Manila will be the hub of the best minds in global environment and business when experts and Asian government ministers converge for the International Conference on Green Industry in Asia (ICGIA) at the Philippine International Convention Center on September 9-11, 2009.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Jose Atienza said the landmark conference will be hosted by the Philippines through the DENR, with support from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the United Nations Environment Programme, and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission.

According to Atienza, the conference will be highlighted by the adoption of a ministerial declaration and plan of action that will feature a mechanism for the regular review of progress towards the conference’s goals.

He also said that the approved Manila Declaration will be presented to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who will deliver a keynote address on the conference’s 3rd day on September 11.

Some 700 participants, including government ministers and senior officials of Asian countries, business leaders, top officials of the United Nations system and other international and regional organizations, the ASEAN secretariat, prominent experts, media and civil society representatives are expected in the conference.

ICGIA aims to promote and emphasize ecologically sound business practices. It will serve as a platform for industry leaders, economics experts, ecologists, and governments to exchange information and experiences.

The conference will be opened by Trade and Industry Secretary Peter B. Favila, to be followed by statements from representatives of international organizations such as the UNIDO, the International Labor Organization, UNESCAP, and the International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management.

The conference will have two high-level roundtable sessions to be led by Atienza. The sessions are "Low-Carbon and Resource-Efficient Industrialization: Challenges and Opportunities" and "Policies and Strategies for Resource-Efficient and Low-Carbon Industries.”

Discussions on shifting gears industrially to reduce industrial resource intensity and to create better support services to assist this shift will take place on the conference’s second day.

Dr. Shuzo Nishioka of Japan’s Institute of Global Environmental Strategies will talk on "The State of Industrial Resource Efficiency in Asia" Followed by a presentation by L. Hunter Lovins, a staunch sustainable development advocate and president and founder of Natural Capitalism of the United States.

Also on the second day are sessions on "Reducing the Resource Intensity of Industrial Processes" and "Moving to Low-Carbon Industrial Processes". These will be moderated by UNIDO's Environmental Branch Director Heinz Leuenberger and Ned Clarence-Smith, UNIDO’s GEF coordinator, respectively.

More parallel sessions on "Eco-Friendly Products, Energy and Services" will be held on the last day of the conference. These will be led by UNEP's Arab Hoballah, chief, Sustainable Consumption and Production Branch and Stefanos Fotiou, regional coordinator on resource efficiency.

He also said that the approved Manila Declaration will be presented to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who will be delivering a keynote address on the conference’s 3rd day on September 11.