Green Recovery for people and the environment due to COVID-19
Green Recovery has become more relevant as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was one of the core themes of the XXII Forum of Ministers of the Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean. The Forum took place on February 1 and 2 and urgent issues for the region were discussed such as environmental justice, sustainable development and the importance of recovering better to overcome the crisis.
Transmission of the second day of the Forum of Ministers of the Environment
ABOUT THE EVENT
Context and objective
Philipp Schönrock, Director of Cepei, was invited to comment on the speeches of the Ministers of the Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean. He made emphasis in the relationship between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the environmental agenda of Latin American countries. Green Recovery implies evolving towards sustainable, environment friendly economies, and the well-being of the population.
CEPEI’S CONTRIBITION
According to Schönrock, “there is a need to work for sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda through four pillars: governance, financing, data and innovation.”
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE INTERVENTION
Governance: A greater presence of the ministries of the environment in decision-making and in public policies that promote sustainable development is needed. There is currently a disconnection.
Financing: It is all about the mobilization of domestic resources for reconstruction. Green recovery for people and for the environment is key, because sustainable development and the environmental dimension are closely related to facing poverty, improving the population´s well-being, promoting resilient tourism, working for gender equality and creating decent jobs.
Data: The principles of the data revolution should guide our way. Data allows us to measure progress, identify gaps, and take actions where it is critically needed. The outbreak of the pandemic has underlined the importance of data because it supports better decision-making for greater social and environmental impact.
Innovation: Technology is useful to learn about local capacities and provide support to policy making.
“It is not possible to adopt comprehensive policies for sustainable development, capable of balancing the environmental, social and economic dimensions if there is no generation, processing and availability of data on each of its dimensions.”
Philipp Schönrock, Cepei
ORGANIZERS
