United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Moscow organized the launch of the World Economic and Social Survey - 2009 at the UNIC premises on 2 September 2009.
Professor Vladimir Popov of the New Economic School presented the Survey to forty-five representatives of Russian academic community, government officials dealing with macro-economic issues (MFA and Ministry of Economic Development including), journalists, private sector representatives and NGO activists.
Representatives of Russian academic community, government agencies, private sector and the media at the launch of WESS 2009
Using the PowerPoint presentation, Professor Popov made a twenty-five minute overview of WESS-2009, while emphasizing the main theme of this year’s Survey: Promoting Development, Saving the Planet and pointing to the need to identify integrated policy responses to development and climate challenges.
He cautioned against a simplistic perception that climate problem can simply be addressed by across-the-board emission cuts by all countries or by relying exclusively on market-based solutions to generate the required investments. He pointed out instead that enormous changes will have to be made in the production sectors in countries at all levels of development if progress is to be made in ensuring sustainable low-emission growth and in making economies more resilient to climate change through technological upgrading and diversification.
Like in the past year, Professor Popov’s presentation was excellent. He proved to be a real erudite, a seasoned scholar and a good communicator. He navigated easily thought different points raised by the audience and handled the numerous questions in a professional and confident manner.
Professor Vladimir Popov of the New Economic School and Alexandre Gorelik, UNIC Director launching WESS 2009
The discussion and the Q&A session that followed were substantive and enlightening. Literally each and everyone who spoke made it a point to emphasize the good job done by both DESA in compiling the Survey and Professor Popov in presenting it.
As a matter of fact, in terms of climate change aspect of the economic development the discussion revealed two diametrical perceptions – one, that “the point of no return” has all but passed and only emergency regulatory measures could slow or reverse the humanity’s slide towards the abyss, and the other, arguing that the human contribution to the global warming still needs to be substantiated.
The following day, 3 September, Novye Izvestia, a major daily newspaper, carried a comprehensive story on the launch of the World Economic and Social Survey – 2009 on basis of our presentation. The electronic version of the materials can be found at the following URL: http://www.newizv.ru/news/2009-09-03/114008/.