World leaders renew call for green planet

According to Xinhua, in their special messages conveyed to the 12th Special Session of the Governing Council and Global Ministerial Environmental Forum that ended in Nairobi on Wednesday, the leaders unified about the interconnection between the environment and the economy.

The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon says in his message that the UNEP Green Economy Report challenges the myth that there is a trade of between the economy and the environment.

"The report demonstrates that the greening of economies is not generally a drag on growth but rather a new engine of growth, that it is a net generator of decent jobs, and that it is also a vital strategy for the elimination of persistent poverty," reads his message.

He said the report also seeks to motivate policy makers to create the enabling conditions for increased investments in a transition to a green economy.

Chinese President Hu Jintao says "China will honor its commitment to growing a Green Economy."

United States President Barack Obama, in his message, says "the new Green Economy dialogue that we are creating today will deepen our cooperation even further, in green buildings and sustainable development."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel believes Germany can be a pioneer for a new age of renewable sources whereas the President of Mexico Felipe Calderon highlights the link between the economy and the environment.

"If we want to solve financial and environmental crises, we need to find a solution to both, and that solution involves green growth," Felipe Calderon says.

Indonesian President Susilio Bambang Yudhoyono says "Our green economic mantra is pro-growth, pro-job, pro-poor, pro-environment and of course pro-business."

The Prime Minister of Ethiopia Meles Zenawi, in his message, says "The future of the world is in green and when we plan our future we must do so on the basis of green technologies."

The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Kamla Persad- Bissessar outlines "We are here today to make the first positive steps towards greening our economy," whereas her counterpart, the Vice-President of the United Arab Emirate Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, says "Our goal is clear, that is to build an economy that protects the environment as well as environment that supports the growth of the economy."

The President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev observes that "The Green Bridge initiative will strengthen the partnership between Europe and Asia in then promotion of green economic policies."

The meeting attracted over 1,000 delegates from 120 countries and is the last global meeting of environment ministers before the UN Conference on Sustainability Development (Rio+20) to be held in June.

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