Policy Perspectives on Pollution-Free Planet - Second Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific. Bangkok, 5-8 September 2017 [Draft]

The flip side of the impressive economic growth is Asia-Pacific has witnessed over the last few decades is increasing levels of pollution and depletion of natural resources. Huge volumes of gaseous, liquid and solid emissions, discharges and disposals are generated in the value chain. This pollution is further contaminating already depleting natural resources, and creating serious impacts on public health, life on earth under the sea. Pollution is not a new phenomenon and it is largely controllable and avoidable. However, pollution is now increasing at an unprecedented rate and increasing volumes of hazardous substances will make it harder and difficult to control at later stages. The transboundary movement of pollutants is also a major environmental, economic and political challenge.

We can move from this vicious circle to a virtuous circle, where economic growth, jobs, improvement in public health, reduced poverty, and gender equality, are linked with a more sustainable management of pollution and environmental resources. For this transformation to take place a shift is needed to develop more coherent and comprehensive set of cross-sectoral policy frameworks. Such policies will also need to align with necessary pre-requisites f such as green technologies, financing mechanisms and stakeholder’s engagement.