Monday, February 21, 2011

UN says fishing is unsustainable, perversely rewarded, world fishing fleet must be reduced, US must give 2% GDP

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Obama said to call today for 2% of US GDP transfer to UN for green projects, social equity, which per BBC article means world fisheries must be reduced, are unsustainable, and perversely rewarded.
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2/21/11, "Green economies for growth, urges UN," BBC

"Investing $1.3 trillion (£800bn) each year in green sectors would deliver long-term stability in the global economy, a UN report has suggested.

Spending about 2% of global GDP in 10 key areas would kick-start a "low carbon, resource efficient green economy", the authors observed.

  • They also recommended following policies that decoupled economic growth from intensive consumption.

The findings have been published at a meeting attended by

  • 100 ministers.

"Governments have a central role in changing laws and policies, and in investing public money in public wealth to make the transition possible," said Pavan Sukhdev, head of the

  • UN Environment Programme's (Unep) Green Economy Initiative.
"Misallocation of capital is at the centre of the world's current dilemmas and there are fast actions that can be taken, starting literally today," he added.

"From phasing down and phasing out the $600bn global fossil fuel subsidies,

  • those in unsustainable fisheries."

Unep defined a "green economy" as one that resulted in "improved human well-being and

  • social equity,

while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities".

When it came to investing 2% of GDP in greening the global economy, the authors recommended a number of investments, including:

  • $108bn greening agriculture, such as encouraging and supporting smallholder farms
  • $134bn on the building sector, including improving energy efficiency
  • $110bn improving fisheries, including
  • reducing the capacity of the world's fishing fleet....
The findings are being published at the 26th session of Unep's Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environmental Forum,
  • which is being held in Nairobi, Kenya, until 24 February."
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2/21/11, "Green economy needs 2% of every nation's income, says UN," UK Guardian, Fiona Harvey (says Obama will call for 2% of US GDP)


photo Scottish fisherman, BBC, 9/30/10

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