Chapter ___Chairman's Summary of the High Level MeetingA. General 1.
The high level meeting of the ninth session of the Commission on
Sustainable Development gave special attention to the following main issues: · Energy for Sustainable Development · Atmosphere · Transport · Information for Decision-making and Participation · International Cooperation for an Enabling Environment ·
Preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development 2.
The high level meeting attracted a large number of ministers from
several different ministries and all participated actively in the
discussions and the informal meetings held in the mornings prior to the
formal meeting. There were also a large number of other representatives from
national governments, United Nations organizations and other international
organizations and representatives of major groups who made substantive
contributions to the meeting. 3.
The high level meeting followed a dynamic and participatory process
that involved setting time limits for prepared statements in order to
preserve approximately half the time for interactive dialogue sessions. B.
Special Panel On Financing Energy And Transportation For Sustainable
Development 4.
The High-Level Segment opened with the Special Panel on Financing
Energy and Transportation for Sustainable Development.
The Special Panel, chaired by the Under-Secretary-General for
Economic and Social Development, included the Minister of Energy and Mineral
Development of Uganda, the Minister of Environment of the Czech Republic,
the Governor of Jakarta, Indonesia, a Vice-President of the World Bank, the
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Global Environment Facility, the
Managing Director of the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, the Chairman of the
Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies and the Director for the Americas of
Scania Buses and Coaches. The
panel addressed such issues as the financing opportunities available from
financial institutions, new mechanisms for and/or alternatives to direct
financing, the barriers Government officials encounter in seeking needed
financing, the type of financial assistance considered most helpful by these
officials, financing arrangements offered by industries, and innovative
arrangements they are now considering. 5.
With regard to energy, the presentations and discussions highlighted
a number of important issues, prominent among these were decentralized rural
energy including both off-grid and local mini-grid systems, expanding the
contribution of renewable energy and energy efficiency, and energy and
infrastructure for poverty alleviation. Financing is critical for energy systems because of high
up-front investment costs. The
Chairman of the Global Environment Facility challenged other potential
financing partners to join with the GEF to finance solar panel technology
for rural villages as a means to address both the energy and digital divide
since such solar energy technologies could provide the electricity needed
for village or rural information centers. The Director of the Grameen Bank
called for funding further research to lower the cost of solar and wind
technologies so that they could be more accessible to rural women through
micro-financing. 6.
In the area of transport, the discussions emphasized issues such as
funding for developing transport infrastructure as well as maintenance
mechanisms, poverty eradication strategies, rural transport and urban
transport issues, transport related pollution and means to reduce it,
efficient and fair pricing systems, the need to finance commercially
non-viable but socially essential large-scale mass transportation systems
and better integration of land-use and transport policy. 7.
For both energy and transport, the Special Panel drew attention to
the essential role of funding from both the private and public sectors. This
includes micro-level funding that promotes income-generation as opposed to
traditional social welfare subsidization and the synergies to be gained by
integrating energy and transport with information and communication
technologies to facilitate the active participation of rural communities in
the globalization process. C.
Energy For Sustainable Development 8.
Ministers affirmed the critical role of energy in sustainable
development given its impact on a whole range of economic, social and
environmental issues. In the period since UNCED there has been significant
change in the energy sector, primarily due to institutional restructuring
and shifts in strategic priorities resulting from climate change issues.
However, the main challenge continues to be the provision of energy services
to over 2 billion people in developing countries currently without access to
such services. In this context, some proposed that WSSD should adopt a
target of cutting by half the proportion of people without access to clean
fuels and electricity by 2015. 9.
The main goal of energy for sustainable development should be poverty
eradication. International efforts to achieve this goal should be guided by
the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. Given the wide
diversity of country conditions, energy resources, knowledge and experience,
many speakers felt that CSD-9 should not be prescriptive with regard to
energy policies and technologies. It was generally agreed that countries
should be free to choose from a menu of different options for energy
policies, taking into account their special conditions, needs and national
priorities for sustainable development. 10. Access to energy is crucial to economic and social development, and alleviation of poverty. It was felt that lack of access to energy is the main cause of poverty. Since 75% of all poor people live in rural areas, one of the main challenges is rural electrification. Improving access of the rural poor to modern energy services has the potential to improve standards of living and health, and to create new jobs and business opportunities. Decentralized generation and distribution of electricity is an alternative approach to the provision of electricity through large-scale traditional grids. The challenge lies in building the capacities of local communities, and in creating a market for renewable and small-scale energy systems through access to credit and financing, particularly micro-financing. 11. It was estimated that US$100-300 billion would be required annually over the next 20 years to build adequate infrastructure to meet the energy needs of developing countries. Since the private sector is now the primary source of funding for energy supply expansion, governments should establish an appropriate enabling environment to facilitate private investment. 12.
While it was widely recognized that private sector investment must be
promoted, it was also acknowledged that there is often a discrepancy between
social needs and private investment priorities. There was also discussion of
a range of market based measures, such as the polluter pays principle, that
could be employed to finance sustainable energy development. One speaker
proposed that in order to capture all the issues related to financing of
renewable energy and energy efficiency, and to discuss market based
approaches involving public/private sector partnerships; a special segment
on “green investment” should be included in the WSSD. 13. The potential for gains in energy efficiency range from 25 to 45 percent over the next 20 years. Governments should, therefore, promote investment in new energy efficient technologies to replace outdated equipment and adopt a broad range of energy demand management measures. Energy efficiency improvements can also reduce the need for investments in new electricity generation capacity. Other energy efficiency measures could include promotion of market-based instruments, removal of harmful energy subsidies, adoption of energy efficiency standards for appliances and provision of fiscal and financial incentives. Building technical capacity, establishing cleaner production centers, promoting technology transfer, and developing clearinghouses for exchange of information and identification of business opportunities were also mentioned. 14.
Another key to sustainable energy use is the wide scale development
and deployment of renewable energy technologies. It was noted that wind,
solar, geothermal and small hydropower currently represent only about 2
percent of world energy consumption. The commercial scale development of
renewable energy by some developed and developing countries with significant
lending by multilateral development banks can provide new impetus to these,
largely, emission free energy sources. Many countries indicated they are
setting targets for renewable energy portfolios in their energy supply mix. 15.
Several speakers noted that the key to greater replication of
renewable energy technologies includes policies to facilitate technology
transfer, innovative financing and credit schemes, and providing the right
market signals for private sector investment. There was broad consensus that
renewable energy systems are most appropriate for decentralized rural
electrification and should be promoted as a means of encouraging economic
development in rural areas and increasing social equity. 16.
Lack of access, or uneven access to energy within a country raises
problems of social equity, particularly with regard to the role of women.
There are burdens on women due to collection of fuels in rural areas, due to
lack of refrigeration of foods and medicine, and due to increased time
required for cooking with traditional fuels. Indigenous people throughout
the world also face inequities regarding control of energy resources and
access to energy services, even in land areas over which they have nominal
control. 17. Nuclear
power raises a number of safety concerns
including the management and handling of spent fuel and other waste products
that are perceived as serious risks by many countries and many groups within
society. While some experts,
organizations and countries believe that no energy option should be
foreclosed and support further research on issues of nuclear safety, many
participants expressed strong opposition to any further development and
deployment of nuclear technology. D.
Atmosphere 18.
Problems related to atmospheric pollution that must be addressed,
include increasing urbanization and the link between economic growth, energy
use and unsustainable patterns of production and consumption. Many delegates
highlighted the importance of transferring environmentally sound, and
locally adapted, technologies to developing countries as an effective tool
for abatement of air pollution and atmospheric emissions. The need for
promotion of capacity building, training and public awareness, with more
emphasis on adaptive measures was also noted. 19. People living in poverty were seen as most vulnerable to air pollution, including the detrimental health effects on women, the young and the elderly, due to inefficient traditional energy use. Measures must be taken therefore to improve assistance to developing countries for capacity building in preventing and combating air pollution and promoting the transfer and use of cleaner technologies and fuels. 20.
Transboundary air pollution was cited as an issue of particular
importance when considering the protection of the atmosphere.
Because pollution does not respect national boundaries, transboundary
air pollution has to be addressed on a regional and global scale through
enhanced and appropriate mechanisms of regional and international
cooperation. It was hoped that the Stockholm Convention on persistent
organic pollutants (POPs) would, when implemented, also contribute to the
elimination of air pollution from some of the most toxic substances.
Countries were urged to become parties to the POPs Convention to
speed global progress in tackling this challenge.
The commitment of funds for capacity building in developing countries
and countries with economies in transition to help eliminate POPs would be
essential. 21.
Regional cooperation among Northeast Asian countries has been
established to collectively prepare and implement measures to cope with
transboundary air pollution. At
a recent meeting of the parties, consensus was reached on several activities
that addressed a broad array of regional environmental issues, particularly
ecosystem restoration, environmental education and the yellow sand
phenomenon. The yellow sand
problem is no longer an issue confined to Northeast Asia, but needs to be
addressed globally. 22. Nearly every delegation expressed their strong belief that the Kyoto Protocol should remain the basis for global cooperation on climate change despite some expressions of disappointment about the lack of final agreement during the initial session of COP-6 at the Hague in November 2000, and subsequent developments. The strong hope was expressed that the resumed session of COP-6 in July 2001 would result in a satisfactory outcome with an affirmation of commitment to the Kyoto Protocol and common consensus on the way forward for all nations. 23.
Increased climate variability studies were recommended by some
participants along with the need to develop a comprehensive global programme
for natural disaster reduction with emphasis on international cooperation to
strengthen prevention and early warning capabilities. It was also suggested that capacity building, technology
transfer and adaptation measures, addressing ways of reducing atmospheric
concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and market mechanisms that engage
the private sector are critically important in assisting and supporting
developing countries to address climate change. 24.
The Mesoamerican Biological Corridor has been launched, which seeks
to preserve natural resources in Central America.
Given its ample forest and vegetation cover, the region is a
potential carbon sink, which can help to stabilize global climate.
In a similar vein, the boreal forests of Russia were estimated to
absorb 200 million tons annually of carbon from the atmosphere. 25.
For small islands developing states a matter of utmost concern is the
consumption of fossil fuels and related global warming.
Their energy consumption and emissions of atmospheric pollutants were
minuscule by global standards; however, the adverse risk to those countries
stemming from global warming was vastly disproportionate.
Although they considered the Kyoto Protocol to be inadequate in its
ambitions and level of emission reduction targets when measured against the
scientific evidence, the Protocol was a first vital step to reduce such
emissions. Several small
islands developing states have ratified the Protocol. 26.
In addition to climate change, continuing depletion of the ozone
layer was cited as an issue of ongoing concern due to the results of a
recent scientific study indicating an unprecedented increase in the size of
the hole in the ozone layer in the southern hemisphere. Thus, it was urged to increase the resources of the
Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol to assist efforts of developing
countries to reduce their use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). E.
Transport 27. Many countries noted that transport and mobility play a positive and essential role in society. Improving transport systems to promote sustainable development, including improving accessibility, can foster economic and social development, assist the integration of developing countries into the world economy and contribute to the eradication of poverty. Meeting the transport needs of the poor in both urban and rural areas is vital to the eradication of poverty. It was further noted that globalization requires modern and efficient transport systems and those countries with inadequate systems may be unable to compete effectively in attracting foreign direct investment and/or marketing their products. 28. Rapid urban growth poses a serious challenge for many countries, especially developing countries, including how to meet the ever-increasing demand for transport and satisfy social and economic goals with minimal adverse effects on the environment. In developing countries this is exacerbated by problems of limited capacity and an inadequate technological base. 29.
Effective land use planning can achieve a number of sustainable
development goals in the transport sector including poverty alleviation and
emissions reduction, and land use planning should be linked with transport
planning. Special attention to
transport requirements of women should be included in land and transport
planning, along with those of disadvantage persons and those with special
needs. Openness and transparency with regard to long term transport planning
was cited as crucial for consensus building and for involving all
stakeholders in the planning process. 30.
Some countries stressed that transport is an important and growing
end-user of energy and a cause of air pollution with significant, negative
impacts on human health and the environment. Areas with fragile eco-systems, such as mountainous areas,
are particularly vulnerable. Solutions to transport problems should focus on
accessibility and efficiency compatible with the protection of human health
and eco-systems. 31.
Though some countries have made progress in eliminating lead from
gasoline, lead still poses a serious health concern in many countries. 32.
Several countries raised the potential hazards of transporting
nuclear wastes across international boundaries and called for compliance
with relevant international agreements. 33.
In some developed countries there has been a reported decoupling of
transport and economic growth as a result of energy efficiency measures and
the enforcement of fuel and emission standards. But the automobile and other
internal combustion vehicles remain a significant source of pollution and
congestion in most countries, both developed and developing, despite such
improvements in efficiency. In many developed countries, transport by
private vehicle continues to supplant public transport even in high-density
urban areas. It was noted that
cycling and walking can be important modes of transport in such areas, but
that adequate infrastructure must be present. 34.
Many countries pointed to the need for greater efforts in
transferring technology, provision of financial resources and capacity
building in promoting transport systems to achieve sustainable development
goals. International and regional financial institutions were encouraged to
increase lending for the transport sector to promote sustainable
development. Some countries also noted that possible measures include
environmental assessment and standards and guidelines applied to the
transport sector. One country highlighted its experience in financing
infrastructure development with tax supported municipal bonds as well as
private/public partnerships and loan guarantees as possible solutions to
financial resource problems in other countries. 35.
Some countries noted that advances in technologies hold promise for
the transport sector in the long term. Also, the importance of the scientific community was cited,
and the involvement of developing countries’ scientific communities in
research and development activities should be supported and encouraged.
The role of the private sector was noted as a source of management,
financial and technical expertise, as well as for its role in the provision
of transport services and arranging for financing. F.
Information for Decision-making and Participation 36. Several countries emphasized that sustainable development requires the participation of all segments of society with full and open access to information on environment and sustainable development issues. The new knowledge economies offer the potential for more effective, wider and faster collection and dissemination of information to all segments of society. There is need for continued work with the private sector to promote disclosure and dissemination of commercialized information as appropriate. Moreover, ensuring an enabling environment for an independent objective media is necessary. Information for decision-making must be scientifically based and include all stakeholders and major groups. Capacity-building efforts are needed to assist countries in overcoming the “digital divide” and in assessing and utilizing sustainable development information provided by international organizations. Means should be explored to establish a "comprehensive environmental information data-base" that could be available to developing countries. In particular, UN Agencies should improve the disclosure and dissemination of information on energy developments for small island developing states, including information on potential investors through the SIDS/NET. 37. A
number of countries expressed appreciation for the Commission’s valuable
work programme on indicators of sustainable development and some countries
expressed willingness and intent to continue work on such indicators with
emphasis on links to national priorities and goals, recognizing that such
applications are entirely voluntary in nature and that such indicators are
not to be used to justify any type of conditionality. Other countries noted
that in presenting their wording to the negotiating partners, they had shown
maximum flexibility and hoped to see this wording agreed upon in subsequent
negotiations. G.
International Cooperation for an Enabling Environment 38. Many participants recognized the importance of a domestic enabling environment based on a sound macro-economic policies and good governance, but stressed the need to strengthen international cooperation in support of developing countries. A number of developed country representatives expressed their countries’ commitments to development cooperation, including meeting the ODA target of 0.7 per cent of GNP. An improvement in coordination of ODA to ensure an integrated approach to sustainable development was stressed as being important. In this regard, the integrated and coordinated follow-up to the series of United Nations global conferences and summits of the 1990s was highlighted. 39.
The central role of Global Environment Facility (GEF) in providing
new and additional resources for global environmental concerns was noted.
Some representatives stressed the importance of commitments for
substantial replenishment of GEF. One
representative supported a proposal for GEF to become the financial
mechanism for the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. A number of
representatives urged international financial organizations, including
regional and subregional development banks to continue financial support for
the efforts being made by developing countries towards sustainable
development. The importance of
the private sector in providing financial investment for sustainable
development was also noted. 40.
The need to ensure a fair and equitable distribution of the benefits
of globalization, particularly among developing countries, was emphasized.
This called for non-discriminatory, open, fair and equitable multilateral
financial, monetary and trading systems with full and effective
participation of developing countries in international norm-setting and
rule-making processes. It was
noted that environmental measures and standards could serve as hidden
barriers to international trade in products exported by developing
countries. However, several
delegates mentioned the importance of developing, implementing and enforcing
environmental regulations, practices and legal provisions in relation to
trade. The importance of making trade and environment mutually supportive
was generally reaffirmed. Attention
was called to the need for finding a solution to the external debt problem
of developing countries. Their special needs for the transfer of technology
on favourable terms and capacity building was also highlighted. 41.
It was acknowledged that expanding international trade and
investment, as well as strengthened partnerships between state and non-state
actors, in particular the private sector, would contribute to sustainable
development. Towards this end,
it was considered that Governments and donors should integrate environmental
and social concerns into economic policies.
Some representatives recognized the importance of national
sustainable development strategies this regard.
It was noted that a number of international organizations, including
the World Bank and UNDP, were working to make sustainable development an
integral part of their overall programme strategy. 42. In addition to international cooperation, regional cooperation and collaboration were noted as part of an effective strategy for promoting sustainable development, particularly among Small Island Developing States. H.
Preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development – 2002 43.
Ministers and other participants welcomed the opportunity to address
the preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development to be held
in 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa, and emphasized the successful
conclusion of the work of the Commission at its current session as a
critical milestone on the journey to Johannesburg.
The decisions and recommendations to be adopted by the Commission
will substantially contribute to the preparatory process and will send
constructive messages. 44.
Delegates pointed out that the Summit represents an important
political opportunity for renewing the global commitment to sustainable
development in all its social, economic and environmental dimensions and for
strengthening the partnership between developed and developing countries
based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
It also provides an important opportunity for tackling with a clear
sense of urgency the emerging global challenges since UNCED, such as
globalization and the worsening of poverty in many countries. 45.
A number of ministers and other participants spoke about the impact
of globalization on sustainable development. Some thought that globalization
should be a key or even over-riding theme of the Summit, but others were
equally convinced that while globalization is important, the main focus of
the summit should be sustainable development. Nevertheless, if globalization
is to be a key topic, then the private sector should play an especially
prominent role in 2002 preparations because of their expertise in this area.
It would also be important to identify those aspects of globalization that
are having the most impact on sustainable development and need to be tackled
by the international community. There is urgent need to manage the process
of globalization in ways that benefit sustainable development. 46.
The importance of strategic issues such as health, poverty reduction,
environmental linkages and eco-system carrying capacity, women’s
empowerment, human development, trade and investment were all reiterated as
important themes for consideration during the World Summit. Some felt that
the Millennium Declaration provides a good foundation of basic principles to
support the Summit. It was also mentioned that the success of WSSD would be
linked to the outcome of the International Conference on Financing for
Development, the successful launching of a new trade round later in 2001,
the outcome of the meeting on the replenishment of the GEF and the Third UN
Conference on the Least Developed Countries. 47.
There seemed to be fairly broad consensus that the review and
assessment of progress in the implementation of the Rio commitments over the
last ten years should provide the starting point for the consideration of
new or emergent themes. It was
stressed that in reviewing the implementation of Agenda 21, the stocktaking
and assessment should be thorough so as to identify shortcomings and
constraints, and to develop concrete measures to remedy the situation.
At the same time, the Summit should be forward-looking, with
practical goals, and should set clear targets. Some ministers called for the
Summit to achieve concrete results with “a global new deal”, including
in the crucial areas of trade and financing for sustainable development,
technology transfer, capacity building and access to markets.
It should focus on implementation and the means of implementation
with specific recommendations and measures for action on these long-standing
issues. The need for operationalising sustainable development in all its
dimensions and sharpening the focus on the operational delivery of Agenda 21
was frequently mentioned. 48.
In the final analysis, a key test of the results and outcome of the
Summit would be seen in the adoption of measurable and achievable goals, in
the way agreed commitments are operationalized and the extent to which
financing is mobilized in support of the agreed goals. 49.
A number of delegates
emphasised the need for more strenuous efforts to achieve full integration
of economic, social and environmental objectives of sustainable development
and expressed hope that the Summit would send a strong message to the world
that only through the integrated approach embodied in sustainable
development can we achieve economic growth with improved air and water
quality, better land management, and more sustainable production and
consumption patterns. 50. Several ministers, however, mentioned the need to better communicate to the public, and even to public officials, the meaning of sustainable development. One public opinion poll carried out recently in a member country showed very little public understanding of what sustainable development means. There is a strong need to revitalize the spirit of Rio and communicate a message of hope and belief in the future. In this context, several ministers stressed the urgency of developing a communications and media strategy that would focus on what sustainable development means for people at the very basic level of their everyday lives. Unless we can effectively communicate what the World Summit is about in terms that people can understand, no great interest will be generated and the Summit will result in a formalistic exercise. 52.
Delegates reported on the national preparatory processes underway.
It was recognised that the national review has already provided a
further impetus to the commitment to sustainable development at all levels
and will yield important insights and lessons on national and local
implementation of Agenda 21. In
addition, intensive work is underway to prepare regional sustainable
development strategies. 53. Delegates
also assured the Commission of the readiness of their governments to make
utmost efforts in undertaking the preparatory work for the Summit.
|