General Assembly, 3 June 2008, 9.30 am:

Personalities of world renown honour BIR with their presence

 

· Lord Nicolas Stern of Brentford

· Professor Philippe Chalmin

· Mr Robert Calcagno, Governmental Counsellor for Equipment, Environment and Urban Planning of the Principality of Monaco

 

His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco has accepted to put the BIR World Recycling Convention & Exhibition under the auspices of the Principality of Monaco, thus honouring BIR’s involvement in, and commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development of resources, two topics the Prince is particularly interested in. Prince Albert has been a leading light in the campaign to raise awareness of global warming. One of his first acts as Sovereign was to sign the Kyoto Protocol, taking Monaco out of the small group of countries, including Australia and the US that had not at the time signed the treaty. Prince Albert has also been involved in the UN’s ‘plant a billion trees’ campaign, has visited the Arctic to publicise the melting glaciers, and takes a lead role in showing the world that a wealthy country - albeit the second smallest in the world - with a modern successful economy can also be environmentally friendly. Most recently, he was also awarded the UNEP Champions of the Earth Awards 2008 Call for Urgent Action on Climate Change. Due to a conflicting time schedule, Prince Albert is unable to attend himself the event, but will be represented by Mr Robert Calcagno, Government Counselor for Equipment, Environment and Urban Planning of the Principality of Monaco.

The central keynote speaker of the General Assembly is Lord Nicholas Stern of Brentford. Lord Stern is the IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government at the London School of Economics and an internationally distinguished economist. Previously Head of the United Kingdom Government Economic Service he led the review on the Economics of Climate Change and the likely consequences

for current and future generations which resulted in the publication of a 700-page report titled the Stern Review. The review immediately achieved world wide recognition ensuring Lord Stern’s opinions were requested by Governments, Companies and the Media around the Globe. Prior to his appointment with the UK Government Lord Stern was Chief Economist and a Senior Vice President at the World Bank and previously played a key role as Chief Economist and Senior Advisor to the Director of the EBRD. Lord Stern focuses on the far reaching economic implications of climate change and looks at the short and long term effects of global warming on the global business community.

Another presentation will be given by Professor Philippe Chalmin, President of the commodity research institute CyclOpe and author of the World Waste Survey that in recent years gained overall recognition throughout the industry and trade press as well as the general media. Professor Chalmin will be speaking on “The great commodity markets boom and its impact on the recycling industry”.