Asia is Green recently attended the International Conference on Achieving Sustainability to Empower Future Generations, held from 13 to 15 Mar 2014 in Taipei. The conference was organised by the Asian Productivity Organization (APO), Taiwan Green Trade Project Office, and China Productivity Center in conjunction with the Eco-Products International Fair 2014.
The conference saw more than 20 international speakers and more than 200 participants, including 30 international delegates representing 15 different countries from the Asia-Pacific region. In addition, the delegates also adopted a conference outcome document which highlighted their commitments to sustainable development, and recommended 10 key actions based on discussions during the conference.
The resulting Taipei Outcome Document was submitted to the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon by APO as a contribution to formulating sustainable development goals.
The 10 recommended actions are:
A. Creating an Energy Future Sustainable for All
1) Set targets for cities and countries in the Asia-Pacific to meet at least 20% of energy demand from renewable sources by 2020
2) Set targets for cities and countries in the Asia-Pacific to achieve up to 20% improvement in energy efficiency across the board by 2020
3) Encourage greater participation of and partnerships among diverse stakeholders enabling access to sustainable energy for all
4) Adoption of low-carbon technologies along with other energy management initiatives
B. Promoting Sustainable Consumption and Production
5) Recognize the need for governments to set examples for green purchasing and procurement
6) Emphasize the importance of designing and producing sustainable products and services among businesses
7) Encourage public-private sector partnerships to promote sustainable products among consumers
C. Building Resilience into Sustainable, Smart, Livable Cities
8) Develop benchmarks and best practices for more resilient, sustainable, smart and livable cities
9) Encourage more test-bedding projects with public–private sector partnerships
10) Introduce sustainable technologies and transport in urban areas
The full version of the Taipei Outcome Document of the International Conference on Achieving Sustainability to Empower Future Generations can be downloaded from the APO website.
