Leveraging innovation at UNESCAP
We were honoured to participate in the Eighth Regional Workshop on Integrated Resource Management in Asian Cities: the Urban Nexus on November 15th 2018.
As summarized by UNESCAP and GIZ, more than 80 participants from China, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam attended the event among others. Representatives from municipal and national levels of government, academia, training institutes, private sector and meso-level organizations joined city leaders to review and discuss experiences with applying nexus approaches and opportunities to mainstream its principle.
As a private sector company, we were able to share our vision regarding the greenbuilding landscape in Thailand.
Armelle Le Bihan said that "about 300 buildings, mainly commercial and office space, have been either TREES(Thai’s Rating of Energy and Environmental Sustainability) or LEED (Leadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design) certified in Thailand. Corporate headquarters, often based overseas, are themain contributors to this trend. Interest in building green is also growing in the retail and hospitalityindustry, often for image reasons and to differentiate themselves. Uptake in the residential sector hasbeen slow. Social impact should be included when calculating costs and benefits of green buildings.Building green is not only environmentally friendly: it’s people friendly. Research has shown that greenbuildings contribute to better employee retention rates and increases in property values."
Our speech was part of a four sessions workshop.
4A: Leveraging Innovation
4B: Broadening Stakeholder Engagement and Developing New Partnerships
4C: Developing Sustainable Financing Solutions
4D : Linking Urban Nexus Initiatives to SDGs
About the Eighth Regional Workshop :
Objectives
1. Review progress on project activities and share lessons learned and best practices on integrated resource management planning and policies as well as implementation of cross sectoral infrastructure projects. 2. Exchange ideas on how to build the business model for urban nexus efforts by discussing how new partnerships can help promote innovation and secure sustainable financing. 3. Share experiences on how the urban nexus approach contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and related global efforts. 4. Develop recommendations for advancing urban nexus efforts with a view to embed the nexus approach into national policy frameworks.
Audience
The target audience comprises: 1. Local, sub-national and national government officials from the Urban Nexus project cities and countries involved with public works and urban planning, energy, water, wastewater, solid waste and finance.
2. Representatives of city networks, international organizations, international financing institutions, academic organizations, private sector enterprises and other relevant stakeholders with an interest in integrated resource management.
For more information, visit the official website : https://www.unescap.org/events/eighth-regional-workshop-integrated-resource-management-asian-cities-urban-nexus
