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INTRODUCTION
The
Global Dialogue, Natural resources: The Sustainability
Challenge, held from 19-21 June, 2000, is the first of a
series of ten Global Dialogues organized by the Stockholm
Environment Institute (SEI) in conjunction with the Hanover Expo
2000. Over 60 leading institutions from different countries are
involved in the planning and realization of the Global Dialogue
series. The Dialogue series brings together academics, political
and business decision-makers and representatives from NGOs and
international organizations. The objectives of the Dialogue are to develop new forms of participation and dialogue, including in
the areas of health, environment and labour. Following the Dialogue
series, a programme for global partnership will be set up to reach
the broader public and reunite it with prominent personalities
from international public life.
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The
Global Dialogue on Natural Resources and Sustainability endeavors
to address, inter alia: future resource use at the global, regional
and local levels; resource distribution; and protection of resources that
are either non-renewable or gradually renewable. Linkages will be made
between the Global Dialogue and on-going natural resources related
initiatives, including international conventions, regional
agreements and local initiatives. Specifically, the Dialogue
discusses best practices and options to improve use, distribution and
conservation of natural resources in line with sustainability,
technological efficiency and innovation to meet increasing demands
on renewable natural resources. Furthermore, it will help define
the agenda for the Earth Summit 2002 and tackle sustainable
production and consumption patterns of governments, business and
the public. |
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MORNING PLENARY
In an opening statement,
Chair Simon Upton,
OECD Round Table on Sustainable Development, welcomed participants
and called for a multi-way dialogue exchange. Noting the
sustainable development debate is bedeviled by statistics of doom
and smooth statements, he stressed making use of the Global
Dialogue for communicating with people and allowing them to
internalize sustainability.
Listen
to the RealAudio Coverage.
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| Speaking on environment, conflict and sustainable
peace, Alexander Carius, Director, Ecologic Centre for
International and European Environmental Research, highlighted a
mining conflict where environment degradation triggered an
unstable social system. He noted the institutional context and the
relationship between violence, population pressure and
environmental impacts and advocated coherent integration of
poverty eradication, sustainable resource management,
democratization and human security and, inter alia,
fostering environmental cooperation. He underscored the success of
environment policy in developing sophisticated management tools
and agreements but the failure of policy integration at both
national and international levels. |
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| Claude
Fussler, Director of Stakeholder Relations, WBCSD and SEI
Board Member, gave an introduction on the challenge of creating
eco-efficient markets. He explored the question of market
suitability and accessibility in conjunction with long-term
environmental security. An important step in achieving this
goal, he suggested, would be the availability of affordable goods
to subsistence markets. |
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Tariq Banuri,
SEI Senior Research Director Boston, spoke about sustainability and
climate change scenarios. He reflected on the historical context
of globalization and its two current trends: increasing global
interdependence and fragmentation of equality. He suggested that sustainable development induces
intergenerational inequities and stressed criteria for
sustainability transition, including justice and fairness, equity,
poverty eradication, peace, security and governance.
Listen
to the RealAudio Coverage. |
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| Terri L. Willard,
Internet Communications Officer, IISD, drew attention to the issue
of knowledge management and its possible impacts on sustainability.
She said that while knowledge management relies increasingly on
electronic means, direct and personal communications are still
valuable technologies. She identified explicit, implicit and tacit
knowledge, encouraged diversity of and communication between
knowledge systems, and stressed the important role of
intermediaries. |
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GLOBAL FOCUS
In an afternoon plenary session, His Majesty King
Carl XVI Gustaf, of Sweden, thanked the SEI and collaborators
for organizing the first Global Dialogue on Natural Resources. He
stressed the planet is still heading in the wrong direction
despite progress made since Stockholm, 1972. He stated, at the
core of sustainable development, there is a need to show
willingness for participation, new respect for nature and a common
understanding, and emphasized it is time for developing new
structures and partnerships, involving industry and civil society.
He emphasized dialogue as communication, networks and knowledge
and hoped that new ideas would be provoked contributing to the
realization of a sustainable future.
See the webcast of this event at: www.expo2000-tv.de |
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Alicia Bárcena,
Head of Environment and Human Settlements (ECLAC), said that the
market could not provide sufficient solutions to environmental and
development problems. She said certain values, which the market
does not recognize, need to be taken into account and conserved by
other institutions. She cautioned against simplifying the
perception of the various sectors and pointed out the variety of
representatives and actors within the private sector, governments
and the NGO community. She stressed connecting initiatives at the local level,
closing the digital divide and influencing economic decision
makers. |
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Sunita Narain,
Centre for Science and Environment, pointed out the need for
education and development and strengthening of science for
environment and development. She said that the
current model of economic development is inherently toxic and that
it takes investment and discipline to reverse the trend of
resource degradation. She also called for quicker solutions and
stressed the lack of rights and entitlements at the global level. |
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Visions
of Expo 2000 |
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