Guatemala recently celebrated the institutionalization of the 10th of July as the National Day of Cleaner Production. The initiative to establish the National Day of Cleaner Production was led by the country’s Cleaner Production Coordination Committee.

The Vice-President of Guatemala, Jafeth Cabrera, declared that thanks to the efforts of the private sector, academia and governmental institutions, strategies are being generated to protect the environment and the natural resources which for decades have been extracted and misused. In this context, the Vice-President expressed his satisfaction in regard to the establishment of the National Day of Cleaner Production as an annual occasion to update actions addressing the degradation of the environment in the country. This is the first time a Latin American country establishes a national day for cleaner production. The Vice-President requested the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to institutionalize, following the same logic, an International day for Cleaner Production.

The Guatemalan Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Sydney Samuels, expressed that this celebration encourages a culture of respect and harmony with the environment, as well as the responsible and democratic use of natural resources with the goal of reaching sustainable development and shape a competitive, supportive, fair, inclusive and participative country.

“The National Day of Cleaner Production in Guatemala creates a space of unity and cooperation between key stakeholders connected with the industrial sector” says Marcos Alegre, President of the Global Network for Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECPnet).  RECPnet offered its resources to disseminate this important initiative and its results to its members and to other notable stakeholders around the world. The high level representatives of the Government of Guatemala and the Guatemalan private sector expressed their gratitude to RECPnet and the Guatemalan Cleaner Production Centre (CGP+L) for their support and hope for a the long term cooperation with UNIDO in promoting Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP).

(Photo from left to right: Mr. Jafeth Cabrera, Vice President of Guatemala; Mr. Sydney Samuels, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN); Mr. Carlos Fernando Coronado, Vice Minister of MARN; Mr. Oscar Emilio Castillo, President of the Guatemala Chamber of Industry; Mr. Juan Antonio Busto, CP Steering Committee and Mr. Marcos Alegre, President of RECPnet)