Environment

“UNEP is pleased with how the forum has helped to raise awareness and progress of environmental and sustainable development work among stakeholders in Asia and Europe.” - Dr Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

OVERVIEW

The Asia-Europe Environment Forum was attended by 350 high-profile international personalities and environment experts from Asia and Europe. Speaker Klaus Toepfer from the United Nations Environment Programme delivered a keynote speech, saying that rapid urbanisation might be the cause of the many environmental challenges but that urban areas are also the key vehicles for reducing poverty and reaching the UN's Millennium Development Goals. Asia-Europe co-operation therefore should go two ways, where Asia and Europe exchange lessons learned from each other's past experiences.

Leading organisations in specialised fields hosted 12 workshops at the forum. The most urgent environment and sustainability concerns and policy challenges were discussed and this resulted in the Jakarta 12-Action Agenda for Asia and Europe, with Indonesian State Minister for Environment Rachmat Witoelar pledging to be the patron of the forum's outcomes.

The recommendations for better environment and sustainable development practices were submitted to the relevant ministers of each of the 39 ASEM Governments and also to the ASEM Summit.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

SPONSORED/SUPPORTED BY

The Government of Japan

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

ASEF's contribution is with the financial support of the European Commission.