Looking Back to Rio

When the first UN Earth Summit (UN Conference on Environment and Development or UNCED) took place at Rio de Janeiro in 1992, 115 heads of state and government were able to reach agreements for action on a wide range of environmental problems affected by economic development. The second Earth Summit held this June in New York was, sadly, attended by many fewer world leaders reflecting perhaps a state of disenchantment, either with the process itself, the poor progress made, or simple lack of commitment. Nevertheless, with top officials included 185 countries were represented at UNCED II so the outcome remains of world importance, whether or not it represents progress but the overwhelming view is that it does not.

Agreements reached at UNCED I included the treaties on climate change and biodiversity, together with the Agenda 21 action plan for sustainable development and the establishment of a UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) to monitor progress. UNCED I put the relationship between international trade and the environment firmly on the world's political agenda for the first time ever and the process was further stimulated in 1995 by the creation, of the Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE) under the auspices of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Agenda 21 recognised that the present generation only has the stewardship of the world pending its transfer to future generations. and foresaw the need for the transfer of both technology and finance if environmental pollution in much of the world is to be minimised. The CTE is charged with examining the potential for environmental benefits to be gained by removing restrictions and distortions from international trading.

Over the last decade but particularly since UNCED I, governments, financial institutions, industries and peoples around the world have undoubtedly developed a much deeper individual and joint understanding of the significance of environmental problems. While usually expressed in broad global statements of intent there are some real examples of specific intentions having being translated into effective action. For example, tougher regulation on the use of ozone depleting substances and the transfrontier shipment of wastes. The global shift towards sustainability nevertheless at best remains embryonic, and will almost certainly take much longer to achieve than most forecasters suggest and may not in practice, actually be achievable for political, economic or other (technological, practical, or human) reasons.

UNCED I institutionalised and recognised the achievement of limited but useful progress towards the attainment of environmental objectives geared to sustainable development. There are other examples of testimonies to the development of a more `holistic' understanding of environmental issues at the world level, ranging from the establishment of an environmental chamber within the International Court of Justice, to the recognition of the link between trade and environment issues in the last GATT agreement signed at Marakesh.

On a world scale, however, UNCED II highlighted the fact that no real progress was made towards the achievement of important major objectives: carbon dioxide emissions increased above those of 1990, and despite industrialised countries having promised to expand the provision of aid for sustainable development through, for example, such mechanisms as the World Bank Global Environment Facility, total aid has actually fallen short of the 0.7% GDP target agreed at UNCED. In addition, little or no progress has been made in protecting biodiversity or in combating desertification. While economic recession in the industrialised countries may have contributed to the overall lack of progress, Razil Ismail, President of the UN General Assembly, opening UNCED II, referred to a `recession of political will' as having contributed to the achievement of `paltry' results.

Developing countries ought not, however, to just blame the developed countries for the lack of progress. The World Bank, for example, has challenged what it says is a wrong belief, held by most Asian countries with rapidly growing economies, that prosperity must be assured before they tackle their environmental problems. Sensible economic policies, say the Bank, supporting areas such as energy conservation, waste minimisation, recycling, fuel efficiency, soil conservation and sustainable forestry actually increase economic efficiency. Nevertheless, developing countries ought to be able to look to the developed countries for a better example. In that context the greatest disappointment associated with UNCED II is the failure of the G7 nations to agree increased targets for cutting emissions of carbon dioxide at their Denver summit. The EC has adopted a target of cutting carbon dioxide emissions to 15% below 1990 levels by 2010 and European nations wanted the US and Japan to adopt the same target. That the US and Japan refused to do indicates that progress at the Kyoto global warming conference this December in Japan is likely to be fraught with difficulty. The UK Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, addressing UNCED II, said that the biggest responsibility fell `on the countries with the biggest emissions'.

As at the first Earth Summit, several new initiatives were proposed at UNCED II. Chancellor Kohl announced a joint programme with Brazil, South Africa and Singapore to save threatened rain forests and called for a stronger UN environment agency. Japan's Prime Minister, Ryutaro Hashimoto, proposed a `Green Initiative' relating energy conservation and increased use of non- fossil fuels to the provision of increased aid for developing countries.

Much of course will depend on consumers. Some individuals and a few societies are already reacting to the sustainability agenda by trying to rein in their own consumption but that alone will not provide progress at the rate required. The UK Prime Minister told the UN, that the governments of developed countries must take a lead in persuading their citizens to change their lifestyles and businesses to alter their practices, in order to prevent damaging rises in global temperatures and in sea levels. If the governments of developing countries - whose countries are likely to be the biggest producers of greenhouse gases within a decade - have some good examples to follow, then UNCED II may yet be shown to have contributed to progress.