Building green economies in the Americas topic at Rice’s Baker Institute Oct. 25

David Ruth
713-348-6327
david@rice.edu

Jeff Falk
713-348-6775
jfalk@rice.edu

Building green economies in the Americas topic at Rice’s Baker Institute Oct. 25

HOUSTON – (Oct. 23, 2012) – A panel of experts will explore the roles of government, the private sector and civil society in implementing policies that lead to stronger green economies in the Americas Oct. 25 at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. The event is part of the Americas Project 2012 Colloquium being held at the Baker Institute this week.

Who: Juan Carlos Belausteguigoitia, executive director of Centro Mario Molina and former environmental economist for the Latin American region, The World Bank.

Tarcila Rivera Zea, president and continental liaison of Indigenous Women of the Americas and executive director of the Center for Indigenous Cultures of Peru.

Cletus Springer, director of the Department of Sustainable Development, the Organization of American States.

What: “Americas Project 2012 — Building Global Green Economies in the Americas” panel.

When: Thursday, Oct. 25, 6-7 p.m. A reception will be at 5:30 p.m.

Where: Rice University, Baker Hall, Kelly International Conference Facility, 6100 Main St.

“This year’s Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development reminded the international community of the need to fully embrace the transition to green economies,” said event organizer Erika de la Garza, the program director of the Latin America Initiative at the Baker Institute. “This model aims to develop more-peaceful societies by providing for economic growth, poverty alleviation and social inclusion without compromising environmental risks and ecological scarcities.”

The panel discussion will address why collaboration among all sectors of society is paramount, as well as the benefits and current risks and obstacles of the transition process.

The Americas Project is a collaborative venture uniting the resources and expertise of the Baker Institute’s Latin America Initiative and the Organization of American States Secretariat for Political Affairs Peace Fund. This year, 15 young leaders from across the hemisphere will engage in a series of roundtable discussions at the Baker Institute during a three-day colloquium about these timely and critical issues while sharing unique insights from their broad range of professional and cultural backgrounds.

Members of the news media who want to attend should RSVP to Jeff Falk, associate director of national media relations at Rice, at jfalk@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.

To view the complete event information, visit http://bakerinstitute.org/events/americas-project-2012-building-global-green-economies-in-the-americas. A live webcast will be available at http://bakerinstitute.org/webcasts.  

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Founded in 1993, the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University in Houston ranks among the top 20 university-affiliated think tanks globally and top 30 think tanks in the United States. As a premier nonpartisan think tank, the institute sponsors more than 20 programs that conduct research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. The institute’s strong track record of achievement reflects the work of its endowed fellows and Rice University scholars. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blogs.chron.com/bakerblog.