GREEN GROWTH
TBY talks to HE Mohamad Machnouk, Minister of Environment, on the impact of the Syrian crisis on Lebanon's environment policy, the awareness of renewable energy in the country, and Lebanon's goals for sustainable development.
BIOGRAPHY
HE Mohamad Machnouk was born in 1941 and has a degree in political studies and public administration from the American University of Beirut. In addition to his political activity, he is deeply engaged in the fields of media and education. He has played an active role in proposing solutions that helped Lebanon through the transition towards peace after 15 years of civil war and actively contributed to the negotiations that led to the National Accord in Taef. He participated in a number of national, Arab, and international forums to debate the Lebanese political, economic, social, cultural, and media landscape and presided over preparatory committees for a number of national conferences on peace building, on the electoral law, and on the organization of the media industry in Lebanon and the Arab world.How has the current refugee crisis and the region's instability affected Lebanon's environmental policies?
The Syrian crisis has disrupted environmental policies in a significant manner. At the upstream level, environmental considerations are not considered as a priority in emergency situations, which has made it impossible to proceed with an environmentally sound planning process in the country. Despite the efforts to initiate the National Sustainable Development Strategy in March 2015, this process remains unfinished and has not become a priority in the national planning agenda. Although the Syrian crisis had a major impact on the environmental and natural resources of Lebanon, policies and plans to respond to these impacts have not been acted upon.
What have been the ministry's measures to tackle the trash crisis Beirut has been facing?
The ministry took the first action even before this crisis occurred by trying to prevent it and actively participated in the ministerial committee established for the purpose of integrating a common vision on solid waste management tenders, the first time this was ever done in Lebanon. The process for the tenders, however, was not easy in most regions of the country, particularly in the Greater Beirut area, where the tenders had to be repeated up to three times. At the end, a total of 17 consortiums of Lebanese and international companies participated in the bids, with six recommended successful candidates by August 2015. These bids, however, were not approved by the Council of Ministers, and the ministry left the committee, even though it maintained its role as a counselor on the issue.
How would you assess the level of awareness regarding the use of renewable energy in Lebanon?
The renewable energy sector gained momentum after the Copenhagen Climate Summit in 2009, when the Lebanese government voluntarily engaged in having a renewable energy share of 12% over the total use of energy by 2020. That engagement has created a national awareness in both the public and the private sector, which is demonstrated by the uptake of energy efficient but more importantly renewable energy measures. The ministry has also mainstreamed climate change with the public sector and has pushed for ambitious actions in that regard. Despite these advances, we are still critical about the incompleteness of the effort in the matter and have pushed other governmental agencies to move toward renewable energy technologies and to embrace them as a priority for the energy future of Lebanon.
How is the ministry working with its counterparts in other countries to attract investments to the environmental sector in Lebanon?
The government, through the ministry, has ratified most of the key environmental conventions and protocols, namely those on climate change, protection of the ozone layer, persistent organic pollutants, protection of the Mediterranean Sea, and the like. This has opened the door to direct funding from international organizations to further improve the implementation of these measures and to adopt the regulations implicit in these conventions.
What measures have you promoted to minimize the environmental footprint of the oil and gas sector the country is seeking to develop?
A strategic environmental assessment (SEA) was carried out for the sector from 2010-2011, and the Lebanese Petroleum Administration (LPA) together with the Ministry of Environment is following up on the smooth implementation of these recommendations. Accordingly, a second phase of the Oil for Development Program was signed with the Norwegian government; this program includes several environmental activities.
What are your prospects for the development of sustainable policies in Lebanon in the next five years?
In March 2015, the Presidency of the Council of the Ministers, in coordination with the Ministry of Environment, launched the roadmap for the national sustainable development strategy (NSDS). The draft NSDS includes seven strategic objectives: providing world-class human capital; strengthening social cohesion; providing citizens' daily priorities; enhancing economic growth; preserving natural and cultural heritage; promoting good governance; and repositioning Lebanon on the Arab, Mediterranean, and international maps. Consultations about the draft NSDS are expected shortly.
GREEN GROWTH
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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The Tripoli Special Economic Zone (TSEZ) is one of most ambitious projects in Lebanon at the moment. With an initial cost of USD27 million, it is meant to provide an alternative to the heavily centralized economic activity in Beirut, a new gateway for investments and trade to settle in northern Lebanon, and will transform the image of a long-neglected region.
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Dr. Freddie Baz, Vice Chairman & Group Strategy Director, Bank Audi
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Max R. Zaccar, Chairman of Commercial Insurance & President of the Association, Insurance Companies
TBY talks to Max R. Zaccar, Chairman of Commercial Insurance & President of the Association of Insurance Companies, on the resilience of the sector, increasing the already-high penetration rates in the country, and remaining one of the strongest insurance companies in the region.
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HE Arthur Nazarian, Minister, Energy and Water Resources
TBY talks to HE Arthur Nazarian, Minister of Energy and Water Resources, on the potential offshoots from oil and gas explorations, the country's National Energy Efficiency Action Plan, and attempts to increase renewable energy consumption.
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Wissam Zahabi, Chairman, Board of the Lebanese Petroleum Administration (LPA),
TBY talks to Wissam Zahabi, Chairman of the Board of the Lebanese Petroleum Administration (LPA), on making the investment climate attractive for foreign companies and becoming self-sufficient in energy.
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Pierre El Khoury, General Director, Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC)
TBY talks to Pierre El Khoury, General Director of the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC), on the development of energy efficiency in Lebanon, awareness of energy conservation, and the country's 2020 renewable energy goals.
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Dr. Fady Gemayel, President, Association of Lebanese Industrialists (ALI)
TBY talks to Dr. Fady Gemayel, President of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists (ALI), on the group's work to promote industrialists, new developments in terms of industrial cities, and the future of industry in the country.
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Industrial Solution
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Marianne Hoayek, Director of the Executive Office, Banque du Liban
TBY talks to Marianne Hoayek, Director of the Executive Office of Banque du Liban, on the roots of the Circular 331 concept, bridging funding gaps throughout the startup lifecycle, and the country's growing knowledge economy.
read articleRoundtable
Thinking It Through
On June 12, TBY and the American-Lebanese Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) organized a roundtable titled “Startup ecosystem sustainability: fostering cooperation to drive entrepreneurship." The participants discussed the impact of Circular 331, an initiative by Bank du Liban, the Lebanese central bank, to inject a potential of USD400 million into the local enterprise market and guarantee 75% of banks' investments in startups and startup support.
read articleFocus: Infrastructure for the startup ecosystem
The New Star
Startups are ubiquitous in Lebanon despite the difficulty of starting a business and the lack of services available to new businesses. However, a number of actors, both public and private, are innovating the environment and allowing startups to fulfill a greater role in the country's economy.
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Bridging The Gap
The conflict in Syria has wrought serious damage on the Lebanese economy, effectively closing off the country's trade routes through Syria. However, a new program geared at balancing the price disparities between land and sea transit is poised to help Lebanese industries.
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A Stimulus For The Rest Of Us
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Armand Pahrés, President, Lebanese Pharmaceutical Importers Association (LPIA)
TBY talks to Armand Pahrés, President of the Lebanese Pharmaceutical Importers Association (LPIA), on the development of legislation in the sector, boosting further innovation, and opportunities for Lebanon to become more self-sufficient in pharmaceuticals.
read articleFocus: Incentives for pharmaceuticals in Lebanon
Pharma Land
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HE Elias Bou Saab, Minister, Education and Higher Education
TBY talks to HE Elias Bou Saab, Minister of Education and Higher Education, on the ministry's initiatives to improve the education system, ensuring access to education for Syrian refugee children, and reversing the brain drain in the country.
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Mohamed Harajli, Provost, American University of Beirut (AUB)
TBY talks to Mohamed Harajli, Provost of the American University of Beirut (AUB), on his upcoming plans for the university, the key role played by the AUB alumni, and fostering an entrepreneurial spirit among students.
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High Marks
Proportional to its population, Lebanon has taken in significantly more Syrian refugees than any other country. With the country now facing the problem of placing the tens of thousands of Syrian children in school, international donors and local and foreign organizations are making educational support a priority.
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Joseph G. Jabbra, President, Lebanese American University (LAU)
TBY talks to Joseph G. Jabbra, President of the Lebanese American University (LAU), on embracing technology at the university, the challenges of Lebanon's brain drain, and the importance of having international links with other institutions.
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