Events convened on Tuesday, 4 June 2002

Power to tackle poverty: What commitments on renewable energy need to come out of Johannesburg?
Presented by the Body Shop Foundation 

Steve Sawyer, Greenpeace, and Margot Wallström, EU Environment Commissioner.

John Morrison, Body Shop, presented the joint Body Shop-Greenpeace Choose Positive Energy campaign, which aims to secure a commitment at the WSSD to bring renewable energy to two billion of the world's poorest people within ten years.

Margaret Beckett, UK Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, emphasized her government's commitment to engage in partnerships with the business sector to promote renewable energy, and ensure that WSSD outcomes include high-level political commitment, a clear programme of action and a global target on providing the poor with access to sustainable and affordable energy.

Margot Wallström, EU Environment Commissioner, on behalf of the EC, highlighted EU policies to enhance energy efficiency and internalize the costs of fossil fuels in order to level the playing field for renewable energy sources. She underlined the EU's commitment to partnerships on providing technical assistance and building institutional capacity for increased renewable energy use, and noted greater private sector efforts to promote renewable energy as a way to meet the EU's obligations under the Kyoto Protocol.

Mark Moody Stuart, G8 Task Force on Renewable Energy, commended the Choose Positive Energy campaign, and presented the G8 Task Force's report, which highlighted the need to create a level playing field for renewable energy, build human and organizational infrastructure, finance the upfront costs of renewable energy technologies, and eliminate perverse subsidies for conventional energy.

Suzy Hutomo, Body Shop Indonesia, highlighted the role of Asia's business community as a driving force for positive social and environmental change. She said businesses need to promote the "politics of consciousness," and outlined the Body Shop's regional campaigns to promote renewable energy.

Steve Sawyer, Greenpeace, stressed the need to ensure that the WSSD: endorses the ratification and early entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol; launches an action programme with targets and timetables for access to energy by the world's poorest; and puts forward global targets for 10% of energy from renewable sources and for the phase-out of unsustainable subsidies by 2010.

Discussion: In the ensuing discussion, participants highlighted, inter alia: the need for a mix of policy instruments to promote renewable energy; the EU accession countries' role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions; the impact of reducing subsidies for fossil fuels on the poor in Indonesia; the need for political will and institutional frameworks to promote renewable energy; the provision of information on opportunities for those lacking access to energy; and UNEP's work on these issues. 

More information: http://www.greenpeace.org.uk http://www.the-body-shop.com http://choose-positive-energy.org

Contact: John Morrison <john.morrison@the-body-shop.com> Suzy Hutomo <suzyhut@the-body-shop.co.id> Steve Sawyer <ssawyer@diala.greenpeace.org>

Shigeyuki Kuninobu, e7, highlighted the "Energy in Action" statement emerging from e7's recent annual meeting, in which the e7 affirmed commitments to: incorporate sustainable development principles into corporate activities; build human capacity; demonstrate potential Clean Development Mechanism projects; and engage in partnerships to focus efforts on expanding access to clean and affordable electricity to all.

Jacqueline Aloisi de Larderel, UNEP, outlined UNEP's activities and cooperation with other institutions to promote energy efficiency and support rural energy projects.

Nobuo Asai, Kansai Electric Power, presented the e7/UNEP Electricity Sector Report for the WSSD, which documents the electricity sector's progress and challenges in fostering sustainable development. He noted that e7 has proposed that electric power companies implement guidelines for best practices to ensure sustainable operations, and that all electricity stakeholders focus sustainable development activities on expanding access to electricity for all.

Christian Stoffaës, Electricité de France, notes that two billion people lack access to electricity, and states that providing access is an ethical challenge as well as an important means of contributing to global economic and social progress.

Christian Stoffaës, Electricité de France, highlighted the need for public-private partnerships to provide electricity for all, which will require all stakeholders to work together to integrate private business interests with the public provision of electricity and other sustainable development goals. He said such partnerships should address how to, inter alia, improve international and regional cooperation for electrification, strengthen public-private dialogue, and better identify private sector and government needs.

Corrado Clini, Italian Ministry of Environment, highlighted the conclusions of the recent meeting of the G8 Task Force on Renewable Energy, which, inter alia, recommended action to reduce cost by building strong energy markets and expanding markets for renewable energy. He said the political declaration of the WSSD should address the issue of subsidies for fossil fuels and include targets for the development of renewable energy.

Kui-Nang Mak, DESA, presented a guide for potential partnerships on energy for sustainable development to assist and facilitate efforts to develop partnership initiatives in this area.

Irene Freudenschuss-Reichl, UNIDO, highlighted UNIDO's involvement in partnerships to expand access to energy in rural areas, promote renewable energy in SIDS, and link efforts to promote energy efficiency with efforts to enhance productive capacity in developing countries.

Other speakers outlined alternative institutional approaches for rural electrification, and underscored the need for recognition of the right to energy.

More information: http://www.e7.org

Contact: Jacqueline Aloisi de Larderel <j.aloisi@unep.fr> Nobuo Asai <asai@kepco.co.jp> Christian Stoffaës <christian.stoffaes@edf.fr> Kui-Nang Mak <makk@un.org> Irene Freudenschuss-Reichl <freudenschuss-reichl@un.org>

Nikhil Chandavarkar, DESA, highlights lessons learned from technical cooperation programs in China, Malawi and Yemen, and emphasizes the importance of cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral intervention, broad involvement of stakeholders, and national political will for technical cooperation programmes.

At this event, representatives from DESA discussed the role of innovative country-level technical cooperation in operationalizing WSSD Type I outcomes and implementing Type II partnerships.

JoAnne DiSano, DESA, stressed that the key challenge for the WSSD lies in translating Type I outcomes into concrete actions on the ground. She defined technical cooperation as the creation of knowledge, including through transfer and development of technology and managerial systems, and the interaction of national and international partners to enhance national institutions' capacity to meet development goals. She highlighted the wealth of expertise available in the UN system to address the new capacity-building priorities identified during the WSSD process.
Listen to DiSano's presentation

Kui-Nang Mak, DESA, and Wang Wei Zhong, Centre for China's Agenda 21, highlighted a group of government projects to build capacity for the rapid commercialization of renewable energy in China as an example of multi-stakeholder partnership, and stressed the need to expand and replicate such partnerships worldwide.

Manuel Dengo, DESA, presented a technical cooperation project on integrated water resource management in Yemen. He explained that the project, which addressed governance for sustainable development, resulted in strengthened institutional capacity, a system for water conflict resolution, and a water resource management action plan endorsed by all stakeholders.

Nikhil Chandavarkar, DESA, described a programme on institutional support for environmental management in Malawi, which succeeded in integrating environmental priorities in decision making through cross-sectoral planning. He stressed the need for: a mechanism to replicate the experiences of innovative technical cooperation programmes; extensive use of electronic technical cooperation; and a shift from "process management" to "strategic services."

Konrad Otto-Zimmerman, ICLEI, presents a motto for the coming decade: "From Local Agenda 21 to Local Action 21: a decade of accelerated action for creating sustainable communities and cities while protecting global common goods."

Amos Masondo, Mayor of Johannesburg, emphasized the central role of local governments in realizing sustainability, and stressed the need for full recognition of their status and authority. He highlighted opportunities offered by the WSSD in this regard, and outlined initiatives underway to prepare for the Summit.

Konrad Otto-Zimmerman, ICLEI, noted that during the WSSD preparatory process, local governments have identified key strategies to advance sustainable development, including strengthening local action, strengthening inter- and intra-governmental cooperation, fostering international solidarity and cooperation, building a new culture of sustainability, and accelerating the transition to sustainable communities and cities. He highlighted case studies demonstrating successful implementation of these strategies in different municipalities. He also outlined the findings of a global survey of Local Agenda 21s (LA21s), which demonstrated that, inter alia: 6,400 local authorities in 113 countries are involved in LA21 activities; national LA21 campaigns are underway in 18 countries; and 61% of municipalities with LA21s have developed local action plans. He highlighted the Local Government Session of the WSSD to take place from 27-30 August.

Amanda Nair, City of Johannesburg Development Planning, Transportation and Environment, presented the Johannesburg EcoCity initiative, a needs-driven, people-centered programme addressing poverty alleviation through local economic development, which features worker-owned cooperatives, an eco-village, a bicycle cooperative, organic agriculture, recycling buy-back centers, solar energy, and thermal- and water-efficient housing.

Bowdin King, ICLEI, presented ICLEI's new Water Campaign, which seeks to build a worldwide movement of local governments and stakeholders committed to achieving improvements in the sustainable use of freshwater resources. He said the campaign provides local governments with a framework to support local water management efforts while contributing to international efforts to mitigate critical water problems.

More information: http://www.iclei.org http://www.ecocity.org.za

Contact: Konrad Otto-Zimmerman <secretary-general@iclei.org> Amanda Nair <amandan@joburg.org.za> Bowdin King <bking@iclei.org>

Seiichi Kondo, OECD Deputy Secretary-General, underscores the emphasis that OECD countries place on environmental issues, recognizing that OECD countries have a special responsibility for leadership on sustainable development worldwide.

This event launched Working Together Towards Sustainable Development: The OECD Experience, a report produced in response to OECD Ministers' call for an OECD input to the WSSD.

Seiichi Kondo, OECD Deputy Secretary-General, outlined the OECD's role in providing analysis, peer review, monitoring, and policy development guidelines to OECD member countries and others. He said the Report addresses progress and challenges in OECD countries since UNCED, noting achievements in increased life expectancies, education levels, quality of life, and levels of human and other capital, as well as progress in environmental areas such as forest cover and air pollution. It also highlights remaining challenges, including: the concentration of OECD investments primarily in OECD countries; the extent to which ODA exceeds foreign direct investment; and environmental problems due to, inter alia, agricultural pollution, overfishing, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Kondo outlined the Report's recommendations for overcoming the "implementation gap" for sustainable development, which focus on making markets work for sustainable development, strengthening decision-making processes, harnessing scientific and technological resources, and overcoming obstacles to policy reform.

From the Report's section on strengthening partnerships for sustainable development, Kondo emphasized the need to foster multi-stakeholder partnerships to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, increase market access for developing countries, build developing countries' capacity to maximize trade and investment opportunities, and ensure sufficient and effective ODA.

Discussion: In the ensuing discussion, participants addressed: the central role of capacity building in the Report's recommendations; increasing market access and "anything but guns" initiatives; barriers to the swift removal of market-distorting subsidies; trade-offs between voluntary and regulatory policy mechanisms; effective peer review; the growing gap in income distribution in OECD countries; OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and Principles of Corporate Governance; and social and environmental indicators for sustainable development.
 

More information: http://www.oecd.org

Contact: Seiichi Kondo <seiichi.kondo@oecd.org>

This event addressed global governance and the participation of civil society groups in international negotiations and agreements.

William Pace, INTGLIM and the World Federalist Movement, and Hanne Gro Haugland, Norwegian Forum for Environment and Development.

William Pace, INTGLIM and the World Federalist Movement, outlined INTGLIM's work to make the UN and the international legal order more democratic and respectful of economic and social rights, and described how issues of sustainable development governance and international environmental governance come together in the WSSD process. He said the UN's "one nation, one vote" system is more democratic than the laissez-faire "one dollar, one vote" structure of international financial institutions, and predicted that UNCED will be remembered as a "landmark in multilateralism," in stark contrast to the WSSD.

Martin Khor, Third World Network, lamented the low quality of government interventions in PrepCom IV negotiations, but highlighted the emergence and strengthening of networks resulting from the PrepCom. He described the "architecture of non-regulation" framing issues such as macroeconomics and debt and the cascading problems that can result from this lack of structure, and called for the establishment of a "debt swap" mechanism. On trade and investment liberalization, Khor said the equal treatment of countries with drastically different conditions results in gross inequalities, and he highlighted the distinction between non-discrimination in the human rights and WTO contexts.

Hanne Gro Haugland, Norwegian Forum for Environment and Development, highlighted paragraphs in the draft Chairman's text addressing institutional and structural issues and global governance, and outlined ongoing debates on the substance and language therein.

Saradha Iyer, Third World Network, questioned whether the WSSD process might threaten multilateralism and sustainable development, stating that the section in the draft Chairman's text on global governance is paving the way for partnerships that are "doomed to fail" while jeopardizing those that are operating successfully. She stated that governments are abdicating their responsibilities in favor of partnerships, and that citizens will suffer the consequences.

Discussion: Participants discussed: conflicts between the WTO and multilateral environmental agreements; conditionalities associated with the US' new Millennium Challenge Account; the responsibility of Northern NGOs to maintain pressure on their governments; NGO accountability; the lack of gender mainstreaming in the WSSD process; and the use of special drawing rights to finance development.
 

More information: http://www.wfm.org/intglim http://www.twnside.org.sg http://english.forumfor.no

Contact: William Pace <cdil@igc.org> Martin Khor <twnet@po.jaring.net> Hanne Gro Haugland <haugland@forumfor.no> Saradha Iyer <twnkl@po.jaring.my>

The Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) on the side is a special publication of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The Editor of ENB on the side is Kira Schmidt kira@iisd.org.This issue has been written by Tamilla Held tamilla@iisd.org, Jenny Mandel jenny@iisd.org and Kira Schmidt kira@iisd.org. The Digital Editors are Andrei Henry andrei@iisd.org, Leila Mead leila@iisd.org, and Diego Noguera diego@iisd.org. Funding for publication of ENB on the Side at PC-IV is provided by UNDP. The opinions expressed in ENB on the Side are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of IISD and funders. Excerpts from ENB on the Side may be used in non-commercial publications only and only with appropriate academic citation. For permission to use this material in commercial publications, contact the Managing Editor at kimo@iisd.org. Electronic versions of issues of ENB on the Side from WSSD PC-IV can be found on the Linkages website at http://www.iisd.ca/linkages/2002/pc4/enbots/.

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