Pardee Center Director Speaks in Ethiopia on Green Economy and Rio+20

Prof. Adil Najam, Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future and Boston University Professor of International Relations and of Geography and the Environment, spoke at the Ethiopian national dialogue on the forthcoming United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD). The Ethiopian national dialogue was held in Addis Ababa on May 25 and brought together environmental experts and activists from across Ethiopia to discuss national priorities for the forthcoming UN meeting (to be held in 2012).

Prof. Najam presented on the topic of the ‘Green Economy’ and on the relevance of this concept to developing countries, including those in Africa. Prof. Najam’s presentation built upon the findings of a recent Pardee Center Task Force Report titled “Beyond Rio+20: Governance for a Green Economy”, for which Prof. Najam was one of the co-conveners. Prof. Najam stressed that it was the responsibility of the developing countries themselves to redefine the concept of the green economy in ways that meet their development interests, particularly those related to poverty reduction.