European Union
Mr Secretary General, Mr Chairman,
I have the honour of speaking on behalf of the European Union and its 27 Member States.
We are pleased to participate in this important exchange of views on the expectations we have for
Rio+20. We would like to express our appreciation for the many inspiring thoughts that have been
shared here today.
Although since the Earth Summit in 1992 progress has been made in a number of areas, we still
face many pressing global challenges, in particular poverty eradication and environmental
degradation.
Rio+20's two themes ? green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty
eradication and the institutional framework for sustainable development ? offer an unique
opportunity to address these challenges ? an opportunity we cannot afford to miss. While both
themes need to be addressed in their own right, there are also important linkages between them
and synergies need to be identified and exploited.
Mr Chairman,
Let me start by saying a few words on how moving towards a green economy can lead to
sustainable development and help eradicate poverty. Eradicating poverty cannot be achieved
without the sustainable management and use of our natural resource base. The poor in particular
depend on these resources for their livelihoods: economic activities and growth, jobs, food
security, health and sanitation are all inseparably linked with the earth?s natural capital and its
capacity for renewal.
To ensure sustained economic growth, we need an economy that puts the management of natural
capital and the efficient use of resources at the center: land, water, forests, oceans, energy etc.
Such an economy requires identifying the value of ecosystem services and biodiversity and
internalizing external costs and benefits , but first we need to define -what and how- this needs to
be done.
The better management and more efficient use of natural resources will help underpin the
livelihoods of millions of people. For example, policies to stimulate sustainable agriculture
contribute to food security, and renewable energy and energy efficiency contribute to reducing
climate change and to energy security. Investing in more sustainable management of these
resources will stimulate the economic growth of the future - the kind of growth that benefits the
environment, people and society at large.
To enable the transition towards such an inclusive green economy , we must start putting into place
the right regulatory and market conditions, including the removal of environmentally harmful
subsidies and the use of fiscal incentives. We must enhance access to public, private and publicprivate
finance and explore innovative means to increase investments . And we must significantly
improve private sector engagement, as well as the involvement of all relevant stakeholders.
Measuring and ensuring progress will be crucial. At the same time we realize that a "one size fits
all approach" will not work. Different national circumstances must be taken into account when
defining policy tools . In our view, a UN Green Economy Roadmap would help all countries -
based on their own leadership and respecting national differences - to accelerate their own
transition towards the green economy. Such a roadmap could clarify which steps are needed at
national and international level. It could include a menu of actions and a timeline for their
implementation, indentify key actors and set targets and appropriate indicators, while building on
existing national initiatives.
Mr. Chairman,
This leads me to the other Rio+20 theme: the institutional framework. We need better governance
structures to achieve sustainable development and to help trigger the transition to the green
economy. In fact, this transition cannot take place without an ambitious reform of global
governance for sustainable development as well as international institutions. To achieve this , a
balanced and interconnected approach across the three pillars of the sustainable development is
necessary.
First, better environmental governance is a major key to an improved institutional framework for
sustainable development. In our view, transforming UNEP into a specialized agency would be an
important component of institutional reform. We need a modern organization working together
with existing bodies (such as the Bretton Woods institutions and others ) that is able to provide a
strategic view on how to best advance the environmental agenda. We need to streamline and better
coordinating the range of multilateral agreements. We need a leading global voice for the
environment that can better inform global decision making, and to mobilize the necessary
resources to effectively respond to the challenges we face.
Second, we must also improv e governance for sustainable development more broadly, that is
across the economic, environmental and in particular the social pillar. Perspectives could include:
strengthening ECOSOC?s role on sustainable development, improving the functioning of the
Commission for Sustainable Development, as well as the stronger involvement of international
financial institutions.
Thirdly we need to strengthen governance at local, subnational, national, and regional levels. The
successful implementation of sustainable development depends on coordination and cooperation
mechanisms between public authorities departments , business and civil society, at all these levels .
Finally, to make progress, much more interaction is needed between different areas and policies
such as environment, economics, financing, and scien ce and innovation. We must also ensure
stronger participation and engagement of business. All this needs to be taken further through
dynamic public/private partnerships, new business networks and alliances, consistent regulatory
frameworks, as well as financing facilities to accelerate green business and innovation.
Mr Chairman,
Rio+20 can mark the start of a profound, world-wide transition towards a global green economy
and better sustainable development governance.
Let us now all work together to ensure that Rio+20 will meet our pressing global challenges and
that will be a success that will resound across the world.
Thank you for your attention.
I have the honour of speaking on behalf of the European Union and its 27 Member States.
We are pleased to participate in this important exchange of views on the expectations we have for
Rio+20. We would like to express our appreciation for the many inspiring thoughts that have been
shared here today.
Although since the Earth Summit in 1992 progress has been made in a number of areas, we still
face many pressing global challenges, in particular poverty eradication and environmental
degradation.
Rio+20's two themes ? green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty
eradication and the institutional framework for sustainable development ? offer an unique
opportunity to address these challenges ? an opportunity we cannot afford to miss. While both
themes need to be addressed in their own right, there are also important linkages between them
and synergies need to be identified and exploited.
Mr Chairman,
Let me start by saying a few words on how moving towards a green economy can lead to
sustainable development and help eradicate poverty. Eradicating poverty cannot be achieved
without the sustainable management and use of our natural resource base. The poor in particular
depend on these resources for their livelihoods: economic activities and growth, jobs, food
security, health and sanitation are all inseparably linked with the earth?s natural capital and its
capacity for renewal.
To ensure sustained economic growth, we need an economy that puts the management of natural
capital and the efficient use of resources at the center: land, water, forests, oceans, energy etc.
Such an economy requires identifying the value of ecosystem services and biodiversity and
internalizing external costs and benefits , but first we need to define -what and how- this needs to
be done.
The better management and more efficient use of natural resources will help underpin the
livelihoods of millions of people. For example, policies to stimulate sustainable agriculture
contribute to food security, and renewable energy and energy efficiency contribute to reducing
climate change and to energy security. Investing in more sustainable management of these
resources will stimulate the economic growth of the future - the kind of growth that benefits the
environment, people and society at large.
To enable the transition towards such an inclusive green economy , we must start putting into place
the right regulatory and market conditions, including the removal of environmentally harmful
subsidies and the use of fiscal incentives. We must enhance access to public, private and publicprivate
finance and explore innovative means to increase investments . And we must significantly
improve private sector engagement, as well as the involvement of all relevant stakeholders.
Measuring and ensuring progress will be crucial. At the same time we realize that a "one size fits
all approach" will not work. Different national circumstances must be taken into account when
defining policy tools . In our view, a UN Green Economy Roadmap would help all countries -
based on their own leadership and respecting national differences - to accelerate their own
transition towards the green economy. Such a roadmap could clarify which steps are needed at
national and international level. It could include a menu of actions and a timeline for their
implementation, indentify key actors and set targets and appropriate indicators, while building on
existing national initiatives.
Mr. Chairman,
This leads me to the other Rio+20 theme: the institutional framework. We need better governance
structures to achieve sustainable development and to help trigger the transition to the green
economy. In fact, this transition cannot take place without an ambitious reform of global
governance for sustainable development as well as international institutions. To achieve this , a
balanced and interconnected approach across the three pillars of the sustainable development is
necessary.
First, better environmental governance is a major key to an improved institutional framework for
sustainable development. In our view, transforming UNEP into a specialized agency would be an
important component of institutional reform. We need a modern organization working together
with existing bodies (such as the Bretton Woods institutions and others ) that is able to provide a
strategic view on how to best advance the environmental agenda. We need to streamline and better
coordinating the range of multilateral agreements. We need a leading global voice for the
environment that can better inform global decision making, and to mobilize the necessary
resources to effectively respond to the challenges we face.
Second, we must also improv e governance for sustainable development more broadly, that is
across the economic, environmental and in particular the social pillar. Perspectives could include:
strengthening ECOSOC?s role on sustainable development, improving the functioning of the
Commission for Sustainable Development, as well as the stronger involvement of international
financial institutions.
Thirdly we need to strengthen governance at local, subnational, national, and regional levels. The
successful implementation of sustainable development depends on coordination and cooperation
mechanisms between public authorities departments , business and civil society, at all these levels .
Finally, to make progress, much more interaction is needed between different areas and policies
such as environment, economics, financing, and scien ce and innovation. We must also ensure
stronger participation and engagement of business. All this needs to be taken further through
dynamic public/private partnerships, new business networks and alliances, consistent regulatory
frameworks, as well as financing facilities to accelerate green business and innovation.
Mr Chairman,
Rio+20 can mark the start of a profound, world-wide transition towards a global green economy
and better sustainable development governance.
Let us now all work together to ensure that Rio+20 will meet our pressing global challenges and
that will be a success that will resound across the world.
Thank you for your attention.