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5 May 1992
Doc. 6608
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1403-5/5/92-9-E
O P I N I O N
on a concerted European preparation of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Brazil, June 1992)1
(Rapporteur: Mrs VERSPAGET, Netherlands, Socialist)
I. Introduction
1. Since the Stockholm Conference of 1972 there has not been such an important co-ordinated effort in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development as the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. It will have far-reaching historical implications in so far as it has now become a matter of urgency to put in place means of protecting our environment, and of safeguarding sustainable development for all mankind, in the interest of ecological security.
2. The international community attending the Rio conference will adopt an Earth Charter - a declaration of intent in the field of environment and development, an "Agenda 21" (an action programme in accordance with the precepts laid down in the Earth Charter, together with an agreement on how to implement 'Agenda 21') and three conventions (a framework convention on climatic changes, one convention on biological diversity and another on forests). These texts, which will be the substance and focus of the conference, are fundamental in a world context where the environment is particularly under threat.
3. Against this background, it is necessary to give a reminder of the close links that exist between the economy and the environment and between development and ecology. In addition, the deterioration of the natural environment is a world problem in so far as the interdependence between the different components of the environment is very great. Damage to one aspect of the environment in any one country can have harmful repercussions for the whole planet. This is why co-ordination is needed urgently between all the nations of the international community.
4. The report presented by the Committee on the Environment, Regional Planning and Local Authorities on a concerted European preparation of the United Nations Conference on the Environment (Doc. 6600; Rapporteur: Mr Bondevik) provides an excellent analysis both of the main issues that will confront the Rio Conference, and the Council of Europe's, including the Parliamentary Assembly's primary concerns in the environmental and developmental field. The present Opinion will therefore content itself with presenting supplementary information and viewpoints.
II. The need for sustainable economic development
5. Only the industrialised countries have the technical and financial resources to institute means of protecting the environment so as to halt global warming, ozone layer depletion, deforestation, soil erosion and air and water pollution. The necessary efforts must therefore be made, for the benefit of all the people in the world. Efforts should also be made to incorporate environmental costs in national wealth estimates, so that for example a materially rich but heavily polluted country would include environmental damage as a "cost" or "deficit" item in the national budget.
6. To begin with, it is necessary to introduce and implement anti-polluting regulations so as to keep emissions of toxic substances to a minimum. This action can be done at two levels, either at the level of the production itself or at the level of the finished product - by using biodegradable packaging, for example. These measures must be accompanied by standards defining the acceptable level of a given substance in the air, soil or water.
7. But it is not enough merely to regulate emissions of toxic substances; the use of polluting forms of non-renewable energy should be limited, which implies in part the promotion of alternative forms of energy which are cleaner. The first form that comes to mind is solar energy - particularly suitable for the climates of the more southerly countries - but we should not forget wind energy and hydro-power. More efforts should also be made to encourage 'bio-technology' which does not harm and even protects the environment.
8. However, such a process involves structural changes in the world economy which are inconceivable in the short-term, particularly since the energy sources just mentioned cannot at present satisfy world needs. It is therefore essential, in the immediate future, to encourage energy-saving among households but more especially among all industrial consumers. It might also be worth considering taxing energy. The revenues could be used to protect the environment in both industrialised and in particular in developing countries. For a number of possible ways of environmental taxation at global level, the reader is referred to the report of the World Commission on Environment and Development entitled "Our Common Future" (known as the "Brundtland Report").
9. If the world wants to halt "global warming" and all the other environmental ills that come with pollution, then it would be well advised to introduce a "CO2 tax" - ie a "fee" levied on the carbon contents of fuels - at international level.
10. It is clear that such a tax must be fairly high to be effective, and that it should be higher for richer than for poorer countries. Generally speaking, taxes on, or "fees" for, environmental abuses should be introduced in all countries, and especially in the industrialised world. It is here, among those who can best afford it and whose technology can be expected to yield the first positive changes, that the battle for an environment-friendly production must start.
11. Another interesting proposal that should be investigated is for every country in the world to have certain "emission rights" as far as pollution is concerned. Since the less developed countries pollute less, ie use up less of their "allotted quotas", they could "sell" part of these to industrialised countries and would use the funds received to invest in environmental protection. The rich countries, having to "pay a price" for polluting, would similarly have an interest in using up less of their quota, through investments reducing pollution.
12. Another method to encourage environmental protection in the South are so-called "debt-for-nature swaps", ie lending by the industrialised countries in exchange for commitments by developing countries to protect their environment. This idea is slowly gaining ground, and forms part of the whole "conditionality" complex as outlined, for instance, in the report presented by the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development to the Assembly in May 1992 on the theme "North-South Interdependence and Solidarity" (Doc. 6594; Rapporteurs: Mr Aarts and Mr Holtz). Investments by private industry in environmental protection in the South also needs to be encouraged, as does North-South technological transfer in general.
13. Nowadays, there is much talk about the "peace dividend, ie the savings obtained in governmental budgets around the world by reductions in military budgets, due in turn to the ending of the "Cold War" and East-West confrontation. To the extent that this "peace dividend" materialises, it should also be used to help environmental protection, above all in developing countries.
14. The Rapporteur in this context recalls the request in the previously mentioned "Brundtland Report" for industrialised countries to devote at least 0.1% of their GNP to environment protection measures in developing nations. And as for official development assistance as a whole, she wishes to reiterate the Assembly's oft-made appeal for this to amount, as soon as possible, to at least 0.7% of the GNP of individual industrialised nations.
15. Lastly, it is important to mention here the need to prevent toxic industrial waste. In this area, efforts should be made to create reprocessing systems to avoid disposing of toxic waste. Indeed, the long-term aim should be a ban on toxic waste.
III. Measures that should be extended to the Third World
16. In order to obtain ecological security all over the world, it is imperative that developed countries set an example to Third World countries through the relationship of their economies with the environment. Effective measures to halt the destruction of the natural environment can only be taken on a global scale. We should remember that about 80% of the pollution in the world is caused by the industrialised nations, which also use up to 80% of all raw materials.
17. Industrialised countries should not simply set the example and then set themselves up as a "moral authority"; they have a duty to provide concrete compensation to countries that often do not have the means to effect harmonious development without assistance. To bring about sustainable development, such compensation could take two forms. It could serve to combat damage to the environment directly and would consist in technology transfer and hence the installation of non-polluting structures. Or it could take the form of indirect assistance in controlling those factors that lay the foundations of and encourage environmental destruction, excessive indebtedness, poor management of natural resources and chaotic economic development. Such a policy must not tackle simply the tip of the iceberg - pollution itself - but also the hidden part, namely the underlying causes of environmental damage. We must give developing countries the possibility to pursue sustainable development, inter alia by letting them export more freely and at more remunerative terms to European markets.
IV. Threats to the real and effective implementation of environmental protection measures
18. Regulations such as those described earlier should be set in the context of United Nations agreements or the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) so that they are respected by everyone. The GATT machinery must be used fully to create international trade conducive to a healthy environment. If this is not done, there is a considerable danger that measures taken unilaterally will serve a purpose other than their intended one : the risk is that either they will act as non-tariff barriers, thus creating a form of indirect protectionism; or they will be introduced only in those countries prepared to accept them, giving the others a competitive advantage.
19. Moreover, such measures may well come up against economic interests with short-term designs. This is particularly true in Third World countries where development often pays scant attention to environmental concerns. Unfortunately, however, it is also true of various industrialised countries which refuse to apply certain essential measures in the name of the national interest.
20. The greatest danger, then, is that the Rio Conference will amount to nothing more than the adoption of a few proposals and recommendations that will then be ignored. It is therefore essential that we forgo narrow, short-term economic interests in favour of a common interest, whose goal is the long-term preservation of life on our planet.
21. This is why the Rio Conference must make a definite step forward in the creation of genuine, worldwide environmental legislation and an international nature conservation machinery. Concrete agreements must be concluded and put into effect. The proposed Earth Charter should have the same status as the UN Convention on Human Rights, and should contain provisions stating the inalienable right of people to development and a healthy environment, and the rights of indigenous peoples and minorities should be firmly enshrined.
22. The Charter should include an "ecological security" clause, and the richer countries should bear the main responsibility for ensuring the financial resources necessary for its realisation. And the conclusion of an Earth Charter should be considered as an even more important task than the GATT Uruguay Round, and whatever the latter will contain should be regarded as subordinate to the provisions of the Earth Charter. Only in this way can world trade be fashioned so as to respect the higher goal of saving the world's environment.
V. A major problem for Europe: the environment under threat in former communist countries
23. A major consideration in the issue of world environmental protection is the situation of countries formerly operating in a planned economy. Their ecological situation is disturbing. Their industry has for a long time developed without paying heed to the environment; in an economy which does not seek profits, it is difficult to find resources to protect the environment. The logical consequence of 40 years of communism is that Eastern Europe is now the most polluted part of the continent.
24. Against the background of the economic transition being effected in Central and Eastern European countries - from planned economies to market economies - the United Nations Conference on the environment takes on a special significance.
25. These economic changes must take account of the environment; this will mean major structural modifications and harmonious development that cannot be achieved without the help of industrialised countries.
VI. Conclusion
26. In conclusion, the Rapporteur would suggest the following amendments to the report on a concerted European preparation of the United Nations Conference on the environment (Doc. 6600):
At the end of the draft resolution, add the following new paragraphs:
"The Assembly furthermore calls on its member states, as well as other industrialised actions to adhere to the following principles when assisting developing countries in the protection of their environment:
a. to form international information networks for the spread of environmentally sound technologies in all economic sectors to developing countries, and to assist them in their research efforts;
b. in particular to facilitate the acquisition by developing countries of patents and licences aiding their economic development, while taking full account of the need to protect intellectual property;
c. to set an example for the rest of the world by curbing pollution by their major industries, in particular carbon dioxide;
d. to strengthen the competence of the United Nations in the environmental field, so as to enable it to take a leading role in the implementation of the decisions reached by the Rio de Janeiro Conference;
e. to achieve full integration of economic and environmental policies, so that economic growth objectives are not only compatible with environmental goals but may actively contribute to their realisation."
f. to investigate all possibilities, as indicated above, to find new and additional financial resources for the protection of the global environment, to implement the "Agenda 21" to be concluded at the Rio Conference.
Reporting committee: Committee on the Environment, Regional Planning and Local Authorities (Doc. 6600)
Committee for opinion: Committee on Economic Affairs and Development
Reference to committee: Doc. 6509, Reference No 1755 of 25 November 1991
Opinion: Approved by the committee on 5 May 1992.