UN agency joins with ‘green’ town to spread waste management know-how

The United Nations agency created to promote industrial development announced today a new agreement to help developing countries acquire environmental technologies and waste recycling through exchange of information with one of the world’s “greenest” cities.

Kitakyushu, Japan, has created a system of recycling and wastes management which treats nearly all persistent organic pollutants (POPs), chemical substances that stay in the environment, accumulate in the food chain and can cause adverse effects to human health and the environment.

“Technologies for destruction of POPs are new, innovative and expensive,” said Kandeh Yumkella, Director-General of the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

Under the agreement, UNIDO will send decision-makers, engineers and technicians to train in Kitakyushu, Japan’s first Eco-Town project based on the concept of “zero emissions” or no waste products.

“By transferring modern technology to developing countries, we are helping them comply with the legally binding requirements of the Stockholm Conventions Persistent Organic Pollutants,” added Mr. Yumkella citing the international treaty that aims to eliminate or restrict the production and use of POPs.

The agreement was announced during Mr. Yumkella’s three-day visit of Japan, where he will meet with Government officials and present the latest report of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change (AGECC).