Message from Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director*

Executive Secretary, Office of the President, Republic of the Philippines, Hon. Alberto G. Romulo, Secretary General, Asian Productivity Organization, Mr. Takashi Tajima, President, Asian Development Bank, Mr. Tadao Chino, Undersecretary, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippines, Honorable Mario Sanchez, President, Development Academy of the Philippines, Dr. Eduardo T. Gonzalez, and distinguished speakers and delegates.

Preventive environmental strategies are at the core of reconciling economic development and environmental degradation. As highlighted in the WSSD Plan of Implementation, "Fundamental changes in the way societies produce and consume are indispensable for achieving global sustainable development … Governments, relevant international organizations, the private sector and all major groups should play an active role in changing unsustainable consumption and production patterns…"

In the last decades a lot of effort has been put in to improve the resource, both material and energy, utilization efficiency in the production processes. The CP program APO's GP program, WBCSD's Eco-efficiency program are a few examples of these efforts. A lot has been achieved, however, much more remains to be done. I would like to put point for your consideration.

• The gains of improvements in production efficiency have been more than offset by increase in production - we therefore need to expand our focus and include consumption aspects that go over a life cycle paste;
• Promoting sustainable patter of P&Q requires involvement of a large group of stakeholder. We need to forge new and innovative partnerships;
• The environmental improvement efforts have to be more intricately integrated in the socio-economic development process.

I applaud the Asian Productivity Organization in promoting the concept of Green Productivity for enhancing productivity and environmental protection in the Asia-Pacific region. UNEP has always been and will continue to be APO's partner in its efforts in promoting environmentally sound economic development.

I am pleased to note that the 2nd World Conference on Green Productivity will provide an opportunity to take stock of the progress made and also to obtain recommendations for further measures and actions by all the involved stakeholders. The experts participating in the Conference will provide strategic inputs for further strengthening and broad-basing APO's Green Productivity programme. GP has already embraced the concepts of Green Procurement and Green Supply Chain. I look forward to concrete, result oriented action plans which would help in implementing the WSSD Plan of Implementation and lead to more sustainable development.

I wish the Conference all the success and eagerly look forward to the outcome.