Commission on Sustainable Development

Ninth Session

8^th Meeting (AM)

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION HEARS CALLS FOR ACTION

ON ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENTS

As the Commission on Sustainable Development began its high-level general debate this morning, 17 government and international officials addressed issues relating to sustainable development, including energy, transportation, the planet’s atmosphere, information for development and international cooperation -– the main subjects of the current session.

The international community had the tools and resources to translate global goals of sustainable development into concrete local actions -- to move from words to implementation, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Klaus Töpfer, told the Commission.  For that, the critical issue of energy needed to be addressed, with a shift to sustainable systems.  The objectives set forth at the Earth Summit in Rio could not be achieved without widespread introduction of non-polluting and less-polluting forms of energy, and more effective use of the planet’s finite resources of fossil fuels.  He added that in the next two decades, an estimated $10 to $15 trillion would be invested in new energy projects.  If that investment were directed towards clean energy technologies, everybody would enjoy a more secure, robust and clean world economy.

Speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated States, the Minister for the Environment of Sweden, Kjell Larsson, said that governments should improve incentives for consumers and the private sector, and sustainable energy should be integrated into poverty reduction strategies.  Also needed were supportive financial arrangements to introduce energy to the two billion people without access to modern energy sources.  On protection of the atmosphere, he stressed the importance of the implementation of the Montreal Protocol and its amendments. Conversion to the alternative products without ozone depleting potential or negative impacts on the climate should be supported.

The Minister for Environment and Forest of India, T.R. Baalu, stressed that one third of the world’s population lacked -– and must be given –- access to reliable, regular and affordable energy.  That would require financial resources, technology, managerial capacities and above all -– political will.  The contrast between the situation in developing and developed countries was glaring and unsustainable.  Developed countries must now act on their 1992 commitments, undertaken in Rio, to provide adequate, stable and predictable financial resources and to transfer environmentally-sound technologies to developing countries.

Speaking on behalf of the Rio Group of countries, the representative of Chile also stressed the need to translate into action the commitments made at the Earth Summit, and expressed deep concern at the evidence of an unprecedented increase in the size of the hole in the ozone layer.  He called for increased resources for the multilateral fund of the Montreal Protocol to help developing countries reduce consumption of chlorofluorocarbons.  The Group also called for climate variability studies and the development of a programme for natural disaster reduction.  After repeating its prior commitments to the Kyoto Protocol, the Group expressed the hope that the United States would reconsider its position not to implement commitments in that Protocol.

Full consensus was needed where global problems required global solutions, the Deputy Prime Minister of United Kingdom, John Prescott, told the Commission.  A product of nine years of negotiations since Rio, the Kyoto Protocol was important for combatting climate change.  Real targets and timetables were needed for a real reduction in greenhouse gases, and it was now important to agree on the rules to meet the commitments in the most cost-effective way.  Expressing disappointment that agreement had not been reached at The Hague, he stressed that efforts must be redoubled to make progress on that subject in Bonn in July.  The Hague meeting had shown that many countries had disagreements with different parts of the Kyoto Protocol, but the important thing was to keep talking, to find common consensus on a way forward for all nations.

Also speaking this morning were Ministers from Austria, the Czech Republic, Australia, Finland, Ireland, Mexico, Denmark and Algeria.  Introductory statements were made by Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Canada’s Representative as President of the UNEP Governing Council, and the Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme.  A statement was also made by the representative of Iran on behalf of the Group of 77 developing countries and China.

The Commission will hold an interactive dialogue on energy, and continue its high-level general debate, at 3 p.m. this afternoon.

Background

This morning the Commission on Sustainable Development met to begin the general debate of its high-level segment.  (For background information on the current session of the Commission see Press Release ENV/DEV/563 of 12 April.)

Introductory Statements

NITIN DESAI, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said that it was the first time that there had been an integrated discussion of energy in its entirety, at the political level, in United Nations system.  The outcome of the session would be crucial in establishing the usefulness of the Commission’s process and for advancing the sustainable development agenda at the sectoral level.  The issue of energy was clouded by many controversies.  Some of those had been highlighted in the conference room paper before the Commission.  He urged the Commission to make a constructive contribution to the discussion on energy, as it was central to establishing a process that brought together all countries and stakeholders. 

He said that certain themes had emerged from yesterday’s discussions on financing.  The discussion focused in particular on high up-front costs, the long-term nature of investments and the fact that there was a discrepancy between social and private terms.  A second major issue was decentralized energy systems, the role they could play and possible financing arrangements for them which would needs be different from what was currently in place.  Ministers might wish to address those issues.  On the 2002 World Summit for Sustainable Development, he asked ministers to consider what they wished to see as an outcome of that Summit.  How could a sense of hope be generated at the end of the Summit?  The question of globalization and how it impacted on the sustainable development agenda was also important.

KLAUS TÖPFER, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), said that he wanted to present the outcome of the two most recent sessions of UNEP’s Governing Council, which reflected substantial progress in implementing the recommendations of the Secretary-General’s report on environment and human settlements, and the Millennium Declaration.  Both sessions were driven by the recognition of the role that the UNEP should play in the preparation for the World Summit for Sustainable Development and the need to ensure that the environmental dimension of sustainable development was fully considered on the basis of a broad assessment of the state of the global environment.

The UNEP had made substantial contributions to the current session of the Commission, he continued, in particular, as far as the issue of atmosphere was concerned, where UNEP was the task manager.  It had also provided information for decision-making, transport and energy.  An expert meeting had been co-hosted by UNEP on information for decision-making last year in Quebec.  The UNEP was also participating in the preparation of the third Global Environmental Outlook

(GEO-3) for the World Summit for Sustainable Development.  In addition, it had launched a new environmental information portal –- UNEP.net.

He went on to describe UNEP’s other initiatives and said that the international community had the tools and resources to translate the ambitious global equation of sustainable development into concrete local actions -- to move from words to implementation.  For that, the critical issue of energy needed to be addressed adequately, and a shift to sustainable energy systems was needed.  The objectives set forth at Rio could not be achieved without the widespread introduction of non- and lesser-polluting forms of energy, thereby also making more effective use of the planet’s finite resources of coal, oil and other fossil fuels.  Production, transportation and use of energy were a cause of a wide range of major environmental problems. 

Much of UNEP’s focus was on promoting sustainable energy approaches, with an emphasis on developing countries, he said.  It was involved in numerous projects in various parts of the world, based on renewable-energy technologies.  Efforts were being made to bring together financial institutions and local non-governmental organizations to promote successful approaches to business start-ups.  It was important to go beyond current approaches, however.  New thinking must take into account energy market restructuring and commercial technology transfer, from a global perspective.  There was a need for changes in regulatory approaches, energy financing and institutional approaches.

Further efforts needed to be made to develop small businesses offering energy services in rural areas, he continued.  The private sector was essential to achieving those goals.  The human dimension remained central, and there were large and unmet needs for education, training and capacity-building efforts in developing countries.  It was not only the hardware that mattered, but also the local skills necessary to make the correct technology choice.  In the next two decades, an estimated $10 to $15 trillion would be invested in new long-lived energy-sector projects.  If that investment were directed towards clean energy technologies, everybody would enjoy a world economy that was more secure, robust and clean.  The first two Global Ministerial Environment Forums, and the meeting held yesterday on international environmental governance, were a great source of encouragement in that respect.

DAVID ANDERSON (Canada), President of the Governing Council of UNEP, said that UNEP would continue to play a constructive and effective role over the next two years, in particular in preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002.  The twenty-first session of UNEP’s Governing Council, held in Nairobi in early February, had met in conjunction with the Global Ministerial Environment Forum and was characterized by a series of ministerial round-table discussions on topics ranging from links between the environment and poverty, to the environmental dimensions of dialogue among civilizations and international environmental governance.

The Council adopted 34 decisions, including five on chemicals –- for the first time addressing such important issues as lead in gasoline, and mercury.  One of the decisions encouraged the reform process already undertaken to strengthen UNEP, and established an open-ended intergovernmental group of ministers or their representatives, to undertake a comprehensive policy-oriented assessment of existing institutional weaknesses, as well as future needs and options for strengthening international environmental governance.  The work of that group would contribute to the preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development and provide an input into its final decisions. 

The first meeting of the group had taken place on April 18, he continued.  It was attended by more than 90 Member States and included 30 ministers.  Participants emphasized the need to strengthen international environmental governance through an evolutionary approach, and to ensure better coordination and coherence among the various global institutions and instruments involved.  There was support for involving stakeholders other than government in that process.  One of the suggestions that emerged from the meeting was for the Governing Council bureau to meet with the tenth session Commission on Sustainable Development bureau, once it had been established, to enhance a coordinated approach. 

ZEPHIRIN DIABRE, Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said that environment and development goals were inextricably linked.  The decline of major ecosystems, the degradation of over one billion hectares of agricultural land, diminishing supplies of clean water and the growing prevalence of climate-related natural disasters, were having a disproportionately-brutal impact on the poor.  The benefits of global economic growth were not reaching the poorest people.  If those problems were not arrested and reversed, the development targets set out in the Millennium Declaration would not be met.  To succeed in meeting those goals, the terms of the debate must change.

Achieving sustainable development required the integrated management of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of development, he said.  Combining advocacy for sustainable development with strategic activity on how to put it into practice at the country level lay at the heart of UNDP’s agenda.  The UNDP’s four strategic service lines included integrating environment in national planning frameworks for poverty reduction and sustainable development, promoting access and sustainable management of land, water and biological resources, reducing vulnerability of the poor to climate change, and promoting access to sustainable energy services. 

Affordable, modern energy sources, such as clean fuel and electricity, were critical drivers for human development, he continued.  Energy was also an indispensable engine for boosting overall economic growth across all sectors of the economy.  But despite its demonstrated benefits, some two billion women, men and children –- one third of humankind -– lacked access to electricity and still relied on traditional solid fuels.  Hundreds of millions of women and girls spent hours each day searching for, and carrying, fuel, wood and water.  The UNDP was advocating the adoption of a new global target -- the achievement of which would be a prerequisite to fulfilling other international development targets -- helping to halve the population of people without access to clean and affordable fuels and electricity by 2015.  Three linked goals must receive greater attention.  These were improving energy efficiency, expanding the use of new renewable energy, and accelerating the diffusion of cleaner, advanced fossil fuel technologies.  Actions was needed to mitigate climate change, and industrialized countries must show initiative.  Action was already possible in two areas, including rural electrification and the use of liquid or gaseous fuels for cooking.  Simply providing access to liquefied petroleum gas would free up time in millions of households, particularly for women, while mitigating climate change.

BAGHER ASADI (Iran) speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 developing nations and China, said that transport and mobility played an essential role in the economic and social development of societies.  The rapid pace of urbanization in past decades presented a real challenge for all countries.  The challenge in the developing world was how they could meet ever-increasing demands for urban transport while ensuring the least possible adverse impact on the environment.  The problem, which was not theoretical but real, was how to respond to that challenge within a framework of limited resources and capacity, while ensuring long-term development objectives.  Access to affordable transport was a major concern for the developing world in general.

The problem of providing access to transport services to the poor was exacerbated by globalization, with its increasing demand for world-wide transport services, he said.  The expansion in the volume and pace of trade on a global scale -- although not distributed equitably or in a balanced manner -– required a well-functioning international transport system.  The existence of an efficient transport system was also a necessary condition for foreign direct investment (FDI).  The question of providing such services came down to the all-too-familiar areas of capacity-building, technology transfer and provision of financial resources.  He emphasized the importance of the applicability of technologies to country-specific situations and flexibility in transport development approaches.  Assistance to developing countries to meet the requirements of transport for sustainable development could be pursued through energy efficiency projects. 

The interrelationship between energy, transport and atmosphere, as well as the direct impact of the atmosphere on the national economy and poverty eradication, was of paramount importance to the Group, he said.  He stressed the importance of transferring environmentally sound technologies, adaptable to the conditions of developing countries, as an effective tool for reducing air pollution.  He underlined the imperative of promoting capacity-building, training and public awareness in developing countries.  Regarding “information for decision-making” and specific proposals for indicators, the Group had shown maximum flexibility and had presented its wording to negotiating partners.  On the unfolding process of globalization, there was need to ensure a fair and equitable distribution of its benefits across the board, particularly in the developing world.

KJELL LARSSON, Minister for the Environment of Sweden, speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated States, stressed the pioneering and valuable role that the Commission was playing in many areas.  Agreeing that the ninth Commission session should not attempt to pre-empt the outcome of the resumed sixth conference of parties to the climate change convention (COP6) negotiations, he said that it was most timely that three of the themes of the current session provided a unique opportunity to address the causes of climate change –- the single most pressing global environmental problem.  Although it had not been possible to reach a final agreement in the Hague in November 2000, considerable progress had been made on many important issues.  The Union would do everything possible to facilitate the process leading to the resumed COP6 negotiations in Bonn in July.

An overriding issue for any efforts towards sustainable development was the question of an enabling environment, he continued.  International cooperation continued to be a high priority.  The Union remained strongly committed to development cooperation, including the goal of reaching the official development assistance (ODA) target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product (GNP) by all donor countries.  An integrated and coordinated follow-up to the series of United Nations conferences and summits was of particular importance. 

Current development plans for energy production, distribution and use were not sustainable, he said.  Governments had the responsibility to apply energy policies to achieve sustainable development.  It was vital for industrialized countries to recognize that they had a special responsibility to take action, domestically and internationally, due to their major use of energy services and the related environmental consequences.  In both developed and developing countries, the challenge ahead required decisive political will.

Recent deliberations of the ad hoc intergovernmental group of experts on Energy and Sustainable Development clearly indicated the sensitivities related to questions concerning nuclear energy, and the difficulties in reaching agreement on that issue, he said.  The outcome of the current Commission session should reflect the actual situation in that regard, concentrating on areas where the Commission could add value.  The combination of traditional and conventional energy resources, increased use of sustainable renewable energy sources, more efficient use of energy, and more equitable distribution, could meet the growing need for energy services in a sustainable way.  Energy resources were plentiful, and environmentally-sound technological options were available to make a sustainable energy future a reality for all.

All countries could benefit from new sustainable energy technologies, both through promotion of access to energy and in curbing environmental problems.  Also, public-private partnerships should be promoted.  Large improvements could also be achieved through improved energy management techniques.  Governments should improve incentives for consumers and the private sector.  Sustainable energy should be integrated into poverty reduction strategies, and supportive financial and credit arrangements would be needed to introduce energy to the

2 billion people without access to modern energy sources. 

Energy markets were international, he continued, and the effects of unsustainable energy systems were transboundary.  That meant continued and intensified international attention was needed.  Sustainable transport was also an important and growing end-user of energy and a cause of air pollution.  A new vision of transport was needed to protect human lives and the environment.  Governments should cooperate to promote investments in sustainable transport and to facilitate the transfer of environmentally-sound technologies.  International assistance to developing countries was needed.  New choices for travel should be promoted, including non-motorized transport.

He also addressed the issue of the protection of atmosphere, saying that the Union attached great importance to the implementation of the Montreal Protocol and its amendments.  The conversion to sustainable alternatives with neither ozone-depleting potential or other negative impacts on the climate, should be supported, including through the multilateral fund.  The use of ozone-depleting substances not yet covered by international regulations should be avoided.  Another important issue was information for decision-making and participation, and many tools and methodologies were at governments’ disposal for managing information. 

The Union was prepared to continue assisting developing countries in building capacity to enhance effective use of relevant technical equipment, he said.  Indicators were among the tools which reduced complexity of information and facilitated civil society participation and public education in efforts for sustainable development.  The Union would continue its support for their development and contribute to work to improve indicators and their consistency.  It would also continue working with the private sector to promote disclosure and dissemination of commercial information.  The Union was actively engaged in the preparations for the World Summit of Sustainable Development.

WILHELM MOLTERER, Minister for the Environment of Austria, said that one of the main challenges concerning energy was the electrification of rural areas.  Secure access to modern forms of energy -- available at affordable prices to large populations -- was a basic precondition for economic development and poverty eradication.  Rural areas, both in industrialized and developing countries, faced similar problems in regard to energy generation, distribution and availability.  Some 24 per cent of Austria’s energy consumption consisted of renewable forms of energy.  About two-thirds of Austria’s electric energy was generated by hydro-power and about 12 per cent of its energy demands were covered by bio-mass and other renewable sources.  The use of bio-mass had a long tradition in Austria and solar energy was also widely.  Austria’s rural areas contributed considerably towards a sustainable-energy economy. 

Some two-thirds of Austria was mountainous -- in which more than three million people lived, he said.  That fact continued to pose special challenges.  Sustainable development projects, both in developed and developing countries, had to be small scale.  Traffic in mountainous regions was also a problem.  The fragile ecological balance of life supporting ecosystems was especially vulnerable.  A consistent framework of policies should be used to promote and stimulate sustainable transport.  The promotion of information and educational tools was needed to raise public awareness and promote sustainable consumption and mobility patterns.  When addressing transport and energy, the use of biofuels was a logical link to achieving sustainable development.  While respecting national sovereignty and current international law, Austria did not consider nuclear power as compatible with the concept of sustainable development.  Governments should not embark on the promotion of well-established technologies if they were risky, but should take appropriate measures to ensure the safety and security of both people and the environment. 

JUAN GABRIEL VALDES (Chile), speaking on behalf of the Rio Group of countries, said that developed countries must support efforts by developing countries to achieve sustainable development.  Such cooperation should translate into action the commitments made at the Earth Summit for financial support, strengthening human resource capacities and technology transfers.  The Group also expressed its gratitude to the Secretariat for its development of indicators to measure and evaluate sustainable development.

It was deeply concerned at evidence of an unprecedented increase in the size of the hole in the ozone layer, he said, and called for increased resources for the for the multilateral fund of the Montreal Protocol to help developing countries reduce consumption of chlorofluorocarbons.  The group also called for climate variability studies and development of a programme for natural disaster reduction.  After repeating its prior commitments to the Kyoto Protocol, the Group expressed hope that the United States would reconsider its position not to implement commitments in that Protocol.  It also expressed its concern about maritime transit of radioactive materials, and called for the implementation of security measures to regulate such traffic.

Speaking in his national capacity, Mr. VALDEZ said there was clear political will in Chile for the work on, and use of, indicators of sustainable development. In lead-up events to the next Summit on Sustainable Development, Chile would pay particular attention to implementation of the Rio principles, including on liability and compensation for adverse effects of environmental damage.  Chile was greatly concerned about the way the Kyoto process was developing, with developed countries abrogating part of their responsibility for mitigating the greenhouse effect.  He also expressed concern about environment measures serving as hidden barriers to trade, and about the potential for damage consequent on transshipment of radioactive waste.

MILOS KUZVART, Minister of Environment of the Czech Republic, said his country’s cultural and social development and economic and health security had naturally resulted in its meeting one major parameter of sustainable development -- a stabilized population.  This allowed the Government to focus on improving quality of life, of which the environment constituted a significant part. Sustainable development was a necessity, and a guarantee of safety.

In the last ten years, the Czech Republic had substantially reduced its sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and dust emissions, and eliminated the use of lead-based fuels, he said.  An efficient system of environmental indicators had enabled individuals and decision-making bodies to take the right decisions.  The incorporation of externalities in costing of transport, power engineering and other activities might become the most efficient tool to prevent environmental damage, economic failures and disputes, but this would require the cooperation of all States.

Education was the most efficient weapon to combat poverty and prevent violence, he said, and a good basis for cooperation would be promotion of education about the natural and technical sciences, which had global validity and were also the common heritage of all nations.  Education, along with upbringing and knowledge, led to goodwill of citizens and to appropriate mobilization of economic, financial and private resources.  Motivated citizens would support governments’ sustainable development efforts.

ROBERT HILL, Minister for the Environment and Heritage of Australia, said that following Rio, his country had accepted its responsibility to do better in respect of sustainability with some success, but “with an enormous way to go”.  Attitudes had changed, and there was a better scientific understanding of the situation. 

He went on to remark on the regret expressed by the representative of the Rio Group on the abandonment of commitments in regard to the climate change, saying that the developed countries had, in fact, made significant efforts to reduce greenhouse emissions.  In particular, Australia had improved emissions standards and introduced new building codes.  Substantial investment had been made in the renewable energy sector.  Those actions were being replicated by other countries, which meant that they were seeking to improve the environment.  While progress might be slow, international efforts were being complemented with domestic action. 

The enormous contrast between the developed and the developing world had also been mentioned, he said, with 2 billion people without access to energy services. That meant that the international community was failing in that respect.  Furthermore, that was putting a continuing strain on natural resources, including biomass. The task was not easy, however, for many governments now had limited capacity to address the problem as a result of an unequal distribution of wealth.  Part of the new market economy was a reduction in the size of governments and their capacity.  Thus, the problem was to engage the private sector in sustainable development efforts. 

Private capital should increase the capacity to develop economies.  Which were less threatening to the environment, he said.  That capital, and new technologies, should help to achieve better effects on the ground.  The World Summit on Sustainable Development next year should demonstrate the world’s capacity to turn words into reality, and to promote growth without degrading land and water.  It should also advance sustainable consumption and production patterns. 

ROBERT HILL, Minister for the Environment and Heritage of Australia, said that following Rio, his country had accepted its responsibility to do better in respect of sustainability with some success, but “with an enormous way to go”.  Attitudes had changed, and there was a better scientific understanding of the situation. 

He went on to remark on the regret expressed by the representative of the Rio Group on the abandonment of commitments in regard to the climate change, saying that the developed countries had, in fact, made significant efforts to reduce greenhouse emissions.  In particular, Australia had improved emissions standards and introduced new building codes.  Substantial investment had been made in the renewable energy sector.  Those actions were being replicated by other countries, which meant that they were seeking to improve the environment.  While progress might be slow, international efforts were being complemented with domestic action. 

The enormous contrast between the developed and the developing world had also been mentioned, he said, with 2 billion people without access to energy services. That meant that the international community was failing in that respect.  Furthermore, that was putting a continuing strain on natural resources, including biomass.  The task was not easy, however, for many governments now had limited capacity to address the problem as a result of an unequal distribution of wealth.  Part of the new market economy was a reduction in the size of governments and their capacity.  Thus, the problem was to engage the private sector in sustainable development efforts. 

Private capital should increase the capacity to develop economies which were less threatening to the environment, he said.  That capital, and new technologies, should help to achieve better effects on the ground.  The World Summit on Sustainable Development next year should demonstrate the world’s capacity to turn words into reality, and to promote growth without degrading land and water.  It should also advance sustainable consumption and production patterns. 

SATU HASSI, Minister of the Environment and Development Cooperation of Finland, said the Commission was discussing two of the major underlying causes of climate change – energy and transport.  The Kyoto Protocol was a first and important step in the long process of tackling climate change, which was the most severe threat to the global environment.  “We must remember that nature does not negotiate with us”, he said.  “We must keep the Kyoto process going."  His own country had met its target of emission reductions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.  It was also currently preparing a national climate change strategy, which was based on improving energy efficiency, increasing the share of renewable energy sources and replacing coal with energy sources that produced less carbon dioxide.

Turning to the energy issue, he said that his country, along with other Nordic countries, had liberalized electricity markets, resulting in dramatic decreases in electricity pricing.  At the same time, a national energy and carbon dioxide tax had been introduced, which had an important role in reducing carbon emissions.  The tax had encouraged energy conservation and investments in renewable energy sources.  In developing countries, energy was of course a key component in national poverty eradication strategies.  The need for energy should be met, but in a sustainable way.  Aid and foreign direct investment must support sustainable energy projects, energy efficiency and renewable energy.  The goal should be to help developing countries “leapfrog” to clean energy technologies.

In a world of increasing mobility of both people and goods, sustainable transport was crucial, he continued.  It contributed to social and economic development, as well as poverty eradication.  However, the growth of gross national product and the increase in transport must be “de-coupled.”  Far too often, private automobiles were seen as the one and only alternative.  In reality, promoting public transport and cycling resulted in cleaner and socially fairer mobility, as well as better living conditions.  Public transport, cycling and walking must be a priority in urban planning.  Finance and taxation policy could provide the economic incentive to promote sustainable modes of transport.  Finally, he stressed the importance his country attached to the establishment and use of indicators for sustainable development and the valuable work done in the Commission on such indicators.

JOE JACOB, Minister of State, Department of Public Enterprise of Ireland, said in September 1999 his Government had published its “Green Paper” on sustainable energy.  He believed that report contained basic policy-making criteria that would be helpful for any country trying to meet its energy requirements in an environmentally and economically sustainable way.  Following the report’s guidelines, countries should, among other things, emphasize the use of renewable resources, minimize greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants by ensuring clean generation and sustainable consumption levels, and ensure the security of energy supplies in order to support development while protecting the environment.  Ireland, he added, recognized the importance of framing policies that would assure sustainable consumption patterns in the future.  Indeed by putting the proper structures in place, countries could ensure that the sustainable policies they developed would be consistent with economic growth.

He was pleased to see priority given during this session to renewable resources in outlining an energy framework for the future.  Renewable energy, and the mechanisms which supported it, were crucial to sustainable development.  To that end, Ireland had launched its programme to promote electricity for renewable energy sources in 1996, and anticipated that by 2005, 12 per cent of its national electricity requirements would be delivered by those sources.  At the same time, Ireland was of the view that nuclear energy, primarily because of concerns with various risks -- safety, transport,  waste disposal and proliferation -– was incompatible with the objectives of sustainable development.  He also expressed extreme concern that developing countries might be encouraged to develop nuclear industries as part of their energy mix or to strengthen their economies.  He said that energy efficiency was one of the most cost-effective ways to ensure sustainable energy consumption patterns in developed and developing countries alike.

He went on to say that countries should provide incentives for energy conservation, while, at the same time, incorporating energy efficiency measures in national policy.  He also said that a key factor in making more rapid progress toward sustainable transport patterns was more integrated land use and the development of long-term infrastructure plans based on national spatial strategies.  Within such a framework it would be possible to, among other things, identify spatial patterns that would contribute to efficient energy use and the minimization of waste.

He said that, while this was not the proper forum in which to discuss climate change, it was nevertheless important to consider the critical issue of protection of the atmosphere.  Indeed, increasing urbanization and its attendant environmental problems called for measures to improve assistance, particularly for developing countries, for capacity-building in preventing and combating air pollution and promoting the transfer of cleaner technological fuels.  Finally, he stressed that the upcoming World Summit should address all these issues as well as the links between environmental degradation and poverty eradication, and international cooperation on an enabling environment for sustainable development.

T.R. BAALU, Minister of Environment and Forests of India, said that the current Commission session was of extraordinary importance, for it was considering some of the most critical issues for economic and human development, including energy.  One third of the world’s population lacked –- and must be given -– access to reliable, regular and affordable energy.  That would require financial resources, technology, managerial capacities and, above all, political will.  The contrast between the situation in developing and developed countries was glaring and unsustainable.  Developed countries, which had already substantially overdrawn common resources, must now act on their 1992 commitments, undertaken in Rio, to provide adequate, stable and predictable financial resources and transfer environmentally-sound technologies to developing countries.

Nations should decide on their own energy policies, he continued.  An international debate on sources of energy was not needed, as long as their use could be safely controlled.  Here it was important to look at the cross-cutting issues involved in securing energy for sustainable development and work towards removing barriers.  Discussions on energy should not focus narrowly on electricity.  Today, 3 per cent of the installed power generation capacity in India was from non-conventional energy sources.  That would rise to 10 per cent in ten years.  Renewable energy required investments in technology and called for innovative financial mechanisms.  He urged developed countries to support programmes for technology transfer on concessional terms.

In many developing countries, it was impossible to ignore fossil fuels, he said.  Cleaner technologies were needed, however, for cleaner use of such fuels as coal.  He agreed that subsidies should be phased out in the energy sector, but they were unavoidable as long as there were large populations in developing countries without access to energy.  On transport, a good road infrastructure was vital, and India had embarked on an ambitious programme of road development.  The technical upgrading of vehicles, efficient transport systems and better fuel quality were also among the challenges facing developing countries. 

If the benefits of the atmosphere were limited and it was impossible to use it without destroying the resource itself, then clearly that use should be based upon equitable entitlements, he said.  While there were continuing voices of dissent, doubting the fact of climate change and ozone depletion and putting into jeopardy the hard work done so far, technical and scientific assessment overwhelmingly supported many countries’ fears, and the international community should not relax in its efforts. 

India was striving for a better quality of life for its people, he said.  It sought to support the international community on the basis of the global partnership forged at Rio and the principle of common but differentiated responsibility.  The Rio commitments of the developed countries remained largely unfulfilled, and they needed to explore further in any discussion of institutional changes or environmental governance.  The current Commission session was beginning discussions that would culminate in the World Summit in 2002.  Implementation of Agenda 21 should be reviewed at Rio+10.  Shortcomings and constraints should be identified, and concrete measures to remedy them should be evolved. 

FRANCISCO SZEKELY, Deputy Minister for Planning and Environmental Policy of Mexico, said that Mexico recognized that natural conservation and the promotion of sustainable development could only take place in a society where citizens were directly involved in the process of policy making.  The environment was a national priority in Mexico.  For the first time, the Ministry for Environment and Natural Resources had participated on an equal footing with other ministries in the design of the Federal Government’s economic policy decisions.  Water and forest conservation and poverty eradication were environmental priorities.  Some

12 million Mexicans -– more than ten per cent of the population –- had no access to drinking water.  Rain forest depletion was also a problem.  Some 30 per cent of Mexico’s rain forests had been depleted in the last twenty years, greatly affecting indigenous populations.  Mexico understood that the sustainable management of natural resources was necessary to overcome poverty.

Mexico affirmed its commitment to the Kyoto Protocol, he said.  It had been party to that Protocol since 2000 and had been working on ways to avoid emissions of greenhouse gases.  Mexico fully subscribed to the principle of shared but differentiated responsibility on environmental problems, and would oppose any strategy to reopen the text of the Protocol.  The Johannesburg summit would present a political opportunity to act promptly to face global environmental challenges.  The promotion of sustainable development would benefit from an agreement on trade, development and financing.  Mexico proposed a new focus for environmental issues, including the empowerment of social forces to fully participate in the decision-making process, the full integration of environmental considerations into economic policy-making, and the application of the necessary political will to address problems related to poverty and environmental degradation, especially for indigenous populations.

SVEND AUKEN, Minister for Environment and Energy of Denmark, said that all had come to the Commission with great expectations.  One recurring theme had been the question, “what was sustainable development?”  There had been much philosophical debate.  Lack of access to affordable energy was a main source of poverty.  Unsustainable energy production accounted for the world’s most threatening environmental challenges.  Denmark had found that the problems of development and the environment could be met through energy conservation, including the better use of energy sources and development of renewable sources.  It was necessary to decouple energy and economic growth. More than 20 per cent of Denmark’s energy supply came from renewable sources.  In 2005, one third of its energy supply would be from renewable forms.  At the same time, Denmark had experienced an increase in jobs.  It expected to receive more than $3 billion for exports of energy equipment.  This showed that a country could do the right thing in terms of the environment while creating jobs at the same time. 

Nuclear energy was not an option, he added.  Developed countries were trying to sell developing countries something that they themselves would not buy.  Developed countries were expecting developing countries to solve problems, such as nuclear waste disposal, which they had not been able to solve for decades.  The upcoming Rio+10 conference should not be a repeat of Rio+5.  Many promises made at that conference had not yet been fulfilled, including access to markets and technology transfers.  Tedious negotiations had not led to ratified instruments.  

JOHN PRESCOTT, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, said that full consensus was needed where global problems required global solutions.  Transport was a good example of how sustainable development required a new vision of government.  A good transport system was vital for the economy, for sustainable development and for social justice.  It was linked to energy use, air pollution and spatial planning policies.  That was why his Government had created a new Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions to recognize those links.  As the country had moved to a car-based economy, it had made the mistake of

disinvesting in public transport on a huge scale.  Now, it was paying for that with a £180 billion ten-year transport plan to tackle congestion and give the travelling public choice. 

Sustainable transport required effective national action, he continued, but sustainable development also required global solutions to global problems, as agreed in Rio.  The World Summit next year would mark the tenth anniversary of that Conference, and world leaders must commit themselves to attend, and to make positive and difficult decisions.  The Summit needed an agenda which recognized that sustainable development was about economic growth and social justice, as well as about the environment.  It was also important to tackle links between poverty, environment and health.  That was why the United Kingdom had increased its aid budget and focused it more sharply on poverty eradication; and reduced the debt burden of the poorest countries.

The world also needed to deal with climate change, he said.  The Kyoto Protocol was an important step in setting the framework for that.  A product of nine years of international negotiations since Rio, it was based on sound principles and sent a clear message.  Developed countries must take the lead, recognizing the legitimate demand for industrialization in developing countries. A framework of targets and timetables was needed for a real reduction in greenhouse gases.  Now it was important to agree on the rules for flexible mechanisms to meet commitments in the most cost-effective way.  Then his country and others could ratify the Protocol to bring it into effect by 2002.  The United Kingdom had been disappointed when agreement was not reached at The Hague.  It was important to redouble efforts to make progress in Bonn in July.  The Hague meeting had shown that many countries had disagreements with different parts of the Kyoto Protocol and its mechanisms, but the important thing was to keep talking to find common consensus on a way forward for all nations. 

CHERIF RAHMANI, Minister of Land Management and the Environment of Algeria, said that new approaches were needed.  The praiseworthy efforts of the United Nations needed to be supported by new initiatives to create effective partnerships between the public and private sectors.  Developing countries were in favour of financial and technical support from their developed partners to adapt to new reliable energy sources and ensure sustainable development.  The introduction of new technologies would mean high costs, which they could not bear alone.  Industrialized countries must contribute the financing they committed to at the Rio Conference. 

Algeria attached importance to energy as a primary source of income.  Its energy policy promoted sustainable development based on the use of the least polluting fossil fuels, including natural gas.  Electricity was widely used and solar energy was being developed in the Sahara Desert.

Regarding transport, he said that Algeria promoted using energy sources, such as liquid petroleum gas, to lessen the problem of air pollution.  It would do its part to slow down the process of global warming and called on governments to strictly observe the Kyoto Protocol.  Algeria also promoted sustainable cooperation in scientific and technical fields to reduce air pollution.  He welcomed the active role of UNEP in Algeria.