Honorable Alan Meale MP
Permanent Rapporteur - Climate Change
(Council of Europe - Committee Environment, Agriculture and The Regions)
SPRING ASSEMBLY SESSION
STRASBOURG - JANUARY 2003
DEBATE - 29 January 2003
REPORT BACK - EARTH SUMMIT - JOHANNESBOURG 2002
Mr Chairman - Mr Desai…
At the start of my address today to the Assembly, I wish to pay tribute to the work of my Committee’s Secretariat, under the excellent guidance of Antonella Cannoletti and of course the Committee’s excellent current Chairman Martinez Cassan.
It is important also at this juncture for me to mention the name of past Chairman and Senior Vice-Chairman of the committee, Wolfgang Berhant who gave superb service to the committee, but who unfortunately cannot be with us today as he retired from the Assembly on Monday of this week.
Least to say, I feel obliged to say to congress that he will be missed your colleagues - he was a great inspiration and motivator to us all on our committee.
Indeed he and our Chairman’s work is clearly visible today in the massive increase in the attention given to the environment in today’s agenda.
2. WSSD
Mr Chairman, as the Assembly is now aware, the Johannesburg Earth Summit made a number of positive steps forward - both in terms of agreements reached, and via the wide range of initiatives and partnerships it inspired.
For example - on the latter point, before Johannesburg - some 220 new environmental partnerships had begun. Most of them between companies and countries whom had never before engaged in such ventures.
60 more were made during the summit itself and at least a further 20 since.
All in all, these new but small initiatives alone, were equivalent in cost of over 450 million Euros.
3. However it has to be said that the World Summit didn’t just deal with such partnerships but also enabled many other very important agreed outcomes to occur:
For instance, firstly on Water and Sanitation - Major new targets were agreed, the aim of which is to halve the proportion of people without access to basic sanitation by 2015 - something which is not only in line with our existing targets on safe drinking water - but also incredibly important when one recalls that in today’s modern world, a child dies every 3 seconds as a direct result of a water related diseases.
Similarly on the subject of our Oceans- A strong commitment was agreed, to take action to restock our seas and oceans depleted fish stocks - where possible before 2015.
(Indeed such actions have already begun in the EU both at Commissioner and individual state levels throughout the community) - Actions, which this Assembly have been calling for, for some time.
Mr Chairman, the summit also agreed the establishment of networks of marine protected areas by 2012. And also for a new global marine assessment to be made by 2004 - as well as the application of "Ecosystem approaches" on all directives in these areas, by the year 2012.
4. Last but not least, Mr Chairman - agreed with the call for the better management of our world’s oceans by individual nations, including the strengthening of measures through the IMO - to address serious problems of marine pollution.
(Particularly important to the nations of the Greater Europe when we recall the recent “Prestige” oil tanker sinking off the Spanish coast, which continues to devastate the delicate marine environments of countries particularly in Spain and France.
Chairman - members should also be aware that Targets were also agreed on Biodiversity and on our precious Natural Resources - Targets which are aimed at reducing the rate of biodiversity loss by the year 2010.
In this respect I congratulate the Assembly and its member nations re - its participation at local level via local administrations with Agenda 21 partnerships and the consequential involvement of over 5,000 local authorities in the greater Europe area - all of which are busy delivering education about, as well as protecting local biodiversity.
Importantly in this respect - the Summit in Johannesburg agreed, a further positive commitment, this time to reverse the trend in natural resources degradation as soon as possible. Including: the implementation of strategies aimed at Protecting Ecosystems by target setting, as well as creating movements towards achieving the integrated management of land, water and the worlds other living resources.
5. Chairman, turning to the subject of Energy - An agreement was reached to urgently achieve a substantial increase in the global share of renewable energy, in the world’s energy mix.
As was the recognition of the need for - a significant diversification of energy supplies by the development of more advanced, cleaner and more efficient fuel technologies.
Importantly - at last was the recognition of the need for - increases in technological cooperation funded specifically to support developing countries needs.
Last but not least - an agreement for nations to take action where necessary to phase out subsidies, which inhibit sustainable development, especially in the third world.
Mr Chairman, On the serious subject of Chemicals - It was agreed to take action globally before the year 2020 to minimize scientifically their adverse effects - especially those that harm either human health and/or the environment.
On Sustainable Consumption and Production - Agreements were reached on a 10-year global framework to make patterns of consumption and production more sustainable - and to encourage the more efficient use of resources.
6. On Trade - A strong re-affirmation was made of the need for mutual support between multilateral trading systems and multinational environmental agreements - in particular the agreements reached at both the Monteray and Doha Summits.
So, Mr Chairman, What’s new?-
I can report to the Chamber that the UN General Assembly are now considering follow ups to the World Summit.
What is likely is that the UN will now agree to move towards a biannual system of COP - However under such settings, negotiation meetings will proceed more regularly in regional network settings. A move which I believe to be positive as the Parliamentary and Democratic process would then play a greater role in content and possibly outcomes.
Objectives at the forefront of this assembly’s campaigning on the Earth Summit processes.
Mr Chairman, from these meetings, decisions are likely to be reached about specific work programs and delivery mechanisms. In this respect the Ad Hoc committee of the Assembly is currently discussing with colleagues in the EP ways of establishing joint monitoring programmes.
7. Mr Chairman, Assembly members are also aware that since Johannesburg a further COP has also been held in New Delhi, India from the 23rd October to 1st November 2002 which Wolfgang Belhart and I attended on behalf of the Assembly.
The main outcome of this COP (COP8) - was, the Delhi Declaration “which I believe to have been a further positive step in the process of enlightenment and delivery of objects”.
In simple terms - COP8 was a consolidation of previous agreements - a stance undertaken mainly because a number of countries - including some developing nations who took the view that further action should be resisted until the Kyoto Agreement itself actually comes into force.
I explain this to the Assembly because whilst at New Delhi there were strong calls for immediate ratification of Kyoto (especially from Africa - most notably Uganda and Tanzania) and some small island developing states like Samoa and inevitably Tuvaloo.
8. There was also strong resistance initially from the host country India, then from Venezuela, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and of course the USA.
In summary therefore - the following represents - as I See it the “Delhi Declarations” main positive points.
Firstly - On Kyoto
Parties that have ratified the protocol are now to strongly urge those who have not - to do so "in a timely manner".
Secondly - On Renewable energy
There was acceptance that actions are required at all levels and with a sense of urgency - to substantially increase the global share of renewable energy sources.
Thirdly - On the matter of National Sustainable Development Strategies
That they should in future integrate more climate change objectives in key areas such as water, energy, health, agriculture and biodiversity - and build upon the outcomes of past and future world summits.
9. Mr Chairman, members will I hope appreciate that - many of the discussions at New Delhi were of a largely technical nature. Nevertheless, in my opinion they made real progress in the implementation of Kyoto and its conventions.
For instance on the implementation of the Clean Development Mechanism and the publication of the first report of the Clean Development Mechanism Board, established at Marrakech, enables many planned projects to start in the coming months.
Whatsmore - the final element of the Marrakech Accords (the rule implementing Kyoto) were also agreed - similarity were the guidelines for reporting and revising the accounting of total emissions.
I may add that further progress was also agreed on legal and institutional matters enabling the first meeting of the Kyoto Protocol Governing Body to meet on the convention on climate change. As was guidance on how developing countries should report information on the COP in their national communications. And similarly - guidance on new funds for these purposes, the need for which was established at both the Bonn and Marrakech Conferences.
(wind up the first 7 minutes if need be - if not move on).
10. So Mr Chairman, what is the current state of the Kyoto ratification?
Simply that it remains on track to come into force when 55 countries ratify it representing 55% of CO2 Emissions (based on 1990 levels).
As the Assembly is aware, Currently 96 countries representing 37.4% of emissions have so far ratified
Following New Delhi, the agreement now is, "That 90 days after these targets have been ratified Kyoto will come immediately into force."
The achievement of required levels now seems most likely to be reached when Russia and Poland ratify.
Poland probably in Feb/March and Russia scheduled for September 2003.
So what’s Next? - The Assembly should be aware that in the immediate future:
- A joint conference is to be organized by the COE and EP in the spring.
- On the subject of monitoring Mechanisms (discussion are currently underway between the two bodies and the UN on trying to establish a mechanism for both the EU and Greater Europe area).
11. And finally at the moment, the Ad Hoc committee of the Assembly and the European Parliament are currently negotiating with the Russian Duma on a conference on Kyoto hopefully to be held in Moscow in mid 2003.
In conclusion Mr Chairman, the committees aim on behalf of the Assembly remains as in the past - to involve our member nations’ Parliaments at all levels to deliver a better, safer and more sustainable world for all.