The Asia-Pacific region can lead the way to "green growth" or the transition from "more dirty to greener economies," a report released today by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) says.
The fast-growing region has the potential to be a world leader in low-carbon growth, it said.
"Asia can be a leader in green growth, and already is taking steps in that direction," Nessim Ahmad, ADB director for environment and safeguards, said in an interview with Kyodo News ahead of the release of the report.
"There is a need to move to green growth paradigm.
"We need to move away from the 'grow now and clean up later' approach that has characterised growth so far that led to a lot of environment degradation that undermine the prospects in the future," he said.
The report, "Green Growth, Resources and Resilience -- Environmental Sustainability in Asia and the Pacific," stresses, however, the need for developing Asian economies to adopt a new development and environment-friendly strategy.
"The global market for green goods and services is vast and growing and with the right policies and investments, Asia and the Pacific could lead the world towards a more sustainable future," Ahmad said.
"What we are bringing to the table here is that Asia can be a leader in green growth, and already is making steps in that direction," he said.
"That really is the message, that a lot of decisions are made in Asia are going to not only help Asia but help the rest of the world," he added.
