Summary: EU Presidency Statement - Commission on Sustainable Development, High Level Segment (New York, 10 May 2006)
United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, 14th Session, High Level Segment; Statement by Mr. Josef Pröll, Federal Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management of Austria, on behalf of the European Union.
Mr. Chairman,
Austria, as Presidency of the EU, has the honour of speaking on behalf of the European Community and its Member States.
The Acceding Countries Bulgaria and Romania, the Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, as well as Ukraine align themselves with this declaration.
The Commission on Sustainable Development is a unique opportunity for us, government representatives, to come together, with all relevant stakeholders to discuss the barriers and constraints, lessons learned and next steps on our path towards achieving global sustainable development. The work done during these two weeks should pave the way for CSD15 to chart an ambitious way forward. Action is needed now because the cost of inaction will not be bearable for society in the long term.
During the past week we have undertaken an overall review of the implementation of commitments under Agenda 21 and the JPOI with a particular focus on energy for sustainable development, air pollution and atmosphere, industrial development and climate change. Last week's discussions have clearly demonstrated the need for an integrated and balanced approach to social, economic, and environmental factors in order to contribute to poverty eradication. In that regard, a more coherent framework for
environmental activities within the UN System could contribute positively and support the mainstreaming of environmental concerns into sustainable development strategies.
While for each of the thematic issues barriers and constraints differ widely in their nature, implementation can be expedited and synergies can be tapped by addressing interlinkages and cross-cutting issues.
The impacts of climate change are already being felt and threaten to undermine development efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. CSD can bring about progress in the area of climate change by addressing interlinkages with other issues and promoting climate-friendly policies in a cost-effective manner through global response and use of flexible mechanisms, as provided for under the Kyoto Protocol. To ensure coherence of action, the Chair's Summary of CSD 14 should also serve as a
contribution to UNFCCC COP 12, which in turn could respond in time for CSD 15.
The deep interlinkages between the thematic issues of this year's cycle are again reflected by the challenge we face in meeting the shared and multiple objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving the global environment, enhancing energy security, and cutting air pollution in conjunction with vigorous efforts to reducing poverty.
Mr. Chairman,
Further action is essential to achieve access to reliable, affordable and environmentally sound energy services for sustainable development to meet basic human needs for poor women and men and facilitate the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. In particular, access to energy services needs to be included in national development strategies and poverty reduction strategies. International donor and financial institutions need to support their implementation.
In the face of constantly rising energy demand and increasingly worrying questions of energy security, access to energy services, energy efficiency and the increased use of renewable energies, together with social and environmental issues, feature high up on the agenda. There is a need to respond to these concerns in national sustainable development strategies, national development plans or other planning frameworks on access to energy services, energy saving, energy efficiency and renewable
energies by 2010.
The EU has adopted a number of targets, for instance on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the increase of the share of renewable energy and on official development aid. We consider time-bound targets to be a relevant tool to express governments' visions and to implement efficient policies and measures. Regulatory and market-based frameworks, instruments and incentives are other tools that we should seek to use more effectively.
We need to ensure meaningful follow-up and review for energy for sustainable development and we would like to discuss possible arrangements with partners. As CSD13 decided last year on water and sanitation, energy for sustainable development could be taken up again twice in the upcoming years, for instance in 2010 and in 2014. CSD15 should also decide on an efficient mechanism to evaluate available data and review progress on the increase of the global share of renewable energy sources as
mandated in the JPOI and reaffirmed in the declarations from Bonn and Beijing as well as in the JREC Dubai Declaration.
The global rise in air pollution negatively impacts on human health and causes environmental degradation, including climate change. The links between energy consumption and production, transport, urban and land-use planning and air pollution are evident and therefore calling for an integrated approach. CSD15 will need to address high and increasing transport and vehicle emissions (including maritime and aviation), heating and housing, and increasing urbanisation, as well as indoor air
pollution, which is taking a particularly heavy toll on human health in developing countries, especially of women and children.
Sustainable industrial development is vital for breaking the link between economic growth from environmental degradation, which we can achieve through a change towards more sustainable consumption and production patterns and lifestyles. The Marrakech Process already takes important steps in that direction, which CSD15 should reinforce.
Insufficiencies in business capacity, technological innovation and cooperation, in particular of small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as the inefficient use of resources all require further and stronger measures. Furthermore, existing commitments on corporate social and environmental responsibility and accountability must be implemented with greater determination, in particular with regard to decent employment and gender equality.
Mr. Chairman,
Barriers and constraints differ for all of the thematic issues, as highlighted before. However, promoting means of implementation - financing, capacity building, transfer of technology, research and education, good governance - as well as gender equality are fundamental for development that is sound environmentally, socially and economically. The EU views the Bali Strategic Plan on Capacity Building and Technology Support as a key instrument to that end.
In this respect promoting sound partnership and cooperation between the public and the private sectors plays a vital role. The EU is active in a number of partnerships and initiatives delivering improvements on the ground: notably REEEP, GVEP, REN21, JREC and the MEDREP, as well as the recently launched EU-China and EU-India Partnership on Climate Change.
The EU considers that the primary responsibility for policy and decision making lies with governments and public authorities. It is for governments to address global policy issues through an inclusive multilateral dialogue.
Financial barriers hamper progress. The engagement of the private sector and financial institutions is therefore needed. Together with them we must focus on win-win solutions and exploit synergies, while simultaneously inducing measures to strengthen the investment climate in developing countries.
The need for concrete and ambitious next steps to expedite implementation clearly emerged from discussions in the first week. As part of an action-orientated outcome, we need to adopt an integrated approach to energy, air pollution, industrial development and climate change as well as to interlinkages between those issues. Secondly, it is essential to build capacity and promote technology transfer in order to increase knowledge and skills at the local and national levels. Thirdly, financing
must become more innovative and effective to ensure that resources are channelled to those areas where they are most needed.
We are committed to engage constructively for ensuring an action-orientated outcome at CSD15 and to deliver once we have agreed on policy decisions. The EU furthermore believes that for CSD15 to bring about lasting progress, it is of high relevance to agree effective and meaningful review and follow-up arrangements.
In the further elaboration of modalities for follow-up and review, starting already in the interval between CSD14 and CSD15, we should seek input from governments, major groups, and relevant international institutions, initiatives and networks, such as the IEA, the World Bank, JREC, REN21, UNDP, UNEP, UN Energy, UNIDO, ILO and others.
In this regard, it will be vital to use the time in the intersessional period and, on the basis of the outcome of CSD14, to advance our thinking. We are open to ideas and suggestions and willing to talk with all interested partners.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman
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