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Jouni Backman, Finland, said that regional cooperation is an optimal way for countries to join in the sustainable development efforts. He highlighted the central role of local governments in these efforts, and stressed the need for strong recognition of the importance of implementing Agenda 21 at the local level. Lena Sommestad, Swedish Minister of Environment, and Siv Fridleifsdóttir, Islandic Minister of Environment, underscored the importance of protecting the sea in Nordic sustainable development strategies. Sommestad called for additional sea-related research and advocated the ecosystem approach to sustainable development. Fridleifsdóttir said that Nordic cooperation was central to the development of marine-related international environmental agreements. Eydun Eltór, Faroe Islands' Minister of Petroleum and the Environment, explained that the Faroe Islands' sustainable development strategy experiences could be useful for other countries, particularly those dependent on the marine environment. Dan Nielsen, Denmark, emphasized Nordic countries' work on decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation. He called for support for the proposed ten-year programme, stressing that it would facilitate economic growth of developing countries through more efficient resource utilization. Outi Ojala, Nordic Council, introduced the Nordic Council as a unique political forum active in the field of sustainable development, which places high priority on sustainable development goals. Martti Ahtisaari, Finland, stressed the activities of Nordic countries to promote social responsibility, democracy, peace and sustainable development worldwide, and highlighted Baltic Sea cooperation. |
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Eduardo Krieger, Brazil, stressed the importance of academia in contributing to a successful partnership, and of better decision making. Yves Quéré, France, noted the usefulness of engaging academics in science-policy dialogues, stressing their independence, quality of work and long-term employment. |
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François Odendaal, Eco-Africa, said that local communities should learn how to share information, and criticized initiatives promoting top-down approaches with the aim of empowering communities. Panelists presented various aspects of the Distant Learning and Information Sharing Tool (DLIST) site. Ian Turner, Eco-Africa, noted that the DLIST site offers free access to literature, case studies and courses. He highlighted that the DLIST site focuses on community needs and encourages partnership on sustainable development in South Western Africa, including: mining, fishing, coastal activities and management. Cristella Guriras, Eco-Africa, explained that long-distance courses provided by the DLIST site address coastal activities and management, good governance, and management of natural living resources. Ilyas Omar, Eco-Africa, announced that the DLIST will make available a course on environmental engineering recognized by the South African education system, which will be available on the DLIST site from January 2003 onwards. |
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Boyle further stressed that RES costs are decreasing and that more investment would increase the solar power production and further reduce cost. He highlighted that wind power can be cheaper than electricity generated by coal-fired or nuclear power plants, and that, in the UK wind turbines have become tourist attractions. He noted that some European countries have established voluntary targets for generating renewable electricity. He noted the possibility of solar energy being responsible for 100 percent of the world electricity power by 2100. Discussion: Participants addressed: countries' resistance to shift from traditional to renewable energy services due to costs involved; the role of multinational corporation in promoting renewable energy technologies to developing countries; and WSSD proposals for RES targets. |
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Zakia Hamdani Meghji, Tanzanian Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, underscored: the involvement of local people, sharing tourism benefits between government and local communities; and cultural tourism. Sarah Timpson, the GEF, stated that tourism often leads to economic exclusion rather than inclusion, and that uneven distribution of benefits causes social distortions. She advocated community initiative and ownership, and stated that low-impact tourism provides the greatest benefits for local communities. |
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