APEC media item on Natural Disasters - is another reminder of the work of PSI Utility and Local Government affiliates and Members

APEC Bulletin  14 August 2018
. The Social Aspect of Disaster Risk Reduction Preparing for calamities means keeping one eye on the sky and another on ourselves When APEC disaster management officials met in Port Moresby this August one of the first things on the agenda of the 14th Emergency Preparedness Working Group (EPWG) meeting was to observe a moment of silence for the people of Indonesia. Just two days before, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit the popular tourist island of Lombok. News of damage and casualties was fresh and still pouring in. It was reported that 340 people lost their lives, and 270,000 have been displaced. People displaced by the Lombok earthquake set up tents in Mataram City It was like a repeat of last February, when the EPWG also convened in Port Moresby, this time in the wake of a more powerful tremor that struck the Papua New Guinean highlands just miles from the capital, killing 70 and crippling essential energy infrastructure. These are only part of a string of multiple calamities over recent years, often happening concurrently, and which are believed to only get more frequent and more destructive. “Some weeks ago, we saw Typhoon Maria affect parts of Japan, China, Chinese Taipei, and Thailand. Thousands of people in Hawaii lost their lives in the Kilauea Volcano eruption,” said Ruel Yamuna, Managing Director of Papua New Guinea’s Climate Change and Development Authority. “Disasters and their associated hazards cause significant risks to the citizens of APEC economies and others in the region,” Yamuna said “The threat is not isolated to one location or time of year. Multiple disasters can be taking place at any one time, with several disasters occurring in the same economy or concurrently across several economies.” APEC’s emergency preparedness agenda is to raise the capacity of its members, and of the region, to properly prepare for such events and recover quickly afterwards. The current focus of the forum’s emergency managers is adapting to the “new normal” of living under constant threat of the next disaster. To do this APEC economies need to take advantage of new technologies and alternative methods of identifying vulnerabilities and assessing damage. “Papua New Guinea’s main focus is advancing multi-hazard early warning systems,” Yamuna said. “Warning is key to reducing disaster damage and social disruptions.” He cited how the APEC forum can be a platform to help economies such as Papua New Guinea incorporate state of the art tracking systems in place in economies such as Japan and Chinese Taipei. But high tech, science-based systems like satellite storm tracking, infrared monitoring of volcanic activity, and digital risk maps are just a step towards a more real-time approach to enhancing disaster risk management. According to Dr. Wei-Sen Li, Executive Director of the APEC Emergency Preparedness Capacity Building Center and co-chair of APEC’s Emergency Preparedness Working Group, the next stage in evolution in disaster risk reduction is making most of the use of information. “Emergency responders and scientific experts can co-work on information and input from the public through using new tools such as big data and by collecting social media posts and videos. This will give responders the ability to make decisions in time,” Dr Li said. He also acknowledges that the quick spread of information-based social channels leaves disaster victims possibly exposed to attempts at misinformation—real-time fake news— something that emergency managers will need to discuss when devising public warning systems, and which adds a social aspect to disaster response. “Once upon a time, when we talked about monitoring, we meant monitoring seismic activity or satellite photos of typhoons,” said Dr Li “Now we’re starting to consider social issues such as the impact to socio-economic development, and gender issues.” “When I look at the impact of an individual disaster, I try to make a linkage to how it impacts people and society,” he said. “The recent flooding in Japan put many senior citizens in a precarious situation because they lack the ability to move around with ease. Chinese Taipei also has a fast ageing population. Maybe ten years later, measures to ease the experience of seniors during disasters will be an important issue there.” “Chile offers an example put into practice of surveying underlying risk factors for the purposes of disaster risk reduction. They are conducting a survey to measure drivers of vulnerability in Chilean local communities. The survey set out to generate a standard methodology that allows each municipality a means for self-diagnosis in four general dimensions that all contribute to resilience: governance, land use, demographic or socio-economic characterization, and climate change. These criteria are divided further into 41 variables ranging from climate conditions, adherence to building codes, number of persons with disabilities, private-sector participation in the community, migration, to even the accountability of public officials in a certain area. The ensuing reports lay out strengths and weaknesses and come with recommendations to reduce any underlying risk drivers found. Cristóbal Mena A., Deputy National Director of the Chilean Emergency Office, presented the initiative to APEC emergency managers, calling it “a very holistic approach—not just for emergencies, but also for social development, health, housing, climate change, and so on.” “This is a very easy and straightforward methodology for reassessing vulnerability at the local level,” Mena explained, “which for the Chilean Emergency Office seems to be the right path towards reducing disaster risk.” Dr Li considers the approach—studying socio-economic factors in aid of disaster risk reduction—a topic that merits more action. “National disaster resilience is not limited to physical effects on an economy,” he said. “We should also be thinking about the secondary impacts such as socio-economic losses that could potentially be the seed to trigger an economic hazard.” APEC's emergency managers during the 14th Emergency Preparedness Working Group Meeting During the emergency managers meeting, while reviewing the list of droughts, floods, landslides, wildfires, cyclones and volcanic eruptions that have occurred in the APEC region this year, Dr Li pointed out that “it is a cautious time to be a disaster manager,” given the number of these calamities that happen all at once. He reasserted the need for collaboration among member economies, the public and private sector, and regional organizations to deal with a situation that is almost like that Hollywood movie: The Day After Tomorrow. “But this is happening now,” he said. APEC’s work on emergency preparedness continues when senior disaster management officials meet this September in Kokopo, Papua New Guinea. Media item from APEC

APEC Supercharges Energy Efficiency Gains -- Issued by the APEC Energy Working Group - APEC Media advice

Hong Kong, China, 18 May 2018

Energy officials from the 21 APEC member economies, the world’s largest energy producing and consuming region, are empowering millennials to take newly revealed efficiency improvements to the next level.

The intensity of APEC economies’ energy consumption, a common indicator of efficiency, fell 3.5 per cent year-on-year in 2015, the latest data available and the biggest drop in a decade, according to the Asia-Pacific Energy Research Centre. The findings were presented to officials during energy policy consultations in Hong Kong, China.

It brings APEC economies’ reduction in energy consumption intensity to 17.9 per cent for the 2005-2015 period. The rate improvement moreover puts the group within reach of hitting the region’s targeted 45 per cent drop by 2035, despite increasing growth and energy use.

"Thanks to the energy intensity reduction target set by the APEC Energy Working Group, we published the Energy Saving Plan for Hong Kong, China’s Built Environment in 2015 and set our target of 40 per cent by 2025, using 2005 as the base,” noted Hong Kong, China’s Electrical and Mechanical Services Director Alfred W. H. Sit.

“It is critical that APEC economies continue to push ourselves with ambitious efficiency and conservation goals,” added Dr Jyuung-Shiauu Chern, Lead Shepherd of the APEC Energy Working Group. “We are reaching out to young people to help transform consumption habits and address the region’s changing energy dynamics.”

The focus in APEC is on raising grassroots awareness of supply, management, pollution and access challenges through innovative energy education curricula design, interactive learning tools and outreach. Examples include green campus accreditation programs, hackathons and online utility bills and apps that allow easy home energy efficiency audits and comparison.

It aligns with coordination in APEC to facilitate efficiency-boosting regulation, standards and technology deployment across communities—revolutionizing fossil-fueled power plants, building heating and cooling systems, transportation networks and electrical products such as lighting, refrigerators and freezers, among other priority areas.

“We are expanding data and experience sharing in APEC to build understanding of energy efficiency principles from a young age,” explained Dr Chern, who is also Chief of Energy Affairs at Chinese Taipei’s Energy Bureau. “Our aim is to shape attitudes and behavior to close energy sustainability gaps and power economies into tomorrow.”

Parallel APEC work is on cultivating talent pipelines to support energy innovation, in partnership with student groups and the private sector. This includes drawing upon local experiences in project development and recruitment methods such as STEM workshops and career talks, engineer experience days and industry scholarships and internships.

# # #

For further details, or to arrange possible media interviews, please contact:
David Hendrickson +65 9137 3886 at drh@apec.org
Michael Chapnick +65 9647 4847 at mc@apec.org

Above Media advice from APEC 
  

Did you know that the Asia Pacific Region Experiences 70 per cent of the world’s natural disasters - the figure is quoted in a recent APEC media release --

APEC Builds Natural Disaster-Resilient Food Supplies
Issued by the APEC Emergency Preparedness Working Group
Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, 4 September 2017— Against the backdrop of the devastating flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey along the Gulf of Mexico, APEC member economies are taking steps to build their agricultural safeguards against the escalating threat of natural disasters due to climate change.

Agriculture and disaster management officials from the region, which experiences 70 per cent of the world’s natural disasters and is also the largest producer and consumer of food globally, began implementing new resilience measures during policy meetings in Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho in Viet Nam’s Mekong Delta.
The measures aim to secure food production and supply chains that employ tens of millions of people and feed 3 billion people across the Asia-Pacific. They include help for small-scale producers and agricultural communities highly vulnerable to the increasing frequency and intensity of natural hazards linked to climate change—from hurricanes and typhoons to drought.

“Adverse impacts induced by natural disasters are additional challenges to food security that require cross-cutting expertise to offer feasible solutions,” explained Tran Quang Hoai, Director General of Viet Nam’s Directorate of Natural Disaster Prevention and Control. He pointed to public-private coordination in APEC to boost technological resilience within the sector.
Officials are working to help agricultural producers in high-risk areas to withstand an emergency by enabling the introduction of disaster-proof crops and farming methods—with guidance from industry and civil society groups.

They are also deploying community-based preparedness training, based on analysis of need levels in the region, to expedite operational recovery after a disaster.
“APEC is extending grassroots support to those whose livelihoods depend on the agricultural sector and are exposed to disaster shocks at an economic and social level,” noted Kyoko Kondo, Co-Chair of the APEC Emergency Preparedness Working Group, which is overseeing the initiative. “Aging populations add to recovery challenges in rural areas including farms.” 
“We are disseminating planning tools and expertise to help local agricultural producers in the region mitigate disaster risk,” added Dr Li Wei-Sen, Executive Director of the APEC Emergency Preparedness Capacity Building Center. “A farmer that knows what the dangers are and prepares for them appropriately stands a much better chance of weathering a catastrophe.”

Lessons from disaster-stricken agricultural areas are shaping APEC’s efforts to equip people within the sector for all contingencies. This includes attention to land and crop management, sanitation and broader health considerations.
“What farmers grow, how they grow it and when is only part of the disaster resilience equation,” concluded Stuart Brown of the World Vegetable Center, which is partnering with APEC on implementation. “Without proper awareness of health and nutrition concerns, and support systems, threats to agricultural areas, workers and the people that rely on them become magnified. APEC is securing food supply chains where they are most vulnerable and vital.”


Senior Disaster Management Officials from APEC economies will meet in Vinh, Viet Nam on 21-22 September to take this work forward and initiate parallel measures for enhancing emergency preparedness in the region.

APEC to look at " Environmental Services Action Plan" that will study on the regulatory and trade policies of APEC economies in environmental services.

The following media advice by APEC once again points out the push by some to look at the regulatory issues in environmental services , including those provided by Local Government. see also earlier item of April at 
http://gmpsiaprec.blogspot.com.au/2017/04/apec-has-called-for-more-investment-in.html
Its an area that PSI Local Government unions will need to monitor . Trade agreements have often been used to get by local laws and communities views , including keeping jobs and money spend Local , by Local Government employment ... 

APEC Lays Services Path to Green Growth

Issued by the APEC Committee on Trade and Investment

The 21 APEC member economies are breaking new ground in efforts to unlock trade and investment in services needed to improve environmental protection and capitalize on growth opportunities within the sector. 

Trade officials from the region convening in Lima through this week have launched a multi-year Environmental Services Action Plan. The initiative will facilitate the lowering of associated regulatory and trade policy barriers in APEC economies, with implications for industries ranging from water and waste management to recycling and renewable energy development. 

“APEC has led the way in reducing tariffs on environmental goods and is now building on this work by creating enabling conditions for services providers that employ green technologies and approaches,” explained Marie Sherylyn D. Aquia, Chair of the APEC Committee on Trade and Investment, which is the coordinating body for these parallel endeavors. 

The total market for environmental goods and services is expected to double to USD2 trillion within five years, fueled by increasing global energy consumption, demand for greater efficiency and environmental regulation. 

“There are significant opportunities for the growth and development of services that support environmental protection and sustainable economies but tapping them can be a challenge,” noted Aquia. “APEC is working to strengthen public sector understanding of the market hurdles businesses within the sector face and promote action to address them.” 

The Environmental Services Action Plan will be implemented over the next four years to build the technical bandwidth of APEC economies to adopt efficient regulation and trade promotion policies in environmental services. 

The initiative’s preliminary emphasis will be on gathering critical information on services regulation and trade policy in APEC economies. This includes measures affecting cross-border supply, governance of commercial ownership, licensing, people movement, preferential liberalization and regulatory regimes. 

The first phase of the implementation of the Environmental Services Action Plan will also involve a study on the regulatory and trade promotion policies of APEC economies in environmental services.  

“The progress of governments to reduce existing barriers and refrain from introducing new barriers to trade and investment in environmental goods and services will have a big impact on their dissemination and use and provide substantial benefits to green growth,” Aquia concluded. 

# # # 

For more: 

Read how APEC is working to bridge action on climate change and the promotion of trade and economic growth, and demonstrate their potential to become mutually reinforcing here. 

Details on fossil fuel subsidy reform challenges and capacity building among APEC member economies can be found at this link.  

APEC has called for more investment in Local Government to increase waste management but beware they are pushing PPPs - says Greg McLean

Investment Environment Reforms Target Tides of Trash

Issued by the APEC Secretariat (last week in Jakarta)

 – A massive increase in garbage flowing into oceans and waterways as development and consumption surge in the Asia-Pacific is sounding environmental and economic alarm bells. It is also giving impetus to a potential new wave of investment and job creation that could turn the tide on the region’s trash troubles. 

The threat unmanaged garbage poses to marine ecosystems and the lives and livelihoods of tens of millions of people that depend on them has prompted central and municipal government officials from APEC member economies to team up with the private sector to build their waste management capacity. Focus is on narrowing a multibillion dollar financing gap to cope with trash forecast to accumulate to 1.4 billion metric tons in the Asia-Pacific annually by 2030. 

Officials evaluated the risk landscape and detailed recommendations to improve conditions for joint investment in waste management infrastructure during consultations in Jakarta with experts from construction, investment and development banks, and environmental groups. The recommendations will better position governments to commission new and viable projects. 

“Pressure on marine environments due to the buildup of human-made debris threatens to hit a breaking point that could inflict massive costs to biodiversity, communities and economies,” warned Tuti Hendarawati Mintarsih, Director General for Solid Waste, Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Substances Management at Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry. The archipelago of 17,000 islands is particularly vulnerable but by no means alone, she noted.  

“Greater resources are required to meet changing waste management needs in the region,” added Hiroko Yokota, a senior official in the Waste Management and Recycling Department of Japan’s Environment Ministry. “Supporting local governments with capital allocation and governance expertise is key to getting more critical infrastructure projects successfully deployed,” said Yokota. She referred to cases in Japan and new cooperation between Japan and Indonesia to develop projects in the latter that generate energy from waste treatment. 

Over 80 per cent of all marine litter originates as land-based refuse, most commonly cigarette butts and lighters, food wrappers, bottles, cups, bags and toys. More than half of it, or the equivalent of a large dump truck emptying its contents into oceans and waterways every few minutes, is estimated to come from the from the Asia-Pacific where investment in waste management has not kept pace with economic development. 

The recommendations offer guidance on addressing economy-specific barriers to public-private investment in waste collection, transport and disposal as well as advanced treatment, recycling and reprocessing. Examples include improving interagency coordination and municipal support, re-prioritizing budgets, appropriately assigning risk and introducing benchmark projects. 

They build on principles established in APEC to encourage investment in waste management through political, economic and legal and regulatory reform.

“Action to control risk and assure investors is essential to enabling jointly financed waste management infrastructure that enhances lives,” explained Mark Johnson, Chair of the Asia-Pacific Infrastructure Partnership, which supports public-private project development. “Optimizing waste collection and treatment in just one large city in the region can create thousands of jobs and raise living standards for millions more people.” 

It is estimated that doing so in cities in Indonesia with over 2 million inhabitants would double employment in waste management, generating 24,000 additional jobs over 10 years. 

“The impact of marine debris on water and food supplies, public health and industries such as fishing, shipping and tourism is a shared problem that requires shared solutions,” concluded Susan Ruffo, Managing Director of the Ocean Conservancy. “There is still a long way to go to clean up our oceans but cooperation between the public and private sectors in the APEC region is moving waste management in the right direction and laying a path for progress globally.” 

# # # 

For further details, or to arrange possible media interviews, please contact: 

David Hendrickson +65 9137 3886 at drh@apec.org

Michael Chapnick +65 9647 4847 at mc@apec.org

The APEC Anti-Corruption and Transparency Working Group has this past week announced " APEC Steps Up Fight Against Environmental Crime "

http://www.apec.org/Groups/SOM-Steering-Committee-on-Economic-and-Technical-Cooperation/Working-Groups/Anti-Corruption-and-Transparency.aspx 

Anti-corruption, law enforcement and resource management officials from APEC member economies are racing to counter an alarming rise in environmental crime that is imperiling communities and significantly undermining growth potential across the Asia-Pacific. 

Closing governance loopholes that enable illegal logging, land development, mining and fishing was the focus of policy measures taken forward by officials over the past week in Lima, in collaboration with representatives from business and civil society. 

It comes amid illicit activities that are devastating increasingly large swaths of the Amazon and other biodiverse forest and marine hotspots in the region. 

“Illegal extractive industries are growing which is a serious concern,” acknowledged the Honorable Pablo Sanchez, Attorney General of Peru and Chair of the APEC Anti-Corruption and Transparency Working Group. “The complex, cross-border dynamics and consequences of natural resource exploitation are prompting greater cooperation in APEC to stem corruption that underpins it.” 

“The expansion of the illegal economy illustrates the dark side of globalization,” added David Luna, a Senior Director under the Anti-Crime Program at the United States Department of State and coordinator of APEC project work to tackle environmental crime. “This scourge is severely affecting licit trade that livelihoods and environmental sustainability depend on.” 

APEC economies, home to around 3 billion people, are the world’s largest producers and consumers of land and marine resources—ranging from rosewood furniture to abalone, energy supplies and gold jewelry. Higher demand as income levels rise is fueling illegal industries which collectively account for an estimated 8 to 15 per cent of global GDP and make it difficult for honest businesses to compete. 

These practices additionally funnel tens of billions of dollars to organized crime annually and contribute to lost tax revenue and forced labor and sex trafficking where they are undertaken. Critically, they are also endangering much of the region’s rich wildlife and ecosystems. Preventative actions being advanced in APEC include technical support for licensing and procurement reform, supply chain tracking mechanisms, and improvements in investigative and enforcement capacity. 

“APEC is fostering public-private sector intelligence exchanges in mining planning, approval and regulation, including governance arrangements, to support legal and sustainable industry development, explained Rodrigo Urquiza Caroca, Chair of the APEC Mining Task Force and Director of Research and Public Policy at the Chilean Copper Commission. 

“Finding a mineral deposit and establishing a mine is very costly,” he noted. “We are working to ensure that when a company wants to set up a mining project, information to reduce the risk of corruption and adhere to safe, legal operating practices, like halting dangerous mercury use, is readily available to them.”

Bolstering ‘clean’ supply chains via anti-money laundering and mitigation of transfer pricing used by companies to dodge taxes is a further point of emphasis. Secure but fair import controls are also on the table. 

“An industry practice that is legal in one economy may be seen as illegal in another economy,” said Dr Ruth Turia, Chair of the APEC Experts Group on Illegal Logging and Associated Trade, and Director of Policy and Planning at Papua New Guinea’s Forest Authority. 

“Initiatives like the newly agreed timber legality guidance template in APEC will help to harmonize governance conditions in the region,” Dr Turia continued. “Building more equitable relationships between stakeholders, public accountability and collaborative policy decision-making constitute the next step towards solving the industry’s integrity challenges,” she concluded. 

Media item from APEC -  http://www.apec.org/Groups/SOM-Steering-Committee-on-Economic-and-Technical-Cooperation/Working-Groups/Anti-Corruption-and-Transparency.aspx

APEC - issues media advice on the " Rise of Internet Economies Prompts Policy Rethink " ???

Issued by the APEC Telecommunications and Information Working Group

Tacna, Peru, 4 August 2016 – The stream of innovative, internet-based services that are revolutionizing business models and people’s lives are giving impetus to a modernization of economic policy in the Asia-Pacific. It is urgently needed to address governance gaps and support their development as drivers of new growth that creates opportunities for all. 

Telecommunications and information officials from the 21 APEC member economies laid the groundwork for action during policy discussions with private sector representatives, which took place in the Peruvian commercial hub of Tacna. 

The focus is on seeding regulation and infrastructure compatible with breakthroughs ranging from the rapid expansion of ride and room-sharing services like Uber and Airbnb, to the impending arrival of driverless cars into consumer markets. 

“Services innovations coming to market via the internet and surging in popularity are exposing gaps in preparedness for them,” said Andrey Mukhanov, Chair of the APEC Telecommunications and Information Working Group, which administers regional initiatives to facilitate industry development. “Existing policy regimes should be developed in cooperation with the business sector to address the needs of society for further growth of the internet, electronic and digital economy.” 

“APEC and online services providers are working out the regulatory and structural needs of the industry,” explained Mukhanov. “Our objective is to establish enabling conditions for platforms that power entrepreneurship and growth while addressing public health, safety and privacy considerations associated with this progress.” 

Particular attention is being directed towards sectors that are at the forefront of innovation in the online space such as education, financial services, healthcare and transportation. It contributes to implementation of the APEC Services Cooperation Framework and Boracay Action Agenda to Globalize Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises endorsed by APEC Leaders in 2015. 

“Disruptive innovation is opening up a host of new policy challenges,” noted Wang Yue of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, overseer of project work in APEC to address them. “When it comes to sharing portals, for example, ownership, licensing and liability are potential grey areas that may require a reexamination of industry regulation.” 

“APEC is leading regional efforts to build the technical bandwidth of governments and business to keep up with changing industry requirements,” Wang continued. “Understanding what the complexities are and exchanging lessons on how to tackle them is an important first step towards reducing digital divides between and within the region’s economies.” 

Additional attention is on the impact of internet-based services on conventional business practices and mitigating unintended economic and social consequences through measures such as improvements in regulation and supervision, resource allocation and safety nets. 

“The rise of internet economies will continue to challenge traditional business models, labor requirements and revenue streams,” concluded  Volker Heistermann, Managing Director of Yushan Ventures. “Collaboration in APEC is helping to guide policy adaptation to optimize economic opportunities in the digital era while insulating against growing pains.” 

Trade and industry officials will flesh out complementary policy solutions during a cluster of technical APEC fora meetings in Lima, Peru from 15-28 August. 

# # # 

For additional information, or to arrange possible media interviews with APEC officials, please contact: 

David Hendrickson +65 9137 3886 at drh@apec.org

Michael Chapnick +65 9647 4847 at mc@apec.org

More on APEC meetings, events, projects and publications can be found on www.apec.org. You can also follow APEC on Twitter and join us on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Korea Supports Regional Integration Efforts with New Funds Issued by the APEC Secretariat - Media from APEC , critical item to our Region

Arequipa, Peru, 15 May 2016 – The move towards greater economic integration in the Pacific Rim has received an added boost with a new USD700,000 donation from the Republic of Korea to the APEC Trade and Investment Liberalization and Facilitation Account.

The voluntary contribution will help to fund APEC projects that strengthen the technical bandwidth of the region’s diverse member economies to deliver next generation trade and growth, and open up economic opportunities for more people. 

Officials from Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the APEC Secretariat signed a Memorandum of Understanding confiming the arrangement following a policy development meeting ofAPEC Senior Officials in Arequipa on Sunday, building on a cluster of technical working group discussions over the preceeding ten days. 

The contribution will help to fund projects during the balance of 2016, excuted through APEC’s working groups. They include those initiated by APEC Trade Ministers who will convene hereon Tuesday and Wednesday intent on fostering a new era of cross-border trade that improves job creation and productivity in the region. 

“APEC’s integration agenda continues to bring people and markets in the region closer together," said Dr Alan Bollard, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat in Singapore, which administers APEC projects mandated by Leaders and Ministers.“Korea’s additional contribution will support the implementation of measures that take advantage of deepening regional ties to drive trade and growth that benefit more people.” 

APEC provides funding for around 100 projects annually, with more than USD9 million available in 2015. Examples include technical exchanges, training and reseach that help member economies take forward new integration initiatives, tackle complex behind-the-border barriers to trade, improve supply chain performance and facilitate small business participation in them. 

"Korea’s longstanding support for APEC capacity building projects has played a important role in advancing regional integration that has powered the rise of its economy," added Dr Bollard. 

"Our efforts are now focused on ensuring that greater inconnectivity and trade in APEC translates into better career development prospects and living conditions for people throughout Korea and the region,” he concluded. “APEC projects in the pipeline will help member economies put policies in place that create equal opportunities needed to ensure their sustainability.” 

For more: 

Detailed information on APEC projects and funding sources can be found here.  

# # # 

For additional information, or to arrange possible media interviews with APEC officials, please contact: 

David Hendrickson (in Arequipa) +65 9137 3886 at drh@apec.org

Michael Chapnick (in Arequipa) +65 9647 4847 at mc@apec.org 

More on APEC meetings, events, projects and publications can be found on www.apec.org. You can also follow APEC on Twitter and join us on Facebook and LinkedIn.

This news release can also be viewed on the APEC website:
http://www.apec.org/Press/News-Releases/2016/0515_MOU.aspx

Lighting and Climate change , a comment and the actions being pushed by APEC and the Global Lighting Challenge" , APEC Energy Working Group - the advice is from APEC

The below media by APEC, covers a critical issue of electric lighting, not just domestic lighting, buildings and government properties, but most important public street lighting and the role it plays in Climate Change. 

The push is now on as we can see through programs such as the Global Lighting challenge at http://www.globallightingchallenge.org/ to reduce the carbon foot print by changing light globes to high efficiency and LED globes  - no doubt this is just another way public sector workers are fighting climate change through changes to "public and street lighting " , government energy policies and more, plus the ability to manage the electricity supply, all as part of the Climate Changes actions .  

According to " Global Climate Change "  --- 

An overnight global transition to highly efficient LED lamps would avoid 801 Mt of CO2 emissions, equivalent to displacing 684 coal-fired power plants around the world.

This makes it " Electricity Energy Workers Business", from climate change to just transition! 

The below article points to how these changes are these are being pushed by Governments and others , through the APEC Energy Working Group - the advice is from APEC

http://www.apec.org/Press/News-Releases/2016/0408_lighting.aspx

Energy officials from the 21 APEC member economies have endorsed a new global target for deploying 10 billion high-efficiency lighting products, intent on boosting trade and green growth in the world’s most populous region.

The ambitious target, known as the Global Lighting Challenge, was introduced during the COP21 climate talks in Paris last December. It builds on complementary, market-based measures being advanced by APEC economies to reduce their energy intensity by 45 per cent by 2035 and lower their carbon emissions to fight climate change. Energy officials and experts will convene next week in Taichung City to accelerate work toward this energy intensity reduction goal.

“Lighting accounts for 15 per cent of global electricity consumption, more than the electricity generated by all the nuclear power stations in the world, and five per cent of all carbon emissions,” said Dr Phyllis Yoshida, Chair of the APEC Energy Working Group, which guides policy collaboration in the region in support of clean and efficient energy development.

“A global transition to highly efficient lighting could eliminate more than 800 million metric tons of CO2 emissions, which is equivalent to displacing 684 coal-fired power plants for a year,” explained Dr Yoshida, who is also a Senior Advisor at the United States Department of Energy. “The Global Lighting Challenge fits well with work in APEC on lighting standards, lighting design centers and use of light-emitting diode lamps for street lighting.”

The development of efficient and affordable lighting technology has made considerable strides and offers opportunities for substantial reductions in energy consumption. It can furthermore be used to harvest solar power via light-emitting diode lamps, or LEDs, sparking the commercial market for off-grid solar lighting.

APEC’s endorsement of the Global Lighting Challenge provides impetus for deeper partnership between the region’s governments and the private sector to reduce barriers to the access and deployment of efficient lighting. This includes exchanges of technical expertise and capacity building assistance.

It also encourages individual APEC economies and the business community to make specific, voluntary commitments to achieve the large-scale application of energy efficient lighting. All commitments are recognized on the Global Lighting Challenge website.

“APEC economies are making real headway in their efforts to seek and deploy energy efficient lighting through collaboration on new ideas, best practices and breakthrough technologies,” Dr Yoshida noted.

“The large-scale adoption of energy efficient lighting would represent a major step towards fulfilling the APEC region’s energy and climate goals,” she concluded.

The proliferation of green buildings, new and renewable energy technologies, and improvements in energy efficiency and conservation will be points of focus of officials in Taichung City, moving APEC towards a more sustainable and resilient regional economy. Trade Ministers from the region will separately meet in Arequipa, Peru on 17-18 May to take actions that create enabling conditions for greater progress and sustainable growth.

# # #

For more:

Read how APEC is working to bridge action on climate change and the promotion of trade and economic growth, and demonstrate their potential to become mutually reinforcing here.  

(APEC media http://www.apec.org/Press/News-Releases/2016/0408_lighting.aspx )