New York, Oct 14 2009 6:10PM
Green technologies generate not only environmental advances but also promote economic growth, Secretary Ban Ki-moon said today, calling on opinion-makers attending a forum in Seoul to encourage businesses and governments to make climate-friendly investments.
In a message to the World Knowledge Forum, delivered by the President of the United Nations Foundation Timothy Wirth, Mr. Ban called on governments "to show the flexibility and leadership" that will seal a "fair, ambitious and binding" global climate agreement at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this December.
"Investing in green technologies yields not only environmental gains but also large-scale economic growth," he said.
Established in October 2000, the forum gathers more than 100 business executives and policy-makers from around the world to grapple with the major challenges facing humankind.
"The world is over-armed; the nuclear threat persists," said Mr. Ban, "but now is also a moment of opportunity, as momentum builds toward next year's nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference."
Urging participants to play their part in efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs), a set of targets for solving social and economic problems, Mr. Ban said the World Knowledge Forum could serve as a catalyst in the struggle to eradicate poverty.
"The global economic downturn threatens to push an additional 100 million people below the poverty line. Governments everywhere are facing increasing budgetary pressures but this is no time to renege on past pledges of aid and investment."
The focus of this year's forum is Asia, which "has a great stake in international efforts to combat climate change, reduce nuclear arsenals and overcome poverty," said Mr. Ban.
Oct 14 2009 6:10PM
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