“Green Economy has become a must to adapt in our Arabic world due to the environmental change”.

That what all participants have agreed on  in the “ Arab Green Economy Forum “that was held in Adnan Kassar Edifice Thursday March 13,2014 and organized by the General Union of Arab Chamber and LIBANPACK.

The opening session speech was inaugurated by Ms Soha Atallah,LibanPack Director. The session included words of HE Adnan Kassar, President ofthe General Union of Arab Chamber, Dr. Haroutioun Samuelian, Vice Governor of Banque Du Liban, Dr. Fadi Gemayel, President of LibanPack and Mr. Ziad Bekdash,Vice President of the Association of Lebanese industrialists.

More than 100 Lebanese and Arabic personalities from different sectors attended the forum (Ministry of Industry, President and Head of departments of different chambers of commerce and industry, experts and CEO in the economic and financial sector and environmental sector.)

The forum was divided into four session were the topics exposed the initiatives of private sectors, the financing sector, the industry sector and the advertising sector in Green projects.

H.E. Adnan Kassar, president of the General Union of Arab Chambers of Commerce, emphasized the need to adapt green practices in light of the deterioration of the environment in the Arab world, adding that proper environmental conditions werea prerequisite to successful performance of economic activities.

“The rising interest in climate change and the growth in population have increased the importance of boosting the green economy by investing in environmentally friendly projects,” said Dr.Haroutioun Samuelian, vice governor at the Central Bank of Lebanon.

Samuelian emphasized the importance of investing in green projects, while highlighting Central Bank initiatives in the sector.

Dr.Fady Gemayel, president of LibanPack, said the paper manufacturing industry, which supports 7,600 families, was suffering from high production costs.

Dr.Gemayel pointed to European countries that have boosted their overall economic success by adopting green practices.

“The private sector in Lebanon has also improved a number of green industries without any supportive policies,” he said.

Ziad Bekdache, vice president of the Association of Lebanese industrialists, cited the association’s contributions to raising awareness among industrialists of the need to adopt cleaner production methods.

He called upon the Lebanese government to support the concept of green industries to improve industrial development and increase sustainability in the country.

“We also call upon regional and international organizations to allocate a budget and offer technical support for the implementation of programs that support green industries in Lebanon,” he added.

Muttassim Mahmassani, general manager of Al-Baraka Bank, said that one of the most important aspects of corporate social responsibility to develop recently in the banking sector was the notion of “green banking.”

“Green Banking is generally defined as promoting environmentally friendly practices that aid customers in reducing their carbon footprint through their banking operation activities,” he said, citing practices such as online banking,statements, bill payments and account opening.

Ms Soha Atallah, LibanPack Director pointed that “Green Economy is the result of the solidarity and unity of all society segments:  government, private sector, financial sector,international organization and finally the consumer, best ally for green economy growth.