conferenceBercy

The Conference on Transforming global environmental challenges into opportunities: the example of the French Global Environment Facility was held on 6 April 2010 at the Pierre Mendès-France Conference Centre, in the premises of the Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Employment at rue de Bercy in Paris.

The Conference was introduced by Ramon Fernandez, Director-General of the Treasury, representing the Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Employment.

Monique Barbut, Chair and Director-General of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) continued the introductory presentation. 

The closing speech was given by Brice Lalonde, the French Ambassador to international climate change negotiations, representing the Minister of State for Energy, Ecology, Sustainable Development and the Sea. 

Held in the presence of high-level representatives from the National Research Agency, the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs, the French Development Agency, IUCN International, WWF France and companies from the North and South, the conference was attended by stakeholders and concerned parties with responsibilities for global environment policies, for discussions on three areas:

• "Green growth" solutions in developing countries
• Fostering environmental research
• Forging voluntary synergies between all stakeholders – partnerships for a globalised world

The first decade of the 21st century has brought humanity face to face with major questions regarding our environment. The ecological dimension and especially the management of global public goods are crucial to the solutions we need to invent and implement. In 2010, in the wake of the Copenhagen Summit, the Year of Biodiversity and the reform and replenishment of the Global Environment Facility’s financial resources, environmental topics have taken centre stage, offering ways of transforming the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and soil and forest degradation into opportunities for sustainable development on our planet.

Voluntary mobilisation of all public and private players from North and South and from both civil society and governments is essential to engage in joint discussions on global environment protection issues, on ways of fostering sustainable development in the worst affected countries, on contributing, along with economic players, to “green” growth in developing countries and on fostering environmental research and innovation, building on the example and experience of the French Global Environment Facility (FGEF) as an innovating instrument within the French development assistance system.

To find out more (in French):

• conference programme

• speakers

• speeches
• Ramon Fernandez, Director-General for the Treasury
• Monique Barbut, Chair and Director-General of the Global Environment Facility
  
• Francis Rougier, Chair of the Rougier Group Board of Directors
• Florian Lacrotte, Chairman and CEO Silo de Tourtoulen
• Mounir Ferchichi, CEO ANGED Tunisia
• Michel Griffon, Deputy Executive Director National Research Agency and chair of the FGEF's scientific et technical committee
• Jean-Christophe Delvallet, Executive Director CapEnergies
• Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Executive Director ’UICN international
• Georges Serre, Deputy Executive Director for globalisation, development and partnerships MAEE
• Isabelle Autissier, Chair de WWF France
• Jean Michel Severino, Executive Director AFD
• Marc-Antoine Martin, Secretary General FGEF
• Brice Lalonde, Ambassador for France to international climate change negotiations

• Summary of the conference

Lettre d'information spéciale conférence du 6 Avril 2010

Retrouvez toutes les informations sur la conférence organisée le 6 avril dernier au Ministère de l’Economie, de l’Industrie et de l’Emploi, à Bercy.

Note de synthèse de la conférence

• Press release