Green economics is the latest buzz phrase that you need to understand. It’s all about how environmental issues must be considered in business plans or you will find yourself behind the curve. In Europe, mandatory carbon reduction emissions efforts are already the norm. In the U.S., President Barack Obama has put environmental issues on the top of his agenda with clean energy infrastructure development plans. World leaders are hopeful that he will endorse legislation that will lead to the U.S. being part of a post-Kyoto agreement expected to be reached in Copenhagen this December. In China, the government is also focusing on sustainable development as a path to continued growth and economic restructuring. It is already home to one-fourth of the world’s Clean Development Mechanism projects.

How promising is the force of green economics to help drive the global economy out of the current doldrums? What should governments do to accelerate their green transformation? As for the corporate community, how can executives efficiently steer their businesses towards sustainable development? Where are the opportunities?

BusinessWeek’s inaugural “Greener China Business Awards” special report to be published in May will seek to provide insights to these questions. To coincide with the report, BusinessWeek will launch a Global Green Business Summit to gather high-level international business leaders to discuss how a global transformation to a more green outlook can help catalyze the future global economic revival. By participating, you are demonstrating your commitment to sustainable development.

Confirmed speakers to date include:

• Zhang Lijun Vice Minister, The Ministry of Environmental Protection of PRC
• Wan Gang, Minister, Ministry of Science & Technology
• Zhang Guobao, Vice-Chairman of National Development and Reform Commission and Director-General of National Energy Administration
• Frank O’Brien-Bernin, Chief Sustainability Officer, Owens Corning
• Victor Kwong, Corporate Health, Safety and Environment Manager for Towngas (Hong Kong & China Gas Co Ltd)
• Lorraine Hahn, Moderator, former CNN anchorwoman
• Wu Changhua, Director for Greater China, Climate Group
• Robert Wu, Chairman & CEO, US-China Green Energy Council
• Matthias Gelber, Board Member, Maleki GmbH, voted “Greenest Person” on Earth
• Dr Andrew Thomson, CEO, BEC