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The World Summit on Sustainable Development 2002: Reports from the Scottish Civic Delegation
Belinda Miller, Local Agenda 21 Co-ordinator, Aberdeen City Council
I attended the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) to identify its implications for Scottish local government. The 9 days I spent at the Summit was a real lifetime experience. There was so much going on every day and often miles apart. After spending a few hours observing the main UN negotiations at the Summit I realised it was outwith my scope. Since the Local Government International Bureau attended the UN summit as part of the UK's official delegation to the Summit to negotiate on local government matters, I decided to concentrate on other events taking place throughout Johannesburg. I participated in the Local Government Session that was held in the first week of the WSSD and I spent the second week gathering information on best practice.
Local Government Session in Johannesburg
At the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, Agenda 21, the global plan of action for sustainable development was agreed. Local Governments across the world are seen as key players in achieving sustainable development at a local level and so Local Government named its role '
Local Agenda 21'. It is a participatory, multi-stakeholder process to address priority local sustainable development concerns through the preparation and implementation of a long-term strategic plan. Since 1992, more than 6,400 municipalities in 113 countries have been working to accelerate the transition to sustainable, equitable and secure communities. Indeed all Scottish Local Authorities have a Local Agenda 21 in place.
The Local Government Session, '
Local Action Moves the World', was a parallel event at the World Summit on Sustainable Development designed for Local Government to express its expectations for the Summit and to interact with national and observer delegations to present its positions. More than 600 mayors and local authority associations worldwide attended. The event was organised by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) in co-operation with other major international local government associations and United Nations agencies. It was the largest parallel event to take place during the WSSD.
The outcomes of the Local Government Session
One of the main areas the Session concentrated on was the wish that national governments acknowledge the importance of local government as a main player in achieving sustainable development on the ground. Given their pivotal role, local authorities urged national and international bodies to make all efforts to strengthen local government. Throughout the Local Government Session representatives of national governments, the World Bank and UN officials - among them WSSD Secretary General, Nitin Desai - recognised local governments' significant strides towards reaching the goals and aspirations laid down in Rio in 1992.
Cities learn best from other cities and the Local Government Session provided delegates with the opportunity to share tools, experiences and approaches. It also provided the principles to guide policy through 'The Melbourne Principles for Sustainable Cities'. These are intended to guide thinking and provide a strategic framework for action. The Principles are not prescriptive and allow cities to develop sustainable solutions that are relevant to their particular circumstances.
The major announcements from the Session were:
Local Action 21 builds upon the worldwide successes of Local Agenda 21 since Rio. Following the Summit's theme of implementing the Agenda 21 agreements, Local Action 21 represents a move from
Agenda to Action, from plan to practice. In re-affirming the Rio Principles of thinking globally but acting locally, it is hoped that the 6,400 local governments in 113 countries who are already involved in Local Agenda 21 activities will be joined by many more. In this way Local Action 21 becomes simultaneously:
a motto for accelerated implementation of sustainable development in the decade following the Johannesburg World Summit;
a mandate given by the Summit to local authorities worldwide to engage in the implementation of local agendas and action plans; and
a movement of cities, towns and counties and their associations towards action for sustainability.
The
Johannesburg Call was a statement by Local Government Representatives at the WSSD on sustainable development. The final paragraph stated:
'
We, as local government from across the globe, acknowledge that ours is not an equal, fair or just world. If international gatherings like this one are to make a meaningful difference to people's lives, we the representatives of the people must be bold and unequivocal about making changes. We recognise that without political commitment, nothing will be achieved. We therefore pledge our unwavering commitment to eradicating poverty, correcting the imbalances between the developed and developing world and fundamentally reshaping our world. We also commit ourselves to developing very practical, realistic Action Plans and to implement them through Local Action 21 programmes to realise these goals. We challenge all Heads of State meeting in Johannesburg next week to do the same. The time to act is now. Let us not lose this opportunity: there may not be another.' It also emphasised that '
local governments alone cannot save the planet'.
'We live in an increasingly interconnected, interdependent world. The local and the global are intertwined. Local government cannot afford to be insular and inward looking. Fighting poverty, exclusion and environmental decay is a moral issue, but also one of self-interest. Ten years after Rio, it is time for action by all spheres of government, all partners. And local action, undertaken in solidarity, can move the world.'
The challenge for Scottish Local Government post Johannesburg
The culmination of work undertaken at the Local Government Session is reflected in the final WSSD Plan of Implementation, agreed to by the main Summit. It stated that,
'
States should: Enhance the role and capacity of local authorities as well as stakeholders in implementing Agenda 21 and the outcomes of the Summit and in strengthening the continuing support for local Agenda 21 programmes and associated initiatives and partnerships, encourage, in particular, partnerships among and between local authorities and other levels of government and stakeholders to advance sustainable development as called for in, inter alia, the Habitat Agenda.'
The following are areas that specifically relate to action by local government, and which have relevance to Scotland:
Encourage relevant authorities at all levels to take sustainable development considerations into account in decision-making on national and local development planning, investment in infrastructure, business development and public procurement. Promote public procurement policies that encourage development and diffusion of environmentally sound goods and services.
Prevent and minimise waste and maximise reuse, recycling and use of environmentally friendly alternative material.
Promote an integrated approach to policy making at the national, regional and local levels for transport services and systems to promote sustainable development, including policies and planning for land use planning, infrastructure, public transport systems and goods delivery networks, with a view to providing safe, affordable and efficient transportation, increasing energy efficiency, reducing pollution, reducing congestion, reducing adverse health effects and limiting urban sprawl, taking into account national priorities and circumstances.
Education is seen as critical for promoting sustainable development in the future. Therefore it is important to integrate sustainable development into educational systems at all levels of education in order to promote education as a key agent for change.
Other areas local government may wish to consider is to re-commit to sustainable development and Local Agenda 21, and to perhaps to ensure we are acknowledging our global neighbours as well as local in our functions. Also in line with Local Action 21 local government need to ensure policies are being put into action in an integrated way.
The World Conservation Union (IUCN)
The World Conservation Union (IUCN) also held a parallel session during the Summit. As a Union, the IUCN seeks to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable. The IUCN Environment Centre, hosted the Futures Dialogue Series and an extensive exhibition. The dialogue series included leading figures from civil society and the public and private sector and focused on controversial and pertinent issues based on daily themes. I attended a stimulating day, which looked at how we can move into the future based on sustainable development. Speakers included Jose Maria Figueres, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum and ex-President of Costa Rica, who called for a reform of how markets dominate world economics and thus are often undermining sustainable development. Mrs van der Hoeven, the Dutch Minister for Development Co-operation, suggested that for trade in resources to be sustainable, the people who provide and rely on them must get the full economic benefits from them, - i.e. fairtrade.
And all the rest…
Upon returning from the Summit, I realised that many people here were unaware of the
many successful events that took place outwith the main conference centre at Sandton. The following is an outline of some of the most interesting and useful meetings, visits and exhibitions that I came across while at the Summit.
I visited the two major exhibitions that took place during WSSD - the
Water Dome, where the importance of water for all was emphasised, and
Ubuntu Village where, along with arts and crafts, their was an inspiring project called
Mission Antarctica. Robert Swan OBE, from the UK, made a pledge at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 to 'think Global and Act Local'. He was tasked to report to the next Earth Summit in Johannesburg on what he had done. He, with others, removed over 1000 tonnes of waste from King George Island - thus helping animals like penguins to nest in safety. Then with the 'Earthship' he travelled across South Africa visiting towns and cities to ask young people to pledge to 'Clean Up their Act'. More on these projects can be found at
www.missionantarctica.com
I also met lots of interesting people and groups. One of the most inspiring was a group of young people from Pretoria in South Africa. They were
Junior Rangers and they are learning about how to produce food that does not destroy the environment - by using 'permaculture'. Permaculture is a practical idea, which can be applied in the city, on the farm, and in the wilderness. Its helps people to establish highly productive environments that provides food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs. They are keen to hear if any other young people in Scotland are doing similar projects and to link up with ideas and support.
I visited the famous township of
Soweto, to the south west of Johannesburg. The contrast between the modern Johannesburg and Soweto is enormous and a very sobering experience. Visiting was uncomfortable as we were intruding on real people who lived day to day in extreme poverty. However we were assured by those who live there, that it was important that people come and see it for themselves and most importantly that we do something about it when we go home. The settlement I visited had no running water or electricity. There was high unemployment and no public transport. However the people who live there have pride and the area was litter free, the houses (tin shacks) were clean and cared for. The priority for South Africa (and of course the World) is to provide well over a million people in this area with real homes and facilities.
I also visited some inspiring community projects, particularly the
Eco Circles project in the nearby city of Potchestroom. Where using recycled materials for irrigation, thousands of urban households where learning to grow fruit and vegetables to help supplement their diet.
There were a number of chances to meet up with the
Civic Delegation, and other people from Scotland attending the Summit. This was always a good a opportunity to find out what they were doing and it always surprised me how much more was going on that I hadn't heard about. We were also able to report to the Scottish press and other colleagues and contacts at home on what was going on outwith the main negotiations.
With over 60,000 people attending the WSSD, and with concern about the environmental impact on the local area, an initiative called
'Greening the WSSD' was established. The aims of the initiative were to organise the WSSD in a manner that supports sustainable development; leaves a durable legacy to South Africa and raises the profile of environmental and sustainable development issues in South Africa, Africa and the world at large. They aimed to make the Summit carbon neutral and all delegates were asked to contribute to a fund called the Johannesburg climate legacy. Any delegate could calculate the amount of carbon dioxide they expended due to the Summit and by example the calculation for my own trip was 7 tonnes of carbon dioxide. The project aimed to raise US$5 million. The funds will be used to support South African projects that permanently reduce carbon emissions.
Throughout the Summit there was a '
Consumption Barometer' that displayed the previous days consumption of waste, energy, and water. It was displayed on electronic billboards, and published in daily newspapers. Attempts were made to use local produce and minimise packaging. Unfortunately it failed totally to reduce the paper mountain at the Summit. Everyday in every location we were assailed by paper - it was used to report on what happened the previous day and what was to happen that day. I would have needed a crate to ship it back if I wanted to bring it all home.
The question I am regularly asked since returning is -
was it worth it to send over 60,000 people to South Africa to discuss the future of the world? The only answer is - I really hope so, for ours and the planet's sake. Overall it was disappointing that no real advance was made on Agenda 21, agreed at Rio 10 years earlier. The outcomes of the Johannesburg Summit will take time to filter into national legislation and action. But at least so much was achieved outwith the main event - including real promises by many organisations and governments to tackle the issues of poverty, biodiversity, energy, and climate change. I hope that these promises are met, unlike the many broken promises of the last 10 years.
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