European Union
1
COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Fourteenth Session, New York, 01 ? 12 May 2006
Speaking Notes (Final version, 01 May 2006)
MULTI-STAKEHOLDER DIALOGUE
· The EU sees a mutually reinforcing relationship between environmental protection,
competitiveness and social cohesion. The challenge is to make it possible for developing
countries to put these win-win opportunities into practice and to benefit from the
development and application of sound environmental and resource -efficient technologies
and -systems.
· In this regard, it is important to develop governance conditions and public and
stakeholder participation that enable poor people themselves to access, invest in,
develop and manage those environmental assets that are fundamental to their livelihoods
and health.
· The improvement and optimising of efficiency in energy markets for instance also calls for
the use of transparent and competitive public and private procurement and effective
exchange of best practices, including partnerships between relevant actors in the market.
· We face a serious and linked challenge in tackling climate change and air pollution. The
EU believes it is all but impossible for us to talk about these links without also talking
about the links with energy and industrial development.
· We need to enhance synergies between and to take an integrated approach to climate
change and energy objectives, recognising that strategies to invest worldwide in cleaner
and more sustainable energy services can support a range of objectives, including
reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving the global environment, enhancing
energy security and competitiveness and cutting air pollution. We need to do this in a way
which supports our vigorous efforts to eradicate poverty.
· Education, as a cross-cutting tool, could support this integrated approach, focussing on
substantial aspects as for example on energy saving and reduction of GHG emissions.
Training and capacity building could support new skills and knowledge in terms of energy
efficiency, e.g. young people at every stage of their education must be informed about
the challenges of a sustainable energy policy. Therefore, countries are encouraged to
include energy-related topics, in the context of sustainable development, in the education
curricula.
· A number of barriers remain to achieving gender equality and to improving the status,
health and economic welfare of women and girls.
· Women are often excluded from decision-making processes, particularly poor women
with limited access to education. Their needs must be on an equal basis as the needs of
men and fully considered in all phases of providing affordable and accessible energy
services and in the planning of sustainable industrial development. Women and children
as well as men working in households are disproportionately affected by indoor air
pollution from the burning of traditional and fossil fuels for cooking and heating. This
cannot continue. Solutions include access to cleaner fuel and the equipment to use it.
· For energy-related interventions, the EU is of the view that the gender-related conditions
associated with energy sourcing and consumption must form the basis for that. In many
developing countries and economies in transition, women are carrying the major burden
related to unsustainable biomass sourcing, handling and consumption. As such women
and girls, have the most to gain from more advanced energy technology and efficient
energy use, in terms of physical burdens, health hazards and ultimately also timeconsumption.
In relation to energy-management at the household and community level,
women are strong agents for development and should constitute the starting point for any
intervention when appropriate.
*****
COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Fourteenth Session, New York, 01 ? 12 May 2006
Speaking Notes (Final version, 01 May 2006)
MULTI-STAKEHOLDER DIALOGUE
· The EU sees a mutually reinforcing relationship between environmental protection,
competitiveness and social cohesion. The challenge is to make it possible for developing
countries to put these win-win opportunities into practice and to benefit from the
development and application of sound environmental and resource -efficient technologies
and -systems.
· In this regard, it is important to develop governance conditions and public and
stakeholder participation that enable poor people themselves to access, invest in,
develop and manage those environmental assets that are fundamental to their livelihoods
and health.
· The improvement and optimising of efficiency in energy markets for instance also calls for
the use of transparent and competitive public and private procurement and effective
exchange of best practices, including partnerships between relevant actors in the market.
· We face a serious and linked challenge in tackling climate change and air pollution. The
EU believes it is all but impossible for us to talk about these links without also talking
about the links with energy and industrial development.
· We need to enhance synergies between and to take an integrated approach to climate
change and energy objectives, recognising that strategies to invest worldwide in cleaner
and more sustainable energy services can support a range of objectives, including
reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving the global environment, enhancing
energy security and competitiveness and cutting air pollution. We need to do this in a way
which supports our vigorous efforts to eradicate poverty.
· Education, as a cross-cutting tool, could support this integrated approach, focussing on
substantial aspects as for example on energy saving and reduction of GHG emissions.
Training and capacity building could support new skills and knowledge in terms of energy
efficiency, e.g. young people at every stage of their education must be informed about
the challenges of a sustainable energy policy. Therefore, countries are encouraged to
include energy-related topics, in the context of sustainable development, in the education
curricula.
· A number of barriers remain to achieving gender equality and to improving the status,
health and economic welfare of women and girls.
· Women are often excluded from decision-making processes, particularly poor women
with limited access to education. Their needs must be on an equal basis as the needs of
men and fully considered in all phases of providing affordable and accessible energy
services and in the planning of sustainable industrial development. Women and children
as well as men working in households are disproportionately affected by indoor air
pollution from the burning of traditional and fossil fuels for cooking and heating. This
cannot continue. Solutions include access to cleaner fuel and the equipment to use it.
· For energy-related interventions, the EU is of the view that the gender-related conditions
associated with energy sourcing and consumption must form the basis for that. In many
developing countries and economies in transition, women are carrying the major burden
related to unsustainable biomass sourcing, handling and consumption. As such women
and girls, have the most to gain from more advanced energy technology and efficient
energy use, in terms of physical burdens, health hazards and ultimately also timeconsumption.
In relation to energy-management at the household and community level,
women are strong agents for development and should constitute the starting point for any
intervention when appropriate.
*****