

$FURVV$VLDDQGWKH3DFLFJUHHQgrowth and the io conference aretopics of intense discussions thesedays n early ctober about 1KLJKOHYHOJRYHUQPHQWRIFLDOVand experts from around the worldconvened in ew elhi ndia fora dialogue on reen conomy andnclusive rowth he meeting

organized by the overnment of ndiaand the io ecretariat fostereda discussion on how green economyinitiatives can advance povertyeradication and social developmentefforts by enhancing food and energysecurity for the poor ater that monththe epublic of orea hosted the Asia3DFLFHJLRQDO3UHSDUDWRU\0HHWLQJfor io coorganized by the conomic and ocial Commission for$VLDDQGWKH3DFLF3DQG$'he meetings were something of adress rehearsal for the io conferenceas participants attempted to reach aconsensus on critical components ofgreen development

hile the nations of Asia and the3DFLFDUHPDNLQJJUHDWHIIRUWVWRcome together and speak as one voiceat io a global consensus promises to

EHPXFKPRUHGLIFXOW7KHDJHQGDfor sustainable development andgreen growth has been fragmented

by a proliferation of environmentaltreaties over the past decades heio conference offers an opportunityto bring about a more cohesive effortto help green development come tofruition

All of the governmentsparticipating in the io conferencewill have a historic opportunity topromote a green economy as a vehiclefor achieving sustainable developmentand poverty eradication says thes teiner e is hopeful that the

example of the C apan and theepublic of orea coming togetherto create a trilateral partnership to

achieve lowcarbon growth acrossthe region will set the tone heseinitiatives are setting the stage for thetype of cooperation we expect to see ona global scale at the io ummithe says n addition we expect theprivate sector and nongovernmentorganizations in the region to beincreasingly vocal participants in theprocess

But opinions are divided as towhether the differences betweendeveloping and developed nations andRWKHUJDSVFDQEHVXIFLHQWO\EULGJHGto produce a meaningful politicalstatement on how the global drive forgreen development will proceed

ajor conferences like ioraise considerable awareness amongpolitical leaders on the issues beingaddressed says ay tun hisis always an important step leadingWRDFWLRQVLQFOXGLQJLQ$VLD3DFLFhe arth ummit at io yearsago raised awareness and consensus

on sustainable development amhopeful that building upon thisconsensus io will take sustainable

development to the comprehensiveparadigm of greening and the linkagewith poverty eradication

But ndonesias alim is skepticalthat the conference will produce adramatic step forward in the struggleto achieve global green growth enotes that the will be facing apresidential election in ovember 1and sees little prospect that the countrywill risk a bold initiative that mightalienate voters ithout leadership

urope is unlikely to support boldsteps he says

xpect beautiful speeches hesays but dont think there will bemeaningful progress

teiner is more hopefulBy all accounts we are already

moving toward a green economyhe says he economic imperativeWRDFKLHYHJUHDWHUUHVRXUFHHIFLHQF\and develop new technologiesdemands that we must also consider

the environmental and social aspectsof this development he iosummit will be an opportunity to guidethis development and to accelerateand scaleup its implementation fgovernments fail to create the enablingframeworks needed for a globaltransition to a green economy they riskORVLQJRXWRQWKHPDQ\EHQHWVWKDWcould result from mutual collaborationAlso in the long term countries thatare already setting the pace in this areawill have an advantagefrom creatingJUHDWHUHIFLHQFLHVE\XSJUDGLQJWKHLU

buildings and industries to generatinghuge cost savings by leapfroggingdeveloped countries

io can be just another date inthe calendar teiner concludes oran opportunity to evolve sustainabledevelopment to meet the persistent andemerging challenges of the 1st centurywhile harvesting the opportunities for afundamentally fresh focused and fairfuture for close to billion people Q

HARNESSING SOLAR POWER The

largest solar photovoltaic power plant

in Asia lies on the plains of Lopburi,

Thailand.


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;/,)0.70*;


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Sources: World Health Organization (WHO).Global Health Observatory Data Repository. http://apps.who.int/ghodata (accessed 28 November 2001); Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia) Center, 2010.Air

Quality in Asia: Status and Trends, 2010 Edition . Pasig City, Philippines; WHO. http://www.who.int/gho/phe/outdoor_air_pollution/en/ (accessed 28 Novermber 2011); WHO. Health Aspects of Air Pollution with

Particulate Matter, Ozone and Nitrogen Dioxide. Report on a WHO Working Group Bonn, Germany, 1315 January 2003. www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf__le/0005/112199/E79097.pdf (accessed 28 November

2011); WHO. Air Quality Guidelines for Particulate Matter, Ozone, Nitrogen Dioxide and Sulfur Dioxide, Global Update 2005. Summary of Risk Assessment.

http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2006/WHO_SDE_PHE_OEH_06.02_eng.pdf (accessed 28 November 2011); WHO. Air Quality and Health. www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs313/en/ (accessed 28 November 2011);HEI International Scientific Oversight Committee. 2010. Outdoor Air Pollution and Health in the Developing Countries of Asia: A Comprehensive Review. Special Report 18. Health Effects Institute, Boston, MA.

1990

0

50

100

150

200

250

1995 2000 2005

Change in urban particulate matter

concentration by subregionCleaner fuels, growing energy efficiency, and falling emissionshave been credited with much of the decline in urban PM10concentrations.

ther outheast Asia

ther outh Asia

ndia

ighincome Asia

C

All AsiaAmbient PM1 concentration

micrograms per cubic meter

129%

79%

65%

20%

%

199360

40

20

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005

Percent Change in Concentration of pollutants

and of economic indicators in Asia

GD

1

Electricity consumptionElectricity generation

Growing economy and air pollutionImprovements in concentration of some pollutants despiteeconomic growth and rises in energy use have been attributedto direct efforts to manage air quality.

0

30

60

90

60

30

90

120

150

76

Armenia

74

Vanuatu

49

PRC

44

Bhutan

43

Turkmenistan

43

Malaysia

34

SolomonIslands

34

Georgia

31

Kyrgyzstan

31

Fiji

29

Kiribati

26

VietNam

25

Bangladesh

18

Mongolia

17

Uzbekistan

16

Philippines

9

Nepal

7

India

3

Republicof

Korea

143

LaoPDR

69

SriLanka

53

Singapore

45

Tajikistan

Indonesia

25

17

Pak

istan

13

Kaza

khstan

11

Thailand

7

Cambodia

3

FSM

3

Tonga

1

PapuaNew

Guinea

Change in urban SO intensityPercent change from 1990 to 2000 in SO2 intensity, tons of anthropogenicSO2 emissions per GDP in 1995 US$


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16 evelopmentAsia anuaryarch 1 wwwdevelopmentasia

PICTURECREDIT

:AFP

,5=09654,5;!;/,)0.=60*,

Natural CapitalistAn influential thinker on the environment explains why the planet cannot cope with infinite economic

growth and why Bhutans gross national happiness index is no joke

B ohn tis

Ashok hosla is one of theworlds leading expertson the environmentand sustainable

development e is also a pioneern the 196s hosla was part of ateam that designed and taught the

UVWXQGHUJUDGXDWHFRXUVHRQWKHenvironment at arvard niversityne of his students was Al ore

Born in ndia in 19 hosla hasjumped from academia to governmentto business to civil society all thewhile pursuing a green agenda Afterspending years studying andteaching overseas he returned to hiscountry where he became the foundingdirector of the overnment of ndias2IFHRIQYLURQPHQWDO3ODQQLQJDQG&RRUGLQDWLRQWKHUVWVXFKDJHQF\LQDdeveloping country

As one of the directors of thenited ations nvironmentrogram () hosla designedand launched nfoterra the globalenvironmental information exchangen 198 he left the nited ationsto found evelopment Alternativesa elhibased nongovernmentorganization devoted to promotingcommercially viable environmentallyfriendly technologies n hewas awarded the prestigious asakawa nvironment rize heselection committee said hoslas workhas had a large ripple effect not onlyin ndia but around the world

hosla is currently president of thenternational nion for Conservationof ature an alliance of conservationDJHQFLHVWKDWIRFXVHVRQQGLQJworkable solutions to the worlds mostpressing environmental problemse spoke with evelopment Asia

correspondent ohn tis about thechallenges of sustainable developmentthe looming possibility of a resourcecrisis in Asia and the misconceptionssurrounding the term green growth

DA: How did you become an

environmentalist?

A: saw a lot of poverty and miseryas a refugee and thought that itshouldnt have to be like that becamedetermined to learn everything couldthat would help me contribute to a

better ndia hile many studentsand professionals were emigratingout of the country knew wascoming back to ndia and wanted to

be prepared At arvard workedwith oger evelle a giant in therealm of science whose work led tothe discovery of climate change hiswas way back in the 196s when theenvironment movement was focused

on chemical pollution famine andpopulation growth and that was aboutit n the mid 196s because of thework of achel Carson and othersconcerns also began to grow aboutcontamination of our food chain oracid rain e became inspired byhaving to react to this onesided viewe came to the conclusion very earlyin the game that environmentalism wasmeaningless unless it was combinedwith the issues of society and humandevelopment

DA: Whats your view of Asias

unprecedented economic growth?

A: ne problem is that grossdomestic product () growth has

become a sacrosanct goal in its ownright he ndian government talksabout growth as if its the onlything that counts o does the eoplesepublic of China (C) o does the


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anuaryarch 1 evelopment Asia 1wwwdevelopmentasia

nited tates o does everybody Butcontinued exponential growth thatdepends on the use of more and more

PDWHULDOVIURPDQLWHUHVRXUFHEDVHwill hit a dead end sooner or later Asiastarted out as a kind of workshop forindustrialized countries ow Asiais becoming industrialized in its ownright But its happening mainly bycopycatting estern and orthernmodels that havent worked and fromwhich people are now trying to savethemselves hese models are totallyinappropriate in terms of resourcemanagement energy and water use

and the treatment of human beings andnature o the word growth carriesa connotation which think is veryunhealthy that its a desirable aim tokeep on growing t is not unless onewishes to be like a cancer

DA: But economic growth has also

helped legions of Asians move up in the

world.

A: es half a billion people have beenpulled out of poverty But tell me howmany people have been left behind inpoverty And thats a larger numbere have actually destroyed far morenatural capital than we have createdhis is true in the C and ndia andit is now beginning to happen all overoutheast Asia too ndia has lost largetracts of its forests and wetlands heC has neglected its resource baseto the extent that its rivers are dryingup its soils are degrading and vastareas must for example deal with duststorms

DA: Are Asian nations discussing the

limitations of growth?

A: ahatma andhi raised manyof these same questions 1 years agoand they are all coming back into themainstream discussion today anycivil society organizations and someacademics question the way thingsare going here is a growing body offorwardthinking political leadership see that in the epublic of orea

The word growthcarries a connotationwhich I think is veryunhealthy: that its adesirable aim to keepon growing. It is notunless one wishes tobe like a cancer

(ZOVR2OVZSH

in Bhutan and even in ndia whereweve had some highly dedicatedgovernment ministers But they havegained very little sustained tractionost political leaders and captainsof industry dont have any questionsregarding the negative aspects ofgrowth at all ero ada ip tsnot just the Asian governmentsost if not all governments are likethis hey represent the interests ofthe people who get them electedAnd those people are the rich theindustrialists and the business peoplehese are vested interests; peoplewith their snouts in the trough whoare getting a great deal out of thepresent system hey have the powermoney connections and ability to stopanything from changing

DA: Do you see any major businesses

moving toward greener practices?

A: ou tell me ho are you talkingabout? ell me which mining companyhas improved its performance visvispeople or nature? here must surely besome companies But d rather you tellme who they are because none comesto the top of my mind very easily

DA: Yet there is a strong economic

argument in favor of a more sustainable

model.

A: iterally trillions of dollars innatural capital such as forests soilwater sources in the form of glaciers

rivers and groundwater are beingmined without replacement andtherefore lost every year his is so

obvious that no one can deny it Butthe people who really understand thisare not in mainstream economics andthere are not enough of them to make adifference As for the costs of reform ifyou change the patterns of productionand consumption right now it will costmuch less f action is delayed and isforced upon us it will come at a muchhigher cost

DA: Could Asia change its tax policies to

foment a green agenda?A: f you want to discourage badthingslike resource consumptionZDVWHFUHDWLRQDQGLQHIFLHQF\\RXshould be taxing those things And youshould subsidize the good things likeemployment and the creation of jobsBut over the last or 8 years systemshave been designed to tax the goodthings such as income and encouragethe bad things such as resourceextraction and wasteful use of energyhat makes no sense whatsoevere have got to have a fundamentalrethinking of our tax structure But dont see many governments oreven economists proposing changesAnd once you get locked into thesetax systems you cant get out ofthem because large bureaucraciesand government agencies acquire apermanent life of their own

DA: Do you see Asia heading toward an

environmental catastrophe?

A: he short answer is yes implecomputer models have already shownthis o did the 19 bookThe imitsto rowth. hings are unfolding evenfaster than the book predictedthatwithin 1 years from its publicationin 19 we are running into a situationof overshoot and collapse he worldspopulation and economy increase;food demand continues to grow; andagricultural and industrial productionkeep on going But the resource base


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18 evelopmentAsia anuaryarch 1 wwwdevelopmentasia

PICTU

RECREDIT:ADBPHOTOJAMESHUTCHISONAFP(INDONESIA)

2/6:3(!;/,)0.=60*,

and the systems that absorb our wastesare breaking down oday the Arcticice is melting at a rapid rate and could

be gone in years something thathasnt happened in tens of thousandsof years ts dramatic e are way

ahead of schedule The imits to rowthwas talking only about 1 yearsAlready within years we see all thesigns of overshoot and collapse

DA: Will it be overshoot and collapse that

QDOO\EULQJDERXWGHHSVHDWHGFKDQJHV

in the region?

A: ur governments may graduallystart to react a little but reform is notlikely to come from within; it is likelyto be a waiting game for a while untilWKHVHDOHYHOVULVHVLJQLFDQWO\WKHVKare gone there is no water to drinkand hungry people are rioting in thestreets for reasonably priced food hiscould be in another 1 years maybe which is not longduring ourlifetimes he fundamental premise ofmodern development is that the livingstandards of every generation should

be better than those of earlier onesow are the governments companiesinternational development agenciesgoing to explain the circumstancesthat lead to a rapid though avoidabledeterioration in the lives of ourchildren? ery soon change will beforced upon governments businessesand agencies by public opinion orinternational treatiesor major eventssuch as urricane atrina or theukushima sunami

DA: Whats been the impact of

international climate treaties?

A:7KH\IRUFHJRYHUQPHQWRIFLDOV

to recognize environmental issues Butgovernments can repackage them indifferent ways and continue to do whatthey are doing o the treaties are notalways lending to correct outcomesndustrialized countries are playing a

very negative role because they wantto palm off the costs of things theyve

been doing for the past years ontopoor countries Climate change theloss of species and the destruction ofhabitats have not been caused by poorcountries And yet in internationalnegotiations the rich countriescynically want the poor countries totake responsibility for doing somethingabout it without themselves makingany commitment at all

DA: What about the concept of green

growth as an alternative path forward?

A: reen growth does not simplymean making power plants moreHIFLHQWRUSODQWLQJPRUHWUHHV,WLVabout making fundamental changesin our consumption patterns andour production systems hosewho are currently in positions ofprivilege unfortunately see greengrowth as a means to continue theirpredatory patterns of exploiting theearths resources and wasting largeamounts of these while proselytizingto others that they must behave moreresponsibly visvis the environmenterpetual lopsided resourceguzzlingJURZWKFDQQRWEHVXVWDLQHGRQDQLWHplanet or in a fair and just worldreen growth is about an equitable

bootstrapping of the economy so thatHYHU\RQHEHQHWVIURPLW,WPHDQVDQenvironmentally and economicallysound way of creating economic

opportunities where everyone canhave a job and a decent life and cansend their kids to school But thatsnot whats happening in any of theseplaces

DA: Why not?

A: heres this idea that green growthis a hard thing to do ost peopleSHUFHLYHLWDVVDFULFLQJWKLQJVZH

are supposed to value for the goodof the planet like switching fromcomfortable fossil fuels to less familiarand renewable energies like wind andsolar But dont think thats a goodway to pursue green growth reengrowth should be something thatsa great privilege to have e have totransform the thinking of people andinstitutions so that they value thingsthat are good for them in their ownULJKW,I\RXFRXOGUHGHQHWKHWHUPWR

be something positive that involveschanges in consumption patterns andproduction systems to make human lifePRUHLQWHUHVWLQJPRUHIXOOOLQJDQGhappier then the term green growthwould be okay But the concept ofgreen growth also has to be temperedwith the understanding that youFDQWNHHSJURZLQJIRUHYHURQDQLWHresource base ooner or later the wordgrowth will trip over itself

DA: Arent there some spots on the map

where green growth is catching on?

A: n Bhutan they are pursuingsustainable development with greatdedication and the people havewholeheartedly adopted the idea ofgross national happiness as a societalgoal far superior to hey dontVHHLWDVDVDFULFH7KH\VHHLWDVDgreat privilege and the best way to liverom the ing and the rime inisteron down to the little schoolchildrenthey are basically willing to say o

HAPPY PEOPLE Bhutanese students

cross a long bridge on their way to

school. The King of Bhutan has made it

a national priority to raise gross national

happiness, which he considers a better

measure of prosperity than gross

domestic product (GDP).


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anuaryarch 1 evelopment Asia 19wwwdevelopmentasia

thank you; we dont want the kind oflife modern societies have becomeaddicted to e are interested in having

a full life with clean healthy food andgood education And they made theircommitments hat doesnt mean everyBhutanese has made that commitment

but a very large majority has

DA: Is Bhutans experiment with gross

national happiness having much impact

elsewhere in Asia?

A: hat is the purpose of life? henited tates Constitution beginswith he pursuit of happiness as

being next to only life and libertyo even 5 years ago people weretalking about it hats more theshortcomings of measuring progressthrough are horrendous t doesnot include the work of nearly half thepopulationhousewivesor the lossof environmental assets such as forestsor soils or the breakdown of socialcapital such as family and communityAnd that is only the beginning of awhole litany of shortcomings of thissocalled measure of societalprogress ho other than aneconomist would consider this ameaningful way to gauge the health

RIDVRFLHW\"*'3LVVXFKDDZHGinstrument that it actually includesthe cutting down of treeswhich is

the destruction of natural capitalaspositive income ts such a ridiculously

bad measurement yet is acceptedby the experts who run our worldas being the only way to describeprogress n the other hand if you tellthem about gross national happinessthey will laugh till these areconcepts which like others have theirtipping points nce becomesdysfunctional and disreputable peoplewill start looking for something else to

describe progress ome work on thishas already started such as the nitedations evelopment rogrammesuman evelopment ndex

DA: Do you expect any concrete

progress to come out of the 2012 Rio

Summit?

A:7KHUVWJOREDOHQYLURQPHQWDOconference was in 19 in tockholmwenty years later we had theio arth ummit then came

ohannesburg and now another onein io n between weve had theillennium evelopment oals etthe world isnt better off dont wantto sound like a onestring guitar butthe vested interests are the root ofthe problem he people who call theshots are not really very worried aboutwhat happens to the rest of usnowor in the future But though nothingmuch has happened each one of uskeeps saying f we dont try nowthen it will get even worse o we allgo to these summits and we all try todo something And most of us keephoping that maybe something willcome out of it

DA: What other developments give you

optimism?

A: ne can be optimistic that aftera few encounters with catastrophepeople will realize that things haveto change also think that if there ishope for the future it is because of civil

society which has the diversity andthe anger and the willpower to try tostop the inexorable drive with a foot

pressing the accelerator pedal towardthe cliff

DA: What role can new technology play?

A: aturebased technologicalinnovations can help save humanityheres a white beetle from ndonesiafrom which we can learn about howto make a cement substitute withouthaving to use any energy or hightemperatures pider silk is strongerthan titanium per unit of weight and

could be used on things normallymade with aluminum titanium orsteel hese technologies could havetheir renaissance in Asia because theyWVRPHRIWKHSKLORVRSKLHVRIWKLVregion hey also provide Asia withan opportunity because we haventyet made all those investments intraditional infrastructure or examplewe dont have all the roads thatpreordain the car as a main mode oftransport hy not try other ways likeairships?

DA: What is Asias potential role in

setting a greener agenda?

A: Asia is in a position to play amajor leadership role in the newthinking that is required to make theworld a better place t can set a realexample by setting new kinds of socialeconomic and political goals that arenot simply copycat goals from the estor the orth but ones that make senseto our traditions and cultures hecivilizations of Asia are quite ancientand have centuries if not millennia ofthinking about how to live peacefullyand in harmony with nature But itseems to me they have temporarilyforgotten many of these lessons eepdown these lessons should still beavailable to them And if they accessthem soon they could bring aboutVLJQLFDQWFKDQJHVWKDWZRXOGEHDmodel for the rest of the world f notwe are in real trouble Q

GLOBAL WARNING An activist dresses

as a penguin at a demonstration held

during an international climate change

conference in Indonesia. Khosla sees

civil society playing a major role in

convincing governments to address

climate change issues.


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wwwdevelopmentasia evelopmentAsia anuaryarch 1

,5=09654,5;

nvironmental activists foryears have stressed theimportance of preserving theplanets biological diversity

But in a region that is home to twothirds of the worlds poor it hasSURYHQSROLWLFDOO\GLIFXOWIRU$VLDQgovernments to turn away corporationsand their cashgenerating proposals forexploiting scarce natural resources

he debate has been largely one

in the regions natural capitalately however conservation

minded policy makers andHQYLURQPHQWDODFWLYLVWVDUHQGLQJDPRUHOHYHOSOD\LQJHOG

Changes underway in iet amLOOXVWUDWHWKHQHZG\QDPLFV$IWHUyears of mangrove destruction toPDNHZD\IRUVKULPSIDUPVDQGVKponds the government investedmore than 1 million in planting and

sided Corporations could lay outspreadsheets with revenue projectionsfor a proposed project whileconservationists struggled to quantifyWKHQDQFLDOEHQHWVRIUHVRXUFHSURWHFWLRQ,QWKHPHDQWLPHLQ$VLDand around the globe legal and illegalcommercial interests cut forests andmangroves mined the landscape andharvested rare plants and animalssetting in motion a precipitous decline

reenback rowthhe divide between environmentalists and policy makers often remains widebut bridges are being built

B regg ones


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wwwdevelopmentasia anuaryarch 1 evelopment Asia 1

3,&785&5',7-83,75,0$*6021


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wwwdevelopmentasia evelopmentAsia anuaryarch 1

,5=09654,5;

value the economics of biodiversityloss ermany and the uropeanCommission launched the study withVXEVHTXHQWQDQFLDOVXSSRUWE\WKH and several other uropeancountries he objectives included

drawing attention to the globalHFRQRPLFEHQHWVRIELRGLYHUVLW\highlighting the growing cost of

biodiversity loss and ecosystemdegradation and providing practicalsolutions such as establishing anobjective global standard for naturalcapital accounting

/HGE\3DYDQXNKGHYDVHQLRUbanker at eutsche Bank BUHOHDVHGWKHUVWRIYHUHSRUWVLQ8 ts studies have highlighted theeconomic losses and human costscaused by vanishing biodiversity

ature is the source of much valueto us every day and yet it mostly

bypasses markets escapes pricingDQGGHHVYDOXDWLRQXNKGHYZULWHVin the initial report his lack ofvaluation is we are discovering anunderlying cause for the observeddegradation of ecosystems and the lossof biodiversity

Biodiversity loss is critical to globaldevelopment efforts because povertyclimate change biodiversity and theloss of ecosystems like tropical reefs orforests are inextricably intertwinedthe B report notes ndeedWKHVWXG\QGVWKDWWKHSRRUZHUHW\SLFDOO\WKHLPPHGLDWHEHQHFLDULHVof ecosystem services and biodiversityhe livelihoods most affected aresubsistence farming animal husbandryVKLQJDQGLQIRUPDOIRUHVWU\PRVWof the worlds poor are dependent onthem

RUGHFDGHVHQYLURQPHQWDODFWLYLVWVhave struggled to convince policymakers of the hidden costs of lost

biodiversity and natural resourcesURPDSROLF\PDNHUVSHUVSHFWLYHthe value of exploiting resources wasfar easier to measure he governmentsells permits to allow a companyto mine copper or gold cut timberRUFDWFKVKDQGWKHFRPSDQ\LQWXUQSD\VWD[HVDQGSURWVIURPLWVactivities

But what went unrecognizedorat least unacknowledged in policycirclesfor decades was the cost ofdepleting those resources and theresulting loss of ecosystem biodiversity

ow the use of recently developedaccounting tools and techniques isallowing policy makers to weigh thenegative impact of certain activitiesagainst the value of ecosystem servicessuch as the carbon sequestration andwater cycle regulation of a tropicalforest or the storm protection provided

by a mangrove forest2QHH[DPSOHWKDW7FLWHVLVD

FRVWEHQHWDQDO\VLVRIFRQYHUWLQJ

mangroves into shrimp farms insouthern hailand ith governmentsubsidies commercial shrimp farmsgenerate returns of about 1 perhectare But local communities loseabout 1 per hectare in ecosystemservices stemming from the loss ofwood and nonwood forest productsVKHULHVDQGFRDVWDOSURWHFWLRQWKHstudy notes

$URXQG$VLDIUHVKZDWHUDQGFRDVWDOwetlands are now seen as providers

of economically valuable ecosystemservices sing new accounting toolswetlands around the city of ientianethe ao eoples emocratic epublicfor example have been estimated toSURYLGHPLOOLRQLQRRGSUHYHQWLRQservices

he hidden costs of forest lossa major problem across much of$VLDKDYHDOVREHHQUHYHDOHGE\WKHQHZHIIRUWV2QHVWXG\KDVYDOXHGpollination services provided by forestsLQXODZHVL,QGRQHVLDDWDERXWper hectare he conversion of forestedareas to farmland and other uses isexpected to reduce those pollinationVHUYLFHVZLWKVLJQLFDQWHFRQRPLFconsequences for coffee growers\LHOGVUHGXFHGE\XSWRDQGQHWrevenues per hectare will decline by asPXFKDVRYHUWKHQH[WGHFDGHV

$WWKH&RQIHUHQFHRIWKH3DUWLHVWRthe nited ations Convention onBiological iversity in agoya apanin 1 orld Bank resident obert

AMAZON OF THE SEAS A local diver

ZDWFKHVGLIIHUHQWYDULHWLHVRIVKZHDYH

through a maze of corals in Puerto

Galera, Philippines. The country is partof the Coral Triangle Initiative, which

was formed to save one of the worlds

most diverse and threatened marine

ecosystems.

Nature is the source ofmuch value to us everyday and yet it mostlybypasses marketsescapes pricing anddefies valuation

7H]HU:\ROKL]HZLUPVYIHURLY

H[+L\[ZJOL)HUR


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wwwdevelopmentasia anuaryarch 1 evelopment Asia

have agreed to pay 8 million to morethan forestdwelling householdsto help protect watersheds that

supply the hydropower plants hiswill increase incomes for subsistencehouseholds while reducing operatingcosts and improving the longtermsustainability of the plants

2QDJOREDOVFDOHHIIRUWVDUHunderway to reduce greenhouse gasemissions through a program known aseducing missions from eforestationDQGRUHVW'HJUDGDWLRQRU''

:LWK$VLDVSRSXODWLRQUDSLGO\shifting from rural areas to urbancenters a major challenge for theregion is addressing the ecosystemimpact of overpopulated cities rbanDFWLYLWLHVDOUHDG\DFFRXQWIRUDERXWof the worlds energy consumptionDQGRIJUHHQKRXVHJDVHPLVVLRQVrban dwellers also account for mostof the global demand for fresh waterwood and other raw materials

LQJDSRUHZKLFKKDVGHYLVHGDcity biodiversity index to help guide

its development plans has been aleader in protecting biodiversity in anXUEDQVHWWLQJ$PRQJLWVZLOGHUQHVVDUHDVRSHQWRWKHSXEOLFDUHXQJHLBuloh a mangrove park restored fromshrimp farms and Bukit imah atureeserve which encompasses primary

and secondary tropical rainforesthe city of agoya apan has also

distinguished itself by introducing asystem of tradable development rightsto help preserve its vanishing greenspace evelopers who wish to exceedlimits on highrise buildings must buyand conserve green areas at risk ofGHYHORSPHQW2WKHULQFHQWLYHVLQFOXGHdiscounted bank loans for developersthat incorporate more green space withtheir projects

City dwellers along with ruralcommunities and businesses canH[SHFWWRUHFHLYHEHQHWVIURPVXFKHIIRUWV$WWKHQDWLRQDODQGinternational levels the Bresearchers note there is an addedpayoff for policy makers who placea premium on biodiversity andecosystem services hey are likely toenjoy stronger economic growth in thedecades ahead Q

HEART OF BORNEO Clouds cover a

forested mountain in West Kalimantan

province on Borneo island. In 2007,

Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, andMalaysia signed a declaration to protect

the Heart of Borneo, where only about

half of the original forests remain.

oellick announced a 5year pilotprogram to expand the efforts to useinnovative accounting tools to measure

the value of ecosystems ts a way oftrying to help people understand betterin economic terms the value of naturalwealth says oellick

CMENATIN NATE

$VLDLVDOVRDWWKHIRUHIURQWRIRWKHUnew methods designed to address theloss of biodiversity and ecosystemdegradation including payments forHFRV\VWHPVHUYLFHV3SURJUDPV

$XSUHPH&RXUWUXOLQJLQndia resulted in the creation of asystem of compensatory paymentsfor converting various types of forestland to other use alues were assignedaccording to the use of the landranging from timber and ecotourismto such nonuse values as conservingWKHR\DOHQJDOWLJHUDQG$VLDWLFlion nder the system a permit must

be obtained to convert a forest toother uses and payments made intoa publicly managed fund devotedto improving ndias forest coverconserving wildlife and creating rural

jobs,QLHWDPXQGHUDSLORW3SROLF\

FUHDWHGZLWKDVVLVWDQFHIURPWKH$VLDegional Biodiversity Conservationrogram two hydropower facilities

GARDEN CITY A couple looks down

from a walkway on a canopy of trees in

Singapore, dubbed the Garden City of

Asia. The city-state follows a biodiversity

index in its development plans.

3,&

785&5',7$3$'%3+272/675/'60$6,1*$3

25


26/56

evelopmentAsiaanuaryarch 1 wwwdevelopmentasia

PICTURECREDIT:AFP

irty BusinessAsia is on the receiving end of some of the worlds most toxic waste

B illiam Branigin

By the dozens each daycargo ships pull into portin ong ong China andRIRDGIRRWFRQWDLQHUV

OOHGZLWKGLVFDUGHGHOHFWURQLFJRRGVfrom elsewhere in the world mostlyfrom orth America he refuse istypically taken to fenced scrapyards orwarehouses for initial sorting north ofowloon then moved into the eoplesepublic of China (C) by truck or

boathe electronic waste known as

HZDVWHRUHVFUDSRIWHQHQGVXSLQuiyu a town about miles westof hantou in rural uangdongrovince here thousands of workersmany of them women and childrenuse basic tools open burning andacid baths to recover copper steel

plastic aluminum computer chipsOHDGWLQVROGHUDQGVPDOODPRXQWVRIprecious metals such as gold But inthe process they expose themselvesand the environment to a host of toxinsincluding lead mercury cadmium

EHU\OOLXPDQGEURPLQDWHGDPHretardants

he situation in uiyu documentedby watchdog groups such as the BaselAction etwork and reenpeacerepresents one aspect of the growingproblem of hazardous waste in Asiat also exposes what the groups havecalled the dirty little secret of theelectronics recycling industry theFRPPRQFRVWFXWWLQJSUDFWLFHRIVLPSO\H[SRUWLQJHZDVWHIURPFRXQWULHVsuch as the nited tates instead ofprocessing it safely at home

,5=09654,5;

E-WASTE EXPOS Activitists mount

an installation made from computer

monitors on a truck during a protest in

New Delhi in 2007. Watchdog groups

have exposed the threat posed by the

improper processing of these toxic

materials to health and the environment.

A FAT-IN BEM

RUVHYHUDO\HDUVQRZHZDVWHKDVEHHQWKHIDVWHVWJURZLQJZDVWHproblem in the world according tothe nited ations nvironment3URJUDPPH3DQGLWVDIOLDWHGBasel Convention on the Controlof ransboundary ovements ofazardous astes and heir isposalZDVWHDFFRXQWVIRUDERXWRI


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anuaryarch 1evelopmentAsia 5wwwdevelopmentasia

municipal waste and is estimatedto be piling up at times the rate ofmunicipal waste worldwide

t is exponentially growing saysatharina ummer eiry head ofWKHZLVVEDVHGDVHO&RQYHQWLRQsecretariat At the time the Basel&RQYHQWLRQZDVDGRSWHGLQthis did not even exist as a wasteVWUHDPRZHZDVWHLVWKHNH\ZDVWHstream that the Basel Convention islooking at

According to im uckett executiveGLUHFWRURIWKHHDWWOHEDVHGDVHOAction etwork a group working

to address toxic waste issues up toRIWKHHZDVWHFROOHFWHGLQWKHfor recycling actually ends up beingexported uch of it comes fromentities such as government agenciesand schools that sign recyclingcontracts with the lowest bidder hesays hipping containers tracked byhis group have made their way tondia ndonesia alaysia akistanand iet am uckett says but mostare still going to ong ong Chinaen route to the C

ike hazardous waste generallyWKHH[SORVLRQRIHZDVWHKDVEHHQdriven in part by population growthand rising consumption But it

also owes much to the astonishingSUROLIHUDWLRQRIKLJKWHFKGHYLFHVworldwide rapid obsolescencemanufacturing techniques thatPDNHGLVDVVHPEO\GLIFXOWDQGwidespread unawarenesseven indeveloped countriesof the toxicnature of materials hidden in personalcomputers cell phones monitors andmany other electronic products

he world population is steadilyincreasing consumption levels aregrowing and as a result the globalwaste heap is getting bigger and

bigger says a draft report ital asteraphics , produced for the Basel&RQYHQWLRQDQG3\PLGcentury it says a projected worldpopulation of 9 billion is expected togenerate more than 11 billion tonsRIZDVWHD\HDUDERXWPRUHWKDQin 9

A IFEATIN F ATIC AN

TECN

HFDXVHRIYDU\LQJGHQLWLRQVDQG

UHSRUWLQJPHFKDQLVPVLWLVGLIFXOWto estimate how much of global orregional waste is hazardous But amajor concern is the soaring shareof municipal wastes represented byplastics ow massively manufacturedall over the world plastics are used inmore and more products includingelectronics and can absorb andtransfer persistent organic pollutantsknown as schemicals oftenused in pesticides that endure in the

environment and accumulate in thefood chain

Although plastic waste often endsXSLQODQGOOVLWDOVRQRZDERXQGVin the worlds oceans where largerotating surface currents called gyresKDYHIRUPHGHQWLUHRDWLQJLVODQGVof marine debris according to italaste raphics . /DUJHKLJKGHQVLW\concentrations of more than 5plastic particles per square kilometerare found in the orth and outh3DFLFDVZHOODVWKHRUWKDQGRXWK$WODQWLFZKLOHDYDVWPHGLXPGHQVLW\VZDWKRISOXVSLHFHVSHUVTXDUHNLORPHWHURDWVLQWKH,QGLDQ2FHDQthe report says ithin those gyres itsays marine fauna ingest plastic or

become entangled in it while mosthumans remain oblivious

n Asia as in other regions mountingconcerns about hazardous waste have

been accompanied by a dramaticshift in the production and usageof information and communicationtechnology (C) ince mobilephone subscribers in the developingworld have outnumbered those indeveloped countries and now accountIRUQHDUO\RIWKHZRUOGWRWDO7KHvolume of obsolete personal computersin developing countries is projectedto exceed the number in developednations by about 16

he nternational elecommunicationnion has estimated that the numberof mobile phones in use worldwide

TOXIC EXPORT Greenpeace activists in

Hong Kong, China lower a banner on a

cargo ship allegedly carrying an illegal

shipment of electronic waste from the

United States in 2008.

The worldpopulation issteadily increasingconsumption levelsare growing and as aresult the global wasteheap is getting biggerand bigger

=P[HS>HZ[L.YHWOPJZWYVK\JLK

MVY[OL)HZLS*VU]LU[PVUHUK

[OL


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6 evelopmentAsiaanuaryarch 1 wwwdevelopmentasia

PICTURECREDIT:AFP

increased from 15 million in 1996 toPRUHWKDQELOOLRQLQD\HDUZKHQsales of mobile handsets reportedlyreached 1 billion ith most mobilephones destined to be discarded within1 years of purchase it is no wonderthat the C industry is projected toJHQHUDWHPLOOLRQWRQVRIHZDVWHE\1

A BA ATE MAET

2IWKHHZDVWHRQO\DERXWLVreported to be recycled with or withoutadequate safety procedures accordingto the 1 annual report of lobalnformation ociety atch (atch)a network that promotes sustainableC et that is enough to fuel aglobal waste market worth roughly billion a year orldwide wastepicking or scavenging in an informalrecycling industry provides income tomore than 15 million people almost allof them in developing countries

n the C at least 1 million peoplework in recycling roughly ofWKHPLQWKHHZDVWHVHFWRUDFFRUGLQJto here uiyu has emergedas the ground zero for the electronicwaste trade says uckett who haspersonally investigated conditions inthe town for the Basel Action etwork

Although it is illegal to importhazardous waste into the C he saysroughly 51 shipping containers

,5=09654,5;

OOHGZLWKHZDVWHDUULYHLQ+RQJong China each day destined fora recycling industry that since thePLGVKDVWUDQVIRUPHG*XL\XIURPDSRRUUXUDOULFHJURZLQJcommunity into a boomingbutheavily pollutedprocessing centerfor discarded electronics As a resultthe areas groundwater has beencontaminated forcing authorities to

build a pipeline to bring in fresh waterfrom kilometers away uckett saysevels of dioxins and heavy metals aresome of the highest in the world andtests have shown elevated lead levels inchildrens blood he says

Conditions in ndia and akistanZKHUHHZDVWHSURFHVVLQJKDVmushroomed may be even worse thanthose in the C the Basel Actionetwork reports t cites the open

burning of circuit boards by childlaborers in ew elhi neighborhoodsand unventilated operations in arachiusing blowtorches and acidall torecover chips and precious metals

ncreasingly ndia is becomingDGXPSLQJJURXQGIRUHZDVWHaccording to a country report published

by atch ndia generated aboutWRQVRIHZDVWHLQDQamount projected to grow to 16 milliontons by 1 n addition about 5WRQVD\HDURIHZDVWHDUHLPSRUWHGillegally the report says

he overnment of ndia has draftedUXOHVWRPDQDJHHZDVWHEXWWKH\GRnot cover the informal sector whereRIWKHFRXQWU\VHZDVWHUHF\FOLQJis carried out according to the 1report

n the hilippines where mobilephone subscriptions have skyrocketed

and electronics make up more thanRILPSRUWVGXPSVLWHVFDYHQJHUVFRPPRQO\VZDUPRYHUODQGOOVWKDWFRQWDLQHZDVWHPL[HGZLWKRWKHUVROLGwaste But under a recycling loopholein the Basel Convention a trade insecondhand electronics has developedcontributing to the growing heaps ofHZDVWH*,:DWFKUHSRUWV,QDORQHWRQVRIVHFRQGKDQGelectrical and electronic equipmentwere imported mostly from apan and

the epublic of orea0RUHRYHUDDJUHHPHQWZLWK

apan allowed the importation ofapanese chemical hospital andmunicipal wastes into the hilippinesangering environmentalists andprompting one hilippine newspaperto complain that the country waspositioning itself as a global wastedump

BAE CNENTIN EE

TIN

ike the C ndia apan theepublic of orea and most outheastAsian nations the hilippines hasUDWLHGWKHDVHO&RQYHQWLRQwhich was designed to reduce themovements of hazardous waste amongnations t took effect in 199 and nowKDVSDUWLHV7KHKDVVLJQHGEXWQRWUDWLHGLW

A more ambitious measure knownas the Ban Amendment was adopted

by the conventions parties in 1995

MONEY FROM TRASH A boy collects

usable materials among the garbage

washed up at Manila Bay. More than

15 million people, almost all of them indeveloping countries, make a living by

scavenging for recyclables.


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anuaryarch 1evelopmentAsia wwwdevelopmentasia

adopted a paradigm shift in the waythat wastes are looked at nstead

of focusing mainly on controllingwaste disposal and transboundarymovements she says the conferenceDJUHHGWRHPEUDFHPRUHRIDOLIHcycle approach so that preventionand minimization of waste should

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Going Green: Why Asia is Moving Toward a Green Model of Economic Growth

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