Simon Upton Keynote Speaker at Future of Growth Forum

Simon Upton, Environment Director for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and former New Zealand Minister for the Environment, is a keynote speaker at an upcoming European sustainability and economic development workshop. The German Development Institute (DIE) hosts the workshop, as part of the sixth Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum – The Future of Growth. The Forum takes place in Bonn between June 17 and 19. It will discuss issues such as ‘what must be done to build a sustainable path to the future without destroying our livelihood; can growth be sustainable, and do we need it; and, what are next steps to securing a sustainable future for a global population heading toward 9 billion by 2050?’ The workshop will also examine, according to the DIE, the validity of the various strategies put forward in recent times for sustainable development, including those for inclusive green growth (World Bank, 2012), green growth and development (OECD, 2012), and for a green economy (UN Environmental Programme, 2011). As OECD Environment Director, Simon Upton is responsible for Environmental Performance Reviews of member countries, the economic analysis of policy instruments used to improve environmental outcomes and a wide range of work related to water, biodiversity, climate and chemicals. He played a key role in the development of the OECD’s Green Growth Strategy. The team Upton leads recently released the  OECD Environmental Outlook to 2050- a model-based analysis of the environmental consequences of business-as-usual growth at the global level. The directorate is now working to develop a better understanding of the economic costs of environmental damage and the benefits of taking pre-emptive action to limit that damage. Upton’s distinguished New Zealand political career, between 1981 and 2000, included nine years as a minister.