Commission on Sustainable Development

Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting

3^rd & 4^th Meetings (AM & PM)

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PREPARATORY MEETING HOLDS TWO EXPERT PANELS,

FOCUS ON POLICY OPTIONS FOR ENERGY, INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT

 

The Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting of the Commission on Sustainable Development today held two expert panel discussions on policy options and possible barriers and constraints concerning energy and industrial development.

The meeting has been convened to lay the groundwork for the Commission’s fifteenth session -- set for 30 April to 11 May –- that will highlight obstacles, lessons learned and best practices identified in four priority areas:  air pollution/atmosphere, climate change, energy for sustainable development and industrial development.

The first energy specialist to address the meeting this morning, Bikash Pandey, from the Winrock’s Clean Energy Program in Pakistan, emphasized that universal access to energy was achievable, but that affordability for those 1.6 billion people without access to reliable energy was a problem.  Taking renewable energy technologies as an example, he said tried and proven solutions were based on market approaches and the participation of the private sector, communities and non-governmental organizations.  A global commitment was needed to provide access to modern energy services to all. 

Hazan M. Qabazad, expert, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), however, warned that, although renewable sources of energy were promising, they should not be viewed as a panacea to poverty.  Without plentiful and cheap fossil fuels, there would not have been an industrial revolution and the prosperity in developed countries to which developing countries aspired.  However, more sustainable ways must be found to live in harmony with the environment.  Energy policies must also support the efforts of developing countries to eradicate poverty through assistance and technology transfers.

Shahmar Movsumov, Chair of Azerbaijan’s National Committee for Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), explained that the Initiative had been launched by British Prime Minster Tony Blair at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in order “to increase transparency over payments and revenues in the extractive sector in countries heavily dependent on these resources”.   Azerbaijan had piloted EITI implementation since 2003.  He said countries rich in oil, gas and minerals could reap huge economic benefits if those resources were well-managed.  However, if governance was not good, benefits could be squandered, having a negative impact on societies and even causing conflict.

Opening the dialogue, a representative speaking on behalf of a block of developing counties reiterated that access to energy was a primary condition for economic development and poverty reduction, and he called for adequate, predictable and new financial resources, technology transfer and political will.  He was one of several speakers who called for new forms of public-private partnership -– between energy companies, financial institutions, non-governmental organizations, knowledge institutes and Government bodies –- and for innovative financing methods, such as microcredits.  To that end, there were several calls to give particular attention to the unique challenges faced by the least developed countries, landlocked developing counties and small island developing States.

A speaker representing a block of developed and middle-income countries said the challenge was to find ways to supply energy for all countries without affecting the global environment, while at the same time, increasing energy security.  He called on all countries to give high priority to renewable energy development.  The Commission should recommend that all States develop time bound targets and commitments to boost renewable energy sources, as well as access to energy, and integrate those plans into national sustainable development strategies.

The afternoon panel discussion on industrial development was opened by Nabil Nasr, Director, Centre for Integrated Manufacturing Studies at the Rochester Institute of Technology, United States, who said that Earth’s ability to sustain environmental quality was being threatened by industrial development.  However, environmental quality and economic prosperity could coexist, including with enhanced focus on industrial infrastructure, research and development, market transformation and clean production.  One of the most common challenges to implementing environmentally sound industrial practices was the lack of universal standards and metrics.  A universal system for environmental labelling should also be supported.

Representing the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions from Argentina, Annabella Rosenberg noted that there were close links between social and environmental sustainability and industrial development.  In cases where there was no respect for the rights of workers, the environment was not treated well either.  A good sustainable industrial development policy included a policy for creating decent jobs and respect for the environment.  Trade unions could play positive roles through dialogue with employers and Governments in the transition towards sustainable production, as well as in the sustainable management of natural resources.  Proposals for sustainable industrial development should take into account the triple objective of economic, social and environmental sustainability, protection of human and environmental rights, and participation of civil society.

Calling industrial development the “engine of economic restructuring in many developing countries”, one speaker during the interactive discussion suggested that, in order to improve that development, policies must aim to promote environmental protection, the development of environmentally sound technologies, and on strengthening South-South as well as North-South cooperation to ensure that poverty eradication measures did not deplete natural resources.  Other speakers suggested that industrial development should also be an engine for employment creation and was one of the gateways through which developing countries could enter the international trade arena.

Another speaker stressed that concrete measures could be taken by developed countries to eliminate tariff and non-tariff trade barriers on imports from developing countries.  He also recommended strengthening investment in human capacities to promote industrial development, technology transfer and skills training.  Further, the United Nations system could place more emphasis on promotional and information-dissemination activities relating to investment opportunities in developing countries.

Representatives of major groups such as women and business and industry also participated in the discussions.

The Intergovernmental Meeting will reconvene Wednesday, 28 February, at 10 a.m. to continue its discussions of policy options and address possible barriers and constraints, as well as lessons learned, concerning air pollution and the atmosphere.

Background

The Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting for the fifteenth session of the Commission for Sustainable Development met today to have interactive discussions on policy options to expedite implementation of development goals regarding energy for sustainable development and industrial development.  The Secretary-General’s reports before the meeting -– documents E/CN.17/2007/2 and 3 respectively -– were summarized in Press Release ENV/DEV/909.

Introduction by Panellists

BIKASH PANDEY, electrical engineer and resource economist, Winrock’s Clean Energy Program, Pakistan, said energy was the invisible element in the Millennium Development Goals.  Without access to modern energy services, those goals could not be achieved.  Access to reliable, affordable, high-quality energy services made it possible for the poor to increase their incomes and have access to better education and health services.  Women and children would not have to walk hours to carry water, grain would not be milled by hand, childbirth could take place in well-lighted rooms.  The global community now knew how to get modern energy services to rural and urban women, men and children currently without services.

He said tried and proven solutions were based on market approaches and the participation of the private sector, communities and non-governmental organizations.  Investments were often enabled by the public sector.  Subsidies could leverage high-quality systems with substantial investments from users themselves.  The lowest-cost solutions were provided by renewable sources of energy, which had recently seen significant investment by the private and public sector.  The business models for off-grid renewables were also applicable for supplying clean fossil fuels, such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), among other things.  One dollar in four invested in the power sector was now being invested in a renewable energy technology.  However, the bulk of those investments were in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries and larger developing countries, and was driven by energy security concerns, rather than attempts to increase access.

Renewable energy technologies and cleaner biomass technologies were also starting to contribute to increasing access for those two billion people without services, he said, mentioning programmes in Kenya, Uganda, Nepal, Bangladesh, Viet Nam, Cambodia and Sri Lanka.  Commercial approaches had been successful in getting systems to those who could afford them.  Lack of affordability was still the largest access barrier for the poor.  The challenge now was to get the available energy services to those that could not afford them.  There was insufficient integration of available energy solutions into broader development programmes.  Well-engineered packages of products that were easy to use and to maintain were unavailable.  Those barriers were universal.

He said a global commitment was needed to provide access to modern energy services to all.  “Universal access to energy is achievable and needs a commitment,” he said.  Commitments and a timeline from every country and the donor community must be followed by the needed investments.  The energy community must educate and assist the larger development community how to incorporate energy into their programmes in agriculture, health, education, gender and poverty reduction.  Global Village Energy Partnerships (GVEP) and other alliances were needed.  Integrators, such as microfinance institutions, non-governmental organizations working with a holistic development approach, development banks and United Nations agencies were needed on the ground.  There was now sufficient experience with models to overcome major barriers to social and economic development and in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.  The Commission session should elicit commitments from the international community to build on those experiences.

Next, panellist SHAHMAR MOVSUMOV, Executive Director of Azerbaijan’s StateOil Fund, and the current chair of that country’s National Committee for Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), said that many countries were rich in oil, gas and minerals.  Studies had shown that, when those resources were well-managed and governance was good, the countries cold reap huge economic benefits and effectively reduce poverty.  However, when governance was not good, the resources could be mismanaged and their benefits could be squandered, having a negative impact on societies and communities and even causing conflict, in some cases.

He said that British Prime Minister Tony Blair had launched the Initiative in 2002 in Johannesburg at the World Summit on Sustainable development (WSSD), based on the principle that countries should benefit from their own natural resources.  The stated objective of EITI was “to increase transparency over payments and revenues in the extractive sector in countries heavily dependent on these resources”.  In 1999, Azerbaijan created the State Oil Fund to collect and manage all oil revenues due to the Government.  Azerbaijan announced its decision to pilot EITI implementation at the London Lancaster House Conference in June 2003.  The National Committee on EITI was established on 13 November 2003, as a section of the State Oil Fund.

In all this, he said, Azerbaijan continued to believe and promote the idea that prudent use of natural resource wealth could be an engine for economic growth and sustainable development.   Azerbaijan also focused on high transparency and accountability and set up a broadly transparent approach to payments, receipts and disclosure, including from the Government and its agencies, investors, extractive agencies and civil society groups.  By 2004, the Government of Azerbaijan, local and foreign companies, and a coalition of civil society organizations had signed a Memorandum of Understanding that defined the rules for the EITI process and disclosure of payments made by oil and gas companies, and allocations received by the Government derived from extractive industries, he said.

By implementing the plan, Azerbaijan had achieved full accountability in oil and gas revenues.  He said that oil companies, including State-owned enterprises, were involved in the Initiative.  Over the past three years, Azerbaijan had become a source of expertise which was in high demand by companies wishing to join the Initiative.  Sketching out the Memorandum of Understanding had been a difficult, but necessary exercise in broad stakeholder collaboration.   Azerbaijan’s experience had proved that it was possible to change society’s perception about transparency in the oil industry.  The question of misappropriation was removed from the debate and the focus had shifted to how to put the revenues to good use for all.

HAZAN M. QABAZAD, expert, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), said his organization believed that all States had a collective responsibility to advance the three pillars of sustainable development:  economic growth, social development and environmental protection.  Sustainable development required a long-term perspective and broad-based participation.  OPEC was fully committed to take action on the principle of common, but differentiated responsibilities.

He said that, without plentiful and cheap fossil fuels, there would not have been an industrial revolution and the prosperity in developed countries to which developing countries aspired.  However, that model of industrialization had also led to wasteful patterns of production and consumption.  More sustainable ways must be found to live in harmony with the environment, while recognizing that there was inequality in the world.  Unlike industrialized countries, in developing countries the eradication of poverty was a priority.  Energy policies needed, therefore, to support efforts of developing countries to eradicate poverty through assistance and technology transfers. 

Nearly 50 per cent of the world population was considered poor, he continued, with 2.4 billion of them relying on biomass for energy and some 1.6 billion lacking access to energy.  Although renewable sources of energy were promising, they should not be viewed as a panacea to poverty.  As fossil fuels would continue to provide the world with the lions share of energy supplies, developing countries would have to increasingly use fossil fuels for the foreseeable future.  However, environmentally friendly technologies existed.  The Kyoto Protocol offered an opportunity for cooperation in that regard between developed and developing countries. 

He said that, in spite of energy resources being plentiful, investments played a crucial role in ensuring that energy was available at the right price in the right place.  Uncertainties played a great role in investments and could affect future market stability.  As uncertainties could arise as a direct result of policy measures, OPEC asked for more transparency in the development of those measures.  In the framework of South-South solidarity, OPEC countries were supporting developing countries, particularly the poorer ones, in extending aid through various modalities, such as the OPEC Fund for International Development.  Some 129 countries had benefited from financing, and development assistance from OPEC countries had exceeded $4 billion per year.  Success on environmental issues could only be achieved through cooperation.  It was the responsibility of developed countries to assist developing countries in the transition to cleaner fossil fuels.

Interactive Debate

Opening the dialogue, a representative speaking on behalf of a block of developing counties reiterated the developing world’s call for “no development without access to energy”.  While there was no specific Millennium Development Goal on energy, it was clear that sustainable development could not be achieved without it.  He said that access to energy was a primary condition for economic development and poverty reduction in developing countries.  Energy for cooking, heating and lighting was an absolute necessity.  It was also crucial for the economy and public institutions.  He called for adequate, predictable, new and additional financial resources, technology transfer and political will, as well as commitment to innovative ways of applying energy efficient, economically sound, cost-effective and socially acceptable technologies and systems.

He was one of several speakers from developing countries who called for new forms of public-private partnership -– between energy companies, financial institutions, non-governmental organizations, knowledge institutes and Government bodies -– necessary to obtain extra investment and develop local energy markets.  Innovative financing methods, such as microcredits, also had to be applied more intensively.  To that end, there were several calls to give particular attention to the unique challenges faced by the least developed countries, landlocked developing counties and small island developing States.

Several speakers from the African and Latin American and Caribbean region stressed the need to diversify energy supplies and to develop new technologies, but at the same time expressed concerns about damage that could be done to the environment, forests and atmosphere.  There was an urgent need to balance the necessary progress in the energy sphere with environmental protection, particularly in rural areas.  A delegate from Central America stressed the need to devote more resources to the development of indigenous technology and energy infrastructure that could enhance subregional energy projects or other local-level initiatives that might be more compatible with the natural surroundings in heavily forested or coastal regions.

Overall, one delegate said, developing countries sought policy options that increased access to energy through, among other ways, combining, as appropriate and based on varying conditions of different countries, an “energy mix” encompassing increased use of renewable energy resources, more efficient use of energy and greater reliance on advanced energy technologies.  Policies should also increase accessibility by raising awareness and implementing initiatives that promoted sustainable consumption and production, including training and capacity-building programmes.

He was among the many who said that energy efficiency could be improved by promoting increased research and development in the field of renewable energy and advanced energy technologies, including advanced and cleaner fossil fuel technologies.  A delegate from the Asia and Pacific region said that countries there needed help securing affordable sources of petroleum products, particularly in dealing with the high cost of transporting such resources to isolated island nations.  A speaker from an oil producing country said his region was the main source of the world’s energy supply.  That created a special duty for those States to help developing countries manage their fossil fuels carefully, while helping them promote research and development into sources of renewable energy.

He was also among the speakers who stressed that the bulk of the world's energy needs would continue to be met by fossil fuels -- oil, coal and natural gas -- for years to come.  It was clear that the future would not be a case of “either-or” regarding fossil fuels or renewable energy; rather, it would demand more of both.  The problem was that continued reliance on fossil fuels carried a heavy environmental burden, another speaker added.  With global warming a growing problem, research –- and policy options -- should not just be directed at improving renewable energy generation, but should also be focused on ways to mitigate the impact of continued reliance on fossil fuels.

A speaker representing a block of developed and middle-income countries said the challenge was to find ways to supply energy for all countries without affecting the global environment, while at the same time increasing energy security.  He called on all countries to give high priority to renewable energy development.  The Commission on Sustainable Development should recommend that all States develop time bound targets and commitments to boost renewable energy sources, as well as access to energy, and integrate those plans into national sustainable development strategies.  He also called on the Commission to undertake a vigorous follow-up plan in this area for its 2010/11 and 2014/15 sessions.

Another delegate from the developed world highlighted some practical solutions drawn from the Commission matrix on energy efficiency, namely public sector efficiency initiatives, which focused on public sector procurement, investment and operating practices on energy-efficient buildings, products and services in order to deliver immediate benefits and create a buyer-led market “pull” for energy efficient products.  Implementing such projects could lead to changes in procurement and operating processes that could improve health and climate conditions.  There was “no need to sit around in the basement of the United Nations” waiting for Governments to launch similar initiatives, he said, and called on the Commission to disseminate relevant information and promote efforts to replicate and scale them up.

Hydro-, solar and wind-power were all highlighted as renewable energy sectors that required more research.  One delegate stressed that most countries –- developed as well as developing -- were endowed with some form of renewable energy or other, and what was required was the political will to manage those resources effectively and promote international cooperation both with respect to technology transfer and innovative financing.  He said that his country could have continued to rely on fossil fuels, but it had chosen not to.  It had instead developed its hydro- and geothermal resources, which now made up over 90 per cent of the country’s “stationary” energy consumption –- largely for home heating -– and more than 70 per cent of its total energy use.

Another speaker highlighted the need to expand the international community’s dialogue on the importance of biofuels.  Unlike other natural resources such as petroleum, coal and nuclear fuels, biofuels were derived from the biomass, and had the advantage of being biodegradable.  Agricultural products specifically grown for use as biofuels include corn and soybeans, flaxseed and sugar cane, among others.  Announcing the launch this coming Friday of the International Biofuels Forum by Brazil, China, India, South Africa, the United States and the European Commission, he said that initiative created a mechanism to promote dialogue among the world’s biggest producers and consumers of biofuels.

He said that, for developing countries, the use of biofuels could significantly reduce dependence on imported oil, thus redressing trade imbalances, and boosting income that could be invested in health, education and social development.  He added that producing biofuels might also create income and help slow migration of rural populations to urban areas.  Biofuels were attractive for developed countries because they increased energy security by reducing dependence on fossil fuels and contributed to reducing greenhouse gasses.

Contributions to the discussion were also made by representatives of major groups.  Among the priorities of the women’s major group were:  a focus on access to cleaner and more efficient cooking fuels for women in developing countries, an emphasis on ownership of energy services in national development plans, and women’s effective participation in energy decision-making and management at every level.

The representative of the business and industry major group said business supported energy efficiency that would also help to prevent negative environmental impacts, in particular climate change.  In order to promote energy efficiency, business supported, among other things, the establishment of energy efficient programmes, as well as the adoption of energy efficiency strategies by businesses, Governments and civil society organizations in their own operations.  He asked for funding of capacity-building for streamlining international business participation, lower tariffs and strong property rights protection.

Panel on Industrial Development

NABIL NASR, Director, Centre for Integrated Manufacturing Studies at the Rochester Institute of Technology, New York, United States, said that Earth’s ability to sustain environmental quality was being threatened by a host of factors, of which climate change, pollution growth and industrial development were the most serious.  Indeed, industrial development appeared to be the biggest challenge, because it was simultaneously the mechanism by which quality of life was maintained or improved, and the environment was damaged or further degraded.  He said his presentation would draw on his decades of experience working with multinational companies on industrial research and development.

He said that a recent visit to new facilities in Asia and Central and South America had revealed that corporations often missed many opportunities to build robust sustainable production systems.  He said that there were many ways to turn that around, transform industrial systems and prove that environmental quality and economic prosperity could coexist, including with enhanced focus on industrial infrastructure, research and development, market transformation, clean production and universal standards and metrics.

National policies should be developed that would assist new industrial infrastructure in meeting sustainability standards that took into account geography, as well as social and economic conditions, he said.  New industrial infrastructure would have a significant impact on economies and future development in many regions.  On research and development, he said that, currently, there was very little communication between the global research community and the industrial world.  Government support for initiatives to help bridge that gap would, therefore, be of tremendous help in addressing the needs of industry while also guiding research infrastructure.

Further, Government policies that supported global collaboration in technology transfer, as well as innovative thinking and discussion of promising concepts could provide real-world impacts.  He said that a key component of market transformation would be the elimination of national and international market barriers, adding that education and raising awareness, based on solid analysis, could broaden the acceptance of “green products” and further promote sustainable practices.  Turning to clean production standards, he said that policies dealing with that area could have a significant impact on industrial practices, including the facilitation of access to new technologies, alternative energy sources and simplified compliance models.

He went on to say that one of the most common challenges to implementing environmentally sound industrial practices was the lack of standards and metrics in the area of sustainable production.  Common standards and metrics would have a tremendous impact on industrial applications, and further, a universal system for environmental labelling should be supported.

ANNABELLA ROSENBERG, International Confederation of Free Trade Unions from Argentina, said there were close links to social and environmental sustainability and industrial development.  In cases where there was no respect for the rights of workers, the environment was not treated well either.  Where workers had to work in poor circumstances, those areas were also suffering from environmental degradation.  That was often the case, for instance, in export processing zones.  A good sustainable industrial development policy included a policy for creating decent jobs and respect for the environment. 

She said all countries were in transition, either towards development or towards a model of sustainable production.  In such a transition, the dialogue between Government and civil society, in particular the trade unions, was necessary not only to prevent blockages, but also to increase the impact of implemented policies.  A successful example of such a dialogue was the tripartite dialogue in Spain between unions, employers and the Government.  In Argentina there was the initiative “Work and the Environment”, which sought to identify solutions for environmental problems in the world of work. 

Another element on the road to a sustainable industrial policy was the necessity of training workers for new employment and identifying those who could suffer from the transition and support them, she said.  The unions were the world’s main providers of adult education and training, for instance in the areas of safe management of chemicals and energy efficiency. 

Trade unions could also play a positive role in the sustainable management of natural resources, she continued, giving the example of IG Metall in Germany, where the syndicate was working with the Wuppertal Institute to identify ways of energy efficiency and consumption of natural resources in the workplace.  Trade unions in several African countries had been carrying out sustainable forest management projects. 

She proposed that Governments and civil society, when considering sustainable industrial development, ask if the proposals met the triple objective of economic, social and environmental sustainability.  Further, they should ensure that the proposals take into account the legal framework of the protection of human and environmental rights and incorporated dialogue with civil society in planning and implementation.

Interactive Dialogue

Following the introductory presentations, one of the first speakers to take the floor said that sustained industrial development was crucial for eradicating poverty and promoting sustained economic growth and overall development.  Happily, rapid industrial development had largely been responsible for significant economic growth in some of the developing countries in the delegation he represented.  And, while those countries were well on their way to achieving the Millennium Goals, there were many others that were being left behind and for whom the Goals “would remain an elusive dream”.

On those countries’ behalf, he urged the Commission, during its upcoming session, to agree on a set of action-oriented policy options with a view to overcoming constraints and obstacles hindering long-term industrial development.  The options should consider, among other things, the unique challenges developing countries faced; chiefly lack of access to energy, poor basic infrastructure and industrial pollution.  Other infrastructural impediments included low skill levels and limited institutional capacity and human resources.  He added that outdated industrial technologies and production methods also hampered quick improvements, and the lack of steady foreign direct investment in the area limited research and development programmes.

Among the relevant policy options he suggested for the Commission’s consideration, he said that concrete measures could be taken by developed countries to eliminate tariff and non-tariff trade barriers on imports from developing countries, including removing tariff escalation and peaks on developing world exports.  He also recommended strengthening investment in human capacities to promote industrial development, technology transfer and skills training.  Further, the United Nations system could place more emphasis on promotional and information-dissemination activities relating to investment opportunities in developing countries.

One delegate, speaking on behalf of a block of developed nations, said industrial development could be an engine for poverty eradication providing it was economically and environmentally sustainable.  Industrial development should also be an engine for employment creation and was one of the gateways through which developing countries could enter the international trade arena.  Corporate social and environmental responsibility should also be promoted, he said, adding that countries and enterprises should initially explore ways to assess the impacts of industrial growth with the use of financial and market-based instruments.

He also stressed that the Marrakech Process was critical in the effort to improve industrial development.  That Process is a global initiative to advance the implementation of chapter III of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, which calls for the development of “a 10-year framework of programmes in support of regional and national initiatives to accelerate the shift towards sustainable consumption and production”.

Another speaker from the developed world said that, from Rio to Johannesburg, the international community had had 15 years to bat around ideas about “global policy options”.  So, it was time to bring the discussion “back down to earth” and consider some practical and proven approaches that could make a difference on the ground.  A few such examples were included in the Matrix, including on ways to support small and medium-sized enterprises.  One of the positive things that could be done to boost industrial development and increase access to energy services was to provide financial and technical assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises that promoted the use of clean, efficient and renewable energy technologies. 

One delegate called industrial development the “engine of economic restructuring in many developing countries”, and suggested that, in order to improve that development, policies must aim to promote environmental protection, the development of environmentally sound technologies, and on strengthening South-South as well as North-South cooperation to ensure that poverty eradication measures did not deplete natural resources.  She added that dialogue among Governments, enterprises and civil society should be encouraged so that each sector could live up to their environmental responsibilities. 

An African delegate noted that many of the policy recommendations seemed to deal with urban aspects of industrial growth and reminded the meeting that efforts to boost productivity and market access and jump-start sustainable industries were equally important for the hundreds of millions of people living in rural or isolated areas and regions.  Stressing the environmental protection imperatives of industrial development, a speaker from the Latin American and Caribbean region said that the buzzwords for such growth should be:  “Reduce, recycle and reuse.”  Among other things, she urged the Commission to consider assistance to industry through information dissemination and training in environmental monitoring.

She was also among the speakers who called for policy recommendations on ways to boost manufacturing competitiveness through waste minimization and cost-effective compliance with environmental regulations.  Several delegates from oil-producing countries emphasized the need to carry out environmental assessments in industrial zones.  They stressed that Arab countries required greater technology transfer and development of cleaner production technologies in the region, which could be realized with policies and measures that promoted, among other things, private sector development in sustainable industries, and could extend financial and technical support to small and medium-sized enterprises.

Speakers from small island developing States reiterated their call for technology transfer and assistance in training their people to use and operate new industrial tools and operating systems.  A representative from the Pacific Islands added that creating an enabling environment aimed at boosting the energy sectors in the countries in his region could pave the way for sustained industrial development.

Representatives of the major groups also provided short contributions to the discussion.  A representative of the scientific and technological community said that, in industrial development, energy conversation should be a high priority, but many such efforts required capital resources, noting that some public utilities extended loans on easy terms to customers for such efforts.

A representative of workers and trade unions said that, if a breadwinner did not have a job, he could not pay for any services, including energy services.  Promoting decent employment must, therefore, be part of the Commission’s recommendations.  A speaker for the women’s major group noted that contributions of women in national economies were often unrecognized.  Women often played key roles in the transition to more sustainable consumption patterns.  Increased access to energy was a major factor for women’s advancement.

A representative of indigenous peoples drew attention to the fact that the majority of mankind’s growth had taken place in societies with low consumption of oil.  It was a minority of people that had been addicted to fossil fuels.  Innovations and implementation of ecological values could cure such an addiction.  In that regard, he mentioned “green” chemistry, “green” engineering, recycling and non-contaminating production. 

The youth and children representative emphasized corporate social responsibility and accountability, saying that national development strategies should provide enabling environments for businesses to operate responsibly.  The representative for business and industry, finally, noted that business and industry were the principal sources of industrial development and created jobs, provided goods and services, and engendered technological innovation.

* *** *

For information media • not an official record