The Freiburg Forum on Environmental Governance 2011

March 3, 2011

The 2011 Freiburg Forum on Environmental Governance, entitled “Inspiring Change Towards a Green Economy,” was held over two days on Friday, 25 February and Saturday, 26 February.  The event, which was the culmination of the MEG 5 Student Organised Event module, went off without a hitch, and was thoroughly enjoyed by all attendees.  The forum opened with a day of key note speeches and case study presentations from renowned figures in the green economy field, which were topped off with an engaging panel discussion.  The second day involved a series of workshops throughout Freiburg, which aimed to provide a more practical understanding of how change towards a green economy can be brought about within society.

The first day of the forum began with a key note speech from renowned German scientist and politician, Ernst von Weizsäcker. In his talk, Professor Weizsäcker stressed, amongst other things, the importance of transforming the global economy through massive improvements in resource productivity, and by reductions in the carbon intensity of energy, the energy intensity of wealth and wealth levels in general. Professor Weizsäcker was followed by another key note speaker, Ulrich Hoffmann, head of the Trade and Sustainable Development Section at the secretariat of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva.  Dr Hoffman provided a sobering assessment of the massive, yet achievable, task currently confronting the world as we struggle to incorporate elements of sustainability into our global economic systems.

After the two key note speeches, a series of case studies was presented.  Firstly, Welsh green economist, Molly Scott Cato, argued that a transition to a green economy will require a redefining of our needs and a re-evaluation of our responsibility for our local environments. As an example of these principles, Ms Cato presented information about the sustainability and conservation activities carried out by the residents of her home town Stroud, which is part of the Transition Towns Movement.  Next came the founder of the Brazilian Institute for the Development of Natural Energy and Sustainability (IDEAAS), Fábio Luís de Oliveira Rosa.  Mr Rosa provided fascinating stories about his work providing renewable energies to people living in remote areas in Brazil, who previously had no access to electricity.  Following this, Derek Eaton, from the Economics and Trade Branch of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), presented the main findings of the UNEP’s recently released Green Economy Report.  Lastly, Nadine-Lan Hönighaus from BASF, the world’s largest chemical company, provided a perspective on the way big business views its own role in contributing to the green economy.

Following the presentations, the audience members had a chance to participate in a discussion forum with most of the key speakers who had presented during the day.  The questions and issues raised were thought provoking and engaging, and allowed the audience to obtain more in-depth information about the particular issues that had piqued their interest during the day.

The second day of the forum involved three workshop events which sought to practically engage the participants to become instigators of change towards a green economy.  The first workshop utilised the green city of Freiburg as its backdrop.  Participants were taken on a guided tour of the city which focused on the various technological and policy developments which have been implemented in Freiburg, and which contribute to its global reputation as a green city.  The second workshop, led by Benjamin Kafka, focused on change management, and asked the participants to consider their own visions and hopes for the future of our society, and how to bring about change to realise these visions.  The workshop then went on to introduce different theoretical approaches which can be applied to facilitate inter-sectoral dialogue, and hopefully lead to positive change.  In the third workshop, Jan van Boeckel and Ceceil Verheij, two artists from the Netherlands, provided a 6 hour workshop which connected the process of art making with environmental education, and linked this back to the issues tackled by the speakers in the first day of the forum.  

To see more in-depth information about the 2011 Freiburg Forum on Environmental Governance, please click here to be redirected to the Forum's webpage.