Results of G8 Environment: time to move from words to deeds on world sustainable development

Brussels, 15 April 2002

The Environment Ministers of the eight major industrialised countries, and the European Commissioner responsible for the Environment, met in Banff, Canada over the weekend to discuss the upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from August 26 to September 2, 2002. In addition, the G8 Environment Ministers Meeting took the opportunity to hold a discussion on climate change.

Commenting on the G8 discussions on WSSD in Banff, Canada, Mrs. Wallström, European Commissioner for the Environment, said : "Given the slow progress in the UN preparatory discussions in New York for the Johannesburg Summit, it was useful that G8 Environment Ministers were able to agree on some important priorities to take forward. We agreed that it is time to move from words to deeds. The global agenda for change must be complemented by partnership for action. I welcome the fact that G8 Environment Ministers agreed to make progress work on sustainable water resource management, sustainable energy provision, to work with Africa to advance the approach being set out in the New Partnership for Africa's development, and to give further attention to the links between environment and health before Johannesburg. It will be important to make significant progress on these before the G8 Leaders meet with African leaders at the Kananaskis Summit in June."

G8 Environment Ministers support the adoption at WSSD of a global action plan and strategic partnership to promote sustainable water resource management and concrete action in the field of sustainable energy (including halving the number of people without access to energy and promoting the use and share of renewable energy sources in all countries). Ministers decided to build upon the work already undertaken by the G8 Renewable Energy Task Force. Enhancing the protection and sustainable management of forests, including action to combat illegal logging and related trade was also agreed.

Ministers also tasked their officials with the responsibility of determining how to make further advances with G8 initiatives tackling the interface between health and the environment. The Commissioner supported the development of an inventory on current research, exchange of information and the development of children's environmental health indicators in consultation with relevant organisations, including the World Health Organisation.

Commenting on the climate change discussions which provided a backdrop to the G8 Environment Ministers meeting, Commissioner Wallström said : "The frank and open discussion on climate change provided an honest reflection of where we are on this matter.

Against the background of the intense political discussions in Canada on the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, I took the opportunity to raise this issue bilaterally with Minister Anderson. I underlined the European view that there is no scope to reopen the negotiations to allow Canada further credits for exporting clean energy to the USA, however important it is to encourage such forms of energy."

The Canadian Prime Minister announced last year that a decision on the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol would be taken in the course of 2002. At this point in time, a stakeholder consultation is taking place. According to opinion polls, a large majority of the population seems to support ratification but energy producing businesses and provinces seem to be more cautious.