On 15 October 2015, the final conference of the Network for Green Economy Indicators (NETGREEN) project, which is led by Ecologic Institute, will take place. There, national and regional green economy strategies, including best practices, will be discussed. Furthermore, the "measuring-progress.eu" web tool, the final output of the NETGREEN project, which makes green economy indicators accessible, will be presented. Registration is open and the event is free of charge.
Not least because of facing numerous interconnected global economic, climate and food crises, the concept of a green economy has been at the centre of policy and academic debates. At the EU level, a number of policy initiatives, including the EU 2020 strategy, the Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe and the 7th Environment Action Programme, have proposed measures to put the EU economy on a sustainable trajectory. In response to international and EU commitments, EU member states have also adopted strategies and programmes aimed at contributing to a greener development pathway.
The link to the SDGs
The concepts of green economy and sustainable development receive significant attention in the context of the discussions about the post-2015 United Nations development agenda and the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Building on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which will expire later this year, the SDGs will have a universal scope and will address all three dimensions of sustainability: social, economic and environmental. The post-2015 agenda is intended to be adopted during the United Nations Summit to take place in New York (25-27 September 2015).
The link to the tool measuring-progress
Drawing on the results of the NETGREEN project, which aims to advance progress towards a green economy, this conference will feature two sessions with expert panels. The first session will deal with national and regional green economy strategies and will highlight best practices. It will also address challenges faced by policy-makers as well as suitable indicators to measure progress. The second session will deal with the post-2015 UN development agenda, focusing on the new and universal SDGs. Challenges and opportunities arising from implementing the SDGs will be discussed, as well as how progress will be monitored. The event will start with a presentation of the "measuring-progress.eu (link is external)" web tool which aims to improve the way policy-makers and other stakeholders involved in the policy process can access, understand and use green economy indicators.
The Conference starts at 10:00 with registration & coffee. - Lunch will be served between 13:00 and 14:00