“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. |