The annual conference of the Global Green Growth Forum (3GF) opened here Monday to explore ways of creating a greener value chain with higher resource efficiency.

The two-day event is organized under the theme of "improving resource efficiency in the value chain", and features discussions on promoting the efficient use of the resources during the entire life cycle of a product or a process, and minimize the negative impact on sustainability.

Special focus is placed on the respective roles of companies and governments in improving sustainability throughout the value chain, optimizing resource use, reusing waste, product innovation, and investing in new consumer tastes.

For example, as an active 3GF participant, Nike has launched initiative to create new, sustainable materials and highlighted sustainability as a global business strategy in an attempt to decouple the profitable growth from resource constraints.

The 3GF forum calls for transferring public-private initiatives into concrete actions, accelerating the transition to long-term sustainable global green growth.

For the third time, Denmark hosts the 3GF conference, which was launched in 2011 by the governments of Denmark, South Korea and Mexico. In 2012, governments of China, Kenya and Qatar joined the forum.

This year the forum convenes some 300 high-level representatives from governments of countries and cities, CEOs from business and finance sectors, leading experts, as well as leaders of international organizations and civil society.

Monday's Keynote speakers include Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, South Korean Prime Minister Chung Hong-Won, Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Environment Judi Wakhungu, Chairman of Qatar Nation Food Security Program Fahad Bin Mohammed Al-Attiya, and Liu Qi, deputy director of China's National Energy Administration.

At the opening plenary, Thorning-Schmidt received "Gift to the Earth" certificate, a prestigious award by the global conservation organization World Wild Fund (WWF) , which regards the Danish government has set the world's most ambitious climate and renewable energy targets in combination with a long track record of publicly promoting and implementing clean and sustainable energies.

Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General will give a keynote speech at the closing session on Tuesday, with the future of green investments being addressed. Endi