Seoul, April 22— The 40th anniversary of Earth Day, and the first official full day at the Business for Environment (B4E) Summit in Seoul featured a huge push on many critical, if not all-too-familiar themes.

From empowering women and slowing population growth, to green investment and cutting carbon emissions, the day’s sessions provided a wealth of understanding on the issues shaping our endangered world.

Opening statements were, appropriate for the location, delivered by two luminary Koreans: Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, and Lee Myung-bak, President of the Republic of Korea.

Both speakers touched on the need for green growth to meet human needs for economic well-being. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon provided the big picture goals, relating that the UN was backing a result oriented, and concrete plan on all fronts of sustainable development. As 2010 is the “Year of Biodiversity”, there was additional emphasis placed on the critical role ecological systems play in all aspects of human life.

Moving business forward

From the business point of view, Secretary General threw down the gauntlet. Addressing the business leaders assembled at B4E, he said “Many good tools and ideas already exist. Our challenge is to go further still.” A worthy challenge to ensure that business progress keeps moving, rather than resting on its laurels.

And what better illustration of leadership and resolve could possibly follow but a discussion of South Korea’s Green New Deal. Highlighting the government’s mandated investment of two percent of annual GDP into the green sector, as well as ambitious climate change targets, President Lee Myung-bak clearly outlined Korea’s plan for leadership.

The plan also included research and development programmes on clean technologies like electric vehicles and LED light displays, and the rapidly progressing Four Rivers Restoration programme.

Throughout the day, Korea’s visionary approach was commended by conference speakers and industry experts.

Biodiversity a critical issue for humanity, green economy

Echoing the Secretary General’s earlier comments, he noted: “There is no bailout for climate change…by UN estimates, some 50 per cent of species worldwide will be extinct by 2050 …Achieving prosperity and protecting the environment can go hand in hand…Finding a solution [to climate change challenges].. is an endeavour that rests entirely on green entrepreneurship.”

Korea’s stance is that business can and should be a proactive part of the solution, rather than contributing to yesterday’s problems.

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Achim Steiner highlighted that, from an economic point of view, “we are at a very special moment in time”.

With the economic crisis prompting many to reconsider their business outlook on short-term profits, Mr. Steiner called upon the importance of cooperation between the private sector, government, and society to make progress towards a cleaner more sustainable economy.

“It is no longer just one area that must take the lead, but rather cooperation between the three sectors,” he said.

Mr. Steiner further questioned if “a green economy [would] take place by design or default?”

The complexity of vested interests

A panel discussion followed, exploring this issue and how to power growth for the global green economy. Of the panelists, Ashok Khosla, President of Club of Rome and International Union of the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), was particularly helpful in connecting the diverse array of topics encompassing the notion of sustainable growth.

He pointed out that one of the critical tasks enabling the emergence of a green economy is tackling vested interests. Far from just targeting lobby groups, he noted the subtle and more widespread issue of deep intellectual commitments. “These are more than lobbyists,” he said, “these are the things that we firmly hold as important to society.”

The implications of his remarks were far and wide: from our transport, to how we plan our cities, to what we eat all become critical to re-examine if we are to genuinely evolve towards a green economy.

Further, Mr. Khosla noted “Perverse subsidies in areas like transport, energy, and agriculture [are problematic]… [these] industries aren’t doing the right thing, and not only that, are actually destroying the planet.” In terms of major future trends, Mr. Khosla believes that decentralised local systems will replace the monolithic systems of the past.

Business as usual as part of the problem: the need for paradigm shift

When prompted by a member of the audience about a question of the business case for a new economic solution, he reflected, “Business case worries me. It has connotations that I don’t think are amendable within the present context. The problem is business in its present form, and the way we understand it.”

Effectively, Mr. Khosla alluded that providing a business case for business as usual, rather than evolving towards new economic paradigms was part of the problem.

Effective international agreements an essential part of tackling climate change, growing economic prosperity

The B4E Summit also saw keynotes by several other national leaders beyond the country of South Korea. President Bharrat Jagdeo of Guyana as well as President Mohamad Nasheed of the Maldives, both gave their national perspectives; both carried somewhat somber thoughts.

President Jagdeo discussed that “non-binding targets at Copenhagen are not good for the market. Without these targets,” he said, “there can be no forest offsets, which is a critical issue for a country like mine.” Keeping national forests and ecosystems intact, and protecting valuable biodiversity in a developing nation like Guyana could be hugely enabled by incentives funded by markets and international mechanisms.

“In the absence of agreements across countries, how can ecosystem services be factored into the cost of production?” he asked. “We have to continue to struggle for a binding agreement across lines.”

President Nasheed gave a perspective about the Maldives that came across remarkably hopeful in the face of enormous uncertainty of his country. He acknowledged the challenges Maldives faces being located at sea level, as well as having an entirely fossil fuel based energy supply.

“The message is clear,” President Nasheed said,” the planet cannot support our current population and lifestyle, not to mention the needs of those in the future… It is the height of madness when something on which we all depend, the atmosphere, is considered of no economic value.”

President Nasheed pushed for speedy evolution to clean sources of energy and new economic models, rather than continuing to argue for means that have become “dirtier and dirtier.”

“It is everyone’s interest to put a price on carbon,” he said. He also championed the causes of market economies and the nations recently championed democracy.

Population control and soils as critical issues in climate change

Also appearing via video was former US Vice President Al Gore. As one might expect, Mr. Gore provided a well-rounded perspective on the issue of climate change. Where he did put extra emphasis was on the issue of population control, noting the importance of educating girls, empowering women, providing access to “fertility management”, and working to increase child survival rates in developing nations. Lowering population growth, and accordingly energy and resource demand is critical to solving climate change.

Mr. Gore also noted the often overlooked importance of storing and maintaining carbon in top soils globally, both from the perspective of climate change, as well as for improving food production, especially in the context of subsistence agriculture.

Eco-Business.com’s coverage of the Business for Environment Summit in Seoul is thanks to the support of City Developments Limited (CDL).