Green Asia Initiative

Publication

Treatise on the “Green Economy”
By Ben Blanco
Published and first circulated
 in 2013 Dumaguete City

Green Economy is an investment scheme anchored on reforestation. It is designed to meet the challenges of monumental environmental concerns, socio-economic needs and commercial demand for hard woods. An investment in the environment of socially and urgently important which is equally beneficial to the economic life of the community of people, and a profitable planned commercial venture to sustain the environmental crusade worldwide for cleaner air and water and socio-economic  development.

Overall the purpose of this undertaking is to protect the environment and the conservation in the use of its natural resources for commercial purposes and provide massive employment and economic opportunities, source of public funding or tax base for targeted community infrastructural development and a business climate for the growth of localized light industry over the long term. 

Since “Green Economy” is intended to create public and private goods, it requires a balance approach by way of institutionalizing countervailing forces or mechanism in both sides of the fence to insure the integrity and sustainability of the environmental initiatives and meet the expectations of the public and private sectors. Hence, it calls for Private Public Partnership Agreement wherein contained all issues and interest and responsibilities mutually acceptable to all parties in the agreement in compliance with the law of the sovereign State.

“Green Economy” is a very unique platform for environmental crusade where most of the issues regarding climate change and its hazardous effects to people by way of air and water recognize no national borders, where the public and private sectors meet and decided to forge a partnership agreement and pursue environmental cause and consequently, realize the expected return distinctly in accordance to their objectives. This is ideal for the public sector to jump start the local economy and soar through the engagement of foreign assistance and/ or investment and private funding. Most importantly the “Green Economy” is the trade off over charity or handouts and foreign aid or grants since reforestation is an effective means for carbon sequestration and promotes cleaner air that is circulating beyond many borders. Furthermore, investment in the environment produces a multiplier effects and one of which is advantageous to the interest of the public sector. In effect premium quality asset grow in the course of time which can be used for collateralization and through anticipatory taxation to finance public works and social and economic development and meet the public financial obligation of 10, 20, 30 or 40 years to maturity.

On the other hand, the private sector in the green economy has two distinctive characteristic. One of them is just passionate in restoring environmental balance with deep social conscience and strong commitment in the environmental crusade worldwide. In fact the green economy is indeed very ideal since their support to the environmental cause would mean shooting two birds with one stone. After all forests and trees are a direct source of food, energy and income for more than a billion of the world's poorest people according to United Nation Food and Agricultural Organization. The other character is institutional and individual investors who are seeing timber as asset class option and the least risky strategies for any investors who are diversifying their investment portfolio since the more time you wait, the more value you get.

Either one of them would like to see an iron clad agreement, clarity in the rules of the game and a system free of political and bureaucratic incursion to the legitimacy of the business and the flow of goods and services. The green economy by way of private public partnership agreement which must be sanctioned by appropriate ministries of the State with the concurrence of the local legislative body in compliance to the law of the State, addresses responsibly all the issue of concerns and gain in the process the full confidence of both the private and public sectors in the world market.

Green Economy is not a new concept in fact, most of its practices can be observed in bits and pieces all over the place legally and somewhat illegally. Organizing this enterprise in a free market system economic model will provide better derivatives, recognition and respectability from both the environmentalist and those who just wish to do business. Adherences to the principle of “let the private sector take care of its business and the public sector does its regulatory function”, require a strong leadership in paving the future course of the new economy.

Note that there was a time most of the Asian countries was abundant in the supply of exportable  tropical woods and at the moment, they no longer have that financial leverage to conveniently produce either public or private goods in meeting the many challenges emanating from the socio economic needs of their community of people. Concomitantly, an environmental concern is at the forefront of world opinion while the demand for lumber predictably will outstrip supplies over the long term. In addition to the changing trading format for this commodity, now that timber is considered as an asset class option in the world financial/ commodity market, the “Green Economy” must surmount the issue of credibility in most of these countries which is always under siege by public opinion.
  It is indeed wishful thinking to assume that majority of people will just bear the responsibility and take positive action on climate change but the reverse is true and “what’s in it for us?” is the usual question in mind.


Observation/
Opinion
Protracted War on
Climate Change and Poverty
By Ben Blanco
Circa 2017

 

  When the needs of so many can hardly meet the standard of daily living and the wants of others is so insatiable and unfulfilling, coming in together for human consideration as the guardian and beneficiaries of the gifts of mother nature is in fact, an idealistic expectation in the light of many social, economic and political challenges around the world that is now being complicated by the terrifying effects of climate change. An alarming concern over the status of the environment is undeniable and yet what to do with global warming remained political by way of governmental mandate on one hand and carbon trading on the other of which both sectors (private and public) are looking forward to the advancement of technological development for carbon mitigation with effective and cost efficient delivery system which, hopefully become available in the immediate future.
  Since reliance on technology may fall short of expectation and the possibility of global warming to taper off substantially is uncertain, the participation of less develop nations directly in the environmental crusade for cleaner air and water worldwide is significantly important since air circulation recognize no national borders and so as the flow of water in some continents. But what is really important is to have a handle on the disastrous effects of global warming among the most vulnerable and the social and political consequences thereof. Apparently, a declaration was made by one of the European Union members in the early part of 2014 G7 nation meeting that any plan for climate change must be linked to poverty alleviation.
  Linking a plan for sustainable carbon dioxide emission reduction and concomitantly to carry on poverty mitigation is obviously requires massive funding in which underdeveloped countries have neither the financial resources nor the capability at the onset to wage the most important colossal battle of the twenty first century - a protracted war on climate change and poverty. But the fact of the matter is, aside from foreign grants and private donors/sponsorship funding this monumental undertaking is feasible through personal and corporate investment with tax privileges when possible both from benefactor (country of capital origination) and beneficiaries, and also, by way of tax incentives on contribution to environmental causes.

 The linkage of environmental crusade for cleaner air and water worldwide to poverty mitigation is designed to produce both public and private goods and services by way of reforestation which will provide wide range of economic opportunity and generate massive employment in phase-I of socio economic development, and in due course with 20 to 40 years window to maturity - when timber is now considered as class option asset for investment diversification which will grow in higher collateral value in time to commence phase-II of socio economic infrastructural development selectively to low cost housing, construction of local roads, distribution of potable water supply and building sewer system, healthcare, education, livelihood and job skills training programs benefiting multiple municipalities and villages of respective communities of people directly and indirectly adjacent to the project site. 

  Clearly, only through the creation of value and its accrual future value, a real demand will emerge to enhance the expansion of the local economy further more attributable to multiplier effects which will significantly improve the growth of employment and economic opportunity over the long term. Funding phase-II (socio economic infrastructural development) is based on future value of class option asset with 10 percent valuation or better enabling to securitize or collateralize the principal and interest of the loan to maturity with less than 5 % interest annually.

Mobilization of the stakeholders in the environmental crusade worldwide for cleaner air and water linking to poverty alleviation require legal and organizational structure to efficiently and effectively implement its objective and achieve its goal. In one side of the fence is the “Foundation” representing the private sector comprise of investors, foreign government sponsorship/ corporate contributors, private foundations, NGO’s, religious organization, concerned citizens of the world, and the community of people adjacent to and nearby the project sites who will be benefited directly or indirectly from this undertaking in terms of employment and economic opportunity during the phase-I of socio economic development and again in phase-II, timely  in positioned  the new labor skills necessary for community development enhanced during the interval cycle of phase one and two.

  The other side of the fence is the public sector comprise of national government which includes its ministries or departmental units and agencies with its assets like public lands and various expertise, local government and the community of people represented by the elected politicians in the democratic governing process whose mandate is to uphold the law of the land, protect and support the rights of its people, provide  sufficient public services and socio economic infrastructural development essential to the livelihood of its constituencies.

  There is something for everyone in this environmental crusade worldwide for cleaner air and water, in fact, the engagement of the community of people can make the difference in providing vigilance for political correctness, defend and promote the integrity and sustainability of the environmental crusade and the preservation of capital investment. Direct participation of the communities of people right at the grass root level is absolutely necessary in the environmental movement linking to poverty mitigation where their stake is high in the future course of the environmental crusade worldwide and the conservation of its natural resources situated right in their backyards.

  The unity of purpose of the stakeholders is definitely important and valuable in their intention for the restoration of ecological balance. However, there are issues in each of the stakeholders concerning their behavior which is natural tendency in our competitive market system but at times  inappropriate, unproductive and disruptive to the environmental cause that need to be addressed and resolved through a negotiated “Private Public Partnership Agreement” in compliance to the governing law of the sovereign nations. This “Agreement” is the foundation of the working relationship between “Public” and the “Private” sectors with stipulations pursuant to environmental crusade worldwide for cleaner air and water and contained therein, their responsibilities and expectations that are explicit and when a provision is considered implied, an addendum maybe required with mutual consent of both party in the agreement.

  Comparatively the third world nation as well as the developing one has insignificant contribution to the worsening condition of the environment worldwide and yet being asked to also make the difference in the reduction of carbon dioxide emission. Understandably,   a protracted war on climate change must be the concerned of everyone in every nation to win this war overwhelmingly. However, a market oriented methodology for specific economic condition warrant a designed approach with realistic expectation that can wheel the environmental crusade to poverty alleviation, just like shooting two birds with one stone is an incentive that can make the difference in the protracted war on climate change and poverty.
It is true that nature does not need us but we need nature for the survival of mankind and for us to live harmoniously with one another. We are now at the cross road waiting for the worst natural disasters to happen which is building up as time goes by. This generation is facing a monumental challenge on how to win a protracted war on climate change and poverty. In this environmental crusade for cleaner air and water worldwide, we will learn how to do better and more and most importantly, to do justice for the next generation of Mother Nature’s custodian and beneficiaries.










Project
Sites

   Listing of all projects being manage and/ or supervise by the Green Asia Foundation in partnership with the host countries under the Public Private Partnership Agreement in behalf of public donors, private funder, investors and foreign grants.

  Each projects are describe in terms of size, budget, location, numbers of local people being employed, projected income statement, schedule of investment and the social and economic impact of the project to the local community of people.

Goals and Objectives

Plan ofActions

The strategic goal is to provide the financial infrastructures to the environmental initiatives that meet the needs of all interested and committed parties to the cause which is personally compensating, socially rewarding and mutually beneficial politically and economically worldwide and most of all, to the host countries. In achieving this goal, the following in order of priority are the tactical objectives;

  • Mutually acceptable Private Public Partnership Agreement
     between Green Asia Initiatives and the local government   
     sanctioned by interrelated Ministries of the State in                            
     compliance  with the law of the sovereign nation.

  •  Appropriate long established trustee bank acceptable to both individual and institutional (Public and Private) funder of theenvironmental crusade.

  • A private investment financial consultant to facilitate
      legitimate execution of an optional investment program.

  • An independent auditor/ respectable accounting firm in the
      financial industry to monitor and insure the quality                             
      utilization  and management of the contributed/ investible
      funds, 
     
  • Formation of committee of advisers with various specialization of technical know-how necessary for the realization of the overall purpose of this undertaking.

  • To bring about the private and public sectors in agreement through Public Private Partnership that is mutually beneficial to all parties and to the state of affairs of the environment worldwide, and to the people who are most vulnerable in the aftermath of global warming.

  • To provide an investment infrastructure for some member of the private sector whose contribution to the environmental cause expect a return on their investment and to ascertain sustainability of environmental crusade worldwide.*

  • To engage the financial network in the competitive process of
           public funding the socio economic development of local
           communities of people limited to low cost housing, potable
           water supply and sewer system, education, health care,     
           livelihood   programs and job skills training and construction
           of local road. 

  • To link up the local timber industry and commodity market in this undertaking permissible under the Private Public Partnership Agreement.

*   Note that long term sustainability is only achievable with a plan of action legally capsulated in “Public Private Partnership Agreement”. The success of the mission of Green Asia Initiatives is a function of Public Private Partnership Agreement.

Trustee Bank

Audit Report



Through a bank of trustee, all funds deposited with the exception of commercial funds are administered under bank trust agreement which address fundamentally the disposition and disbursement of the funds.
To ensure efficient and productive utilization of the contributed/ investible funds, an audit reporting by an independent accounting firm is conducted annually to ascertain financial accountability. Note that audit report is publicly published annually.

Sponsors

Archives



General sponsorship of the environmental crusade for cleaner air and water worldwide is all-inclusive while limited sponsorship is specific and exclusive when requested to a particular project site or schedule of investment. Unless asked to remain anonymous, all sponsors/ donors are listed in this site.
Collection of all documents, video files, financial and audit report referencing the activities of Green Asia Initiative are stored.