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KATHMANDU: The Green Growth Advisory Service has been established at the secretariat of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) to promote the green economy.
Chairperson of the Sustainable Development and Good Governance Committee in the National Assembly, Prakash Pantha, FNCCI President Chandra Prasad Dhakal, and Numan Özcan, Country Director of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Office for Nepal, jointly launched the advisory at the FNCCI Secretariat on November 9. The Green Growth Advisory Service was established with the technical assistance of the ILO.
Through this service, FNCCI will actively advocate for the adoption of environmentally sustainable practices while promoting economic growth. Awareness campaigns will be organised at the federal, provincial, and local levels, focusing on employment skill development, green employment, and just transition, with a special emphasis on industrial corridors, industrial areas, and villages. The advisory will also take the initiative in assisting the development of strategies and action plans to promote the green economy.
Moreover, it will provide regulatory guidance to ensure the implementation of green growth by establishing metrics and indicators to measure the importance of green growth, advocacy, and progress at the central, state, and local levels. The advisory will work in cooperation with concerned stakeholders to exchange knowledge, technology, and best practices related to green growth.
To ensure effective operation, an advisory service consisting of representatives from the FNCCI, the Government of Nepal, universities, trade unions, ILO, and experts in this field has been formed.
During the advisory launch programme, Pantha commended the FNCCI's efforts to move the Nepali industry towards the concept of green growth. He expressed that starting such activities is very welcome and expressed his hope that the government would support the FNCCI's gradual advancement in this effort. The private sector has a vital role to play in green growth and sustainable development. He thanked FNCCI for initiating the advisory cell and committed to playing the role to minimise the gap between the government and the private sector.
FNCCI President Dhakal claimed that adopting green growth practices in Nepali businesses and industries will benefit the environment and society, and create opportunities for economic growth, market competition, and long-term sustainability. The FNCCI pledged to continue this campaign and praised the ILO's support in encouraging the private sector in this direction.
ILO Country Director Numan expressed his happiness in cooperating with the FNCCI. He stated that the United Nations including ILO has prioritised green initiatives to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). ILO is committed to supporting employers' organisations in policy reform engagement in sustainable enterprise development including green growth in business and industries in Nepal.
During the programme, FNCCI Senior Vice President Anjan Shrestha expressed appreciation for the ILO's support in developing the capacity of the Nepali private sector, manpower development through work-based training, and fostering good labour relations.
Hemraj Dhakal, Chairperson of the commodity council, FNCCI, commended the ILO for their support in preparing the standard operating procedures (SOP), work-based learning guidelines, and the green growth report. He opined that these documents would significantly enhance the capacity of the federation's commodity member associations and conveyed gratitude to the ILO for their assistance.
FNCCI Office bearers and executive committee members, government officials, ILO officials, representatives of development partners, academicians, entrepreneurs, businesspersons, and mediapersons were present at the programme.
