Group of 77 & China
1
Statement on behalf of Group of 77 and China by Mr. Asad Majeed Khan,
Counsellor, Pakistan Mission to the UN on Air/Atmospheric Pollution
in the Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting (IPM) of
Fifteenth Session of Commission on Sustainable Development
(CSD-15)
New York, February 28, 2007 (Morning session)
Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
It is my pleasure to make this contribution on behalf of Group of 77 and
China to our discussion on Air/Atmospheric Pollution. We thank the Panelists
for their important presentations.
2. Air/Atmospheric Pollution is a major challenge faced by the world today
and impacts all of us in so many different ways. Importantly, our ability to
effectively address air pollution is fundamental to our pursuit of promoting
sustained economic growth and sustainable development, Our approach in
dealing with pollution issues is, therefore, built around the high priority
accorded by developing countries to economic growth and poverty eradication.
3. The decisions concerning the fight against air/atmosphere pollution
should be guided by the understanding that economic development, social
development and environmental protection are interdependent and mutually
reinforcing components of sustainable development. In this context, G-77
reiterates the continuing relevance and importance of all the Rio principles, in
particular principle 7 on Common but Differentiated Responsibilities.
4. The Chapter 9 of Agenda 21, the JPOI, and the Decision 9/2 adopted by
the CSD-9 on ?Protection of the Atmosphere?, outlines a clear roadmap of
2
actions required at the international, regional and national levels, and indicate
areas where international cooperation is required to effectively combat
air/atmosphere pollution.
5. Air pollution has serious negative impacts on human health, socioeconomic
development, ecosystems and cultural heritage. Urgent and effective
actions are, therefore, required in regard to both indoor air pollution from
traditional biomass cooking and heating and ambient air pollution from all
sources. Indoor air pollution, we believe, must be accorded high priority, as it is
in its worst form, a poverty-related manifestation.
6. Air pollution is also increased by factors such as: natural disasters
including volcanic eruptions, sand storms, desertification and land degradation,
which cause health problems and disrupt peoples? daily lives.
7. Adequate policies must take into consideration the special needs of
developing countries, particularly those in Africa, LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS.
8. We would also like to emphasize the needs of countries emerging from
conflict in the areas of capacity building, technical cooperation and
infrastructure development.
Mr. Chairman,
9. The most important and perhaps the most formidable task before us is to
overcome the inadequacy of financial resources and to secure access to and
transfer of environmentally sound technologies.
3
10. Similarly, we also need to address the challenges of substantial cost of
monitoring and abatement technologies; lack of adequate funding to sustain and
replicate successful demonstration projects; and lack of adequate scientific
research capabilities on the health impacts of many pollutants.
Mr. Chairman,
11. To address the challenges of Air/Atmospheric Pollution, we need to take
actions at all levels. In this regard, Group of 77 and China suggest the following
policy options for consideration by CSD-15:
12. Firstly, we call for enhanced international cooperation that should enable
developing countries to implement national plans and strategies through:
? Modernization of thermal electric power plants;
? Fuel switching ? from biomass and coal to liquid petroleum gas,
biogas or electricity; dissemination of improved cook stoves;
? Establishment, monitoring and enforcement of air quality standards;
? Expanded utilization of renewable energies;
? Capacity-building, research, education and training, and institutional
strengthening in preventing and combating air pollution;
? Improving the compilation, evaluation and analysis of data on the
state of the atmosphere and air pollution and knowledge of
developments in policy-making and planning;
? Development and introduction of cleaner fuels and air pollution
abatement technologies, and the sharing of practices and experiences;
? Transfer of affordable, efficient and environmentally-sound
technologies on favorable terms, including concessional and
preferential terms, as mutually agreed, for cleaner operating vehicles,
traffic management, cleaner fuels, including advanced fossil fuels, and
alternative fuels, including renewable fuels, inter alia, through the
4
involvement of the private sector, in order to address the technological
gap;
? Promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns, with
developed countries taking the lead;
? Identification of financial, technological and institutional barriers and
constraints that we are facing in combating air pollution, especially in
metropolitan areas;
? Promotion of synergies in the implementation of all relevant
multilateral environmental agreements, including the Vienna
Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, the Montreal
Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the UNFCCC,
the CBD and the UNCCD;
? Encouraging Member States, to the extent that they have not yet done
so, to consider ratifying or acceding to the Montreal Protocol and its
amendments;
? Enforcing international control over illegal trade in ozone-depleting
substances, by providing, as appropriate, adequate resources;
? Strengthening systematic observation of the Earth?s atmosphere by
improving ground-based monitoring stations, increased use of
satellites, and appropriate integration of these observations to produce
high-quality data that could be disseminated for the use of all
countries, in particular developing countries;
? Supporting international monitoring programmes, such as the Global
Climate Observing System;
? Supporting existing regional agreements for improved air quality and
control of transboundary air pollution; and encourage countries
affected by transboundary air pollution to cooperate in regional and
sub regional frameworks to reduce transboundary air pollution
involving not only monitoring and abatement but also research and
policy formulation;
? Commissioning studies to improve knowledge on transboundary air
pollution from ozone, particulates and persistent organic pollutants, as
well as on the impacts of air pollution and future risks of different
development pathways;
? Improving methods to quantify and assess air pollution;
5
? Supporting national efforts to discontinue use of inefficient and unvented
cook stoves through expansion of modern energy services such
as improved biomass and cleaner cooking fuels important to mitigate
indoor air pollution;
? Supporting Partnerships for Clean Fuels and Vehicles in our efforts to
complete the global elimination of leaded gasoline and support other
such initiatives, including at national level, aimed at reducing the
sulphur content of vehicle fuels, as well as the emission of serious air
pollutants from other sources;
? Transition to the use of liquid and gaseous fossil fuels and renewable
energy including by creating appropriate investment conditions for
LNG production and utilization to reduce air pollution;
? Development of early warning systems and other cooperative
mechanisms;
? Implementation of social and environmental responsibility at the
corporate level.
Mr. Chairman,
13. Secondly, at the national level, taking into account their respective
national priorities and circumstances, Governments should be encouraged to
consider:
? Improving data compilation and monitoring of air quality;
? Identifying, assessing and addressing the adverse effects of air
pollution on human health, socio-economic development, ecosystems
and cultural heritage;
? Further developing and implementing air quality strategies, which
include air pollution control and air quality management;
? Improving policies that reduce environmental hazards,
? Encouraging policy coordination and integration and the involvement
of all stakeholders;
? Promoting and providing incentives to the dissemination of best
available and affordable techniques to improve air quality;
6
? Enhancing capacity building, institutional strengthening and
involvement of all relevant stakeholders in the work for improved air
quality.
? Promoting clean public transport alternatives;
? Making available an adequate technology to curb burning of garbage
from local heaps and national land fills and outlaws incineration of
garbage emitting toxic fumes;
? Increasing public awareness;
? Adopting regulatory options and possible measures.
? Increasing controls on pollution emissions for transportation vehicles
and industry.
Mr. Chairman,
14. It is our hope that the outcome of the IPM and eventually that of the
CSD-15 will facilitate the implementation of policy options to reduce air
pollution.
I thank you.
Statement on behalf of Group of 77 and China by Mr. Asad Majeed Khan,
Counsellor, Pakistan Mission to the UN on Air/Atmospheric Pollution
in the Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting (IPM) of
Fifteenth Session of Commission on Sustainable Development
(CSD-15)
New York, February 28, 2007 (Morning session)
Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
It is my pleasure to make this contribution on behalf of Group of 77 and
China to our discussion on Air/Atmospheric Pollution. We thank the Panelists
for their important presentations.
2. Air/Atmospheric Pollution is a major challenge faced by the world today
and impacts all of us in so many different ways. Importantly, our ability to
effectively address air pollution is fundamental to our pursuit of promoting
sustained economic growth and sustainable development, Our approach in
dealing with pollution issues is, therefore, built around the high priority
accorded by developing countries to economic growth and poverty eradication.
3. The decisions concerning the fight against air/atmosphere pollution
should be guided by the understanding that economic development, social
development and environmental protection are interdependent and mutually
reinforcing components of sustainable development. In this context, G-77
reiterates the continuing relevance and importance of all the Rio principles, in
particular principle 7 on Common but Differentiated Responsibilities.
4. The Chapter 9 of Agenda 21, the JPOI, and the Decision 9/2 adopted by
the CSD-9 on ?Protection of the Atmosphere?, outlines a clear roadmap of
2
actions required at the international, regional and national levels, and indicate
areas where international cooperation is required to effectively combat
air/atmosphere pollution.
5. Air pollution has serious negative impacts on human health, socioeconomic
development, ecosystems and cultural heritage. Urgent and effective
actions are, therefore, required in regard to both indoor air pollution from
traditional biomass cooking and heating and ambient air pollution from all
sources. Indoor air pollution, we believe, must be accorded high priority, as it is
in its worst form, a poverty-related manifestation.
6. Air pollution is also increased by factors such as: natural disasters
including volcanic eruptions, sand storms, desertification and land degradation,
which cause health problems and disrupt peoples? daily lives.
7. Adequate policies must take into consideration the special needs of
developing countries, particularly those in Africa, LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS.
8. We would also like to emphasize the needs of countries emerging from
conflict in the areas of capacity building, technical cooperation and
infrastructure development.
Mr. Chairman,
9. The most important and perhaps the most formidable task before us is to
overcome the inadequacy of financial resources and to secure access to and
transfer of environmentally sound technologies.
3
10. Similarly, we also need to address the challenges of substantial cost of
monitoring and abatement technologies; lack of adequate funding to sustain and
replicate successful demonstration projects; and lack of adequate scientific
research capabilities on the health impacts of many pollutants.
Mr. Chairman,
11. To address the challenges of Air/Atmospheric Pollution, we need to take
actions at all levels. In this regard, Group of 77 and China suggest the following
policy options for consideration by CSD-15:
12. Firstly, we call for enhanced international cooperation that should enable
developing countries to implement national plans and strategies through:
? Modernization of thermal electric power plants;
? Fuel switching ? from biomass and coal to liquid petroleum gas,
biogas or electricity; dissemination of improved cook stoves;
? Establishment, monitoring and enforcement of air quality standards;
? Expanded utilization of renewable energies;
? Capacity-building, research, education and training, and institutional
strengthening in preventing and combating air pollution;
? Improving the compilation, evaluation and analysis of data on the
state of the atmosphere and air pollution and knowledge of
developments in policy-making and planning;
? Development and introduction of cleaner fuels and air pollution
abatement technologies, and the sharing of practices and experiences;
? Transfer of affordable, efficient and environmentally-sound
technologies on favorable terms, including concessional and
preferential terms, as mutually agreed, for cleaner operating vehicles,
traffic management, cleaner fuels, including advanced fossil fuels, and
alternative fuels, including renewable fuels, inter alia, through the
4
involvement of the private sector, in order to address the technological
gap;
? Promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns, with
developed countries taking the lead;
? Identification of financial, technological and institutional barriers and
constraints that we are facing in combating air pollution, especially in
metropolitan areas;
? Promotion of synergies in the implementation of all relevant
multilateral environmental agreements, including the Vienna
Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, the Montreal
Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the UNFCCC,
the CBD and the UNCCD;
? Encouraging Member States, to the extent that they have not yet done
so, to consider ratifying or acceding to the Montreal Protocol and its
amendments;
? Enforcing international control over illegal trade in ozone-depleting
substances, by providing, as appropriate, adequate resources;
? Strengthening systematic observation of the Earth?s atmosphere by
improving ground-based monitoring stations, increased use of
satellites, and appropriate integration of these observations to produce
high-quality data that could be disseminated for the use of all
countries, in particular developing countries;
? Supporting international monitoring programmes, such as the Global
Climate Observing System;
? Supporting existing regional agreements for improved air quality and
control of transboundary air pollution; and encourage countries
affected by transboundary air pollution to cooperate in regional and
sub regional frameworks to reduce transboundary air pollution
involving not only monitoring and abatement but also research and
policy formulation;
? Commissioning studies to improve knowledge on transboundary air
pollution from ozone, particulates and persistent organic pollutants, as
well as on the impacts of air pollution and future risks of different
development pathways;
? Improving methods to quantify and assess air pollution;
5
? Supporting national efforts to discontinue use of inefficient and unvented
cook stoves through expansion of modern energy services such
as improved biomass and cleaner cooking fuels important to mitigate
indoor air pollution;
? Supporting Partnerships for Clean Fuels and Vehicles in our efforts to
complete the global elimination of leaded gasoline and support other
such initiatives, including at national level, aimed at reducing the
sulphur content of vehicle fuels, as well as the emission of serious air
pollutants from other sources;
? Transition to the use of liquid and gaseous fossil fuels and renewable
energy including by creating appropriate investment conditions for
LNG production and utilization to reduce air pollution;
? Development of early warning systems and other cooperative
mechanisms;
? Implementation of social and environmental responsibility at the
corporate level.
Mr. Chairman,
13. Secondly, at the national level, taking into account their respective
national priorities and circumstances, Governments should be encouraged to
consider:
? Improving data compilation and monitoring of air quality;
? Identifying, assessing and addressing the adverse effects of air
pollution on human health, socio-economic development, ecosystems
and cultural heritage;
? Further developing and implementing air quality strategies, which
include air pollution control and air quality management;
? Improving policies that reduce environmental hazards,
? Encouraging policy coordination and integration and the involvement
of all stakeholders;
? Promoting and providing incentives to the dissemination of best
available and affordable techniques to improve air quality;
6
? Enhancing capacity building, institutional strengthening and
involvement of all relevant stakeholders in the work for improved air
quality.
? Promoting clean public transport alternatives;
? Making available an adequate technology to curb burning of garbage
from local heaps and national land fills and outlaws incineration of
garbage emitting toxic fumes;
? Increasing public awareness;
? Adopting regulatory options and possible measures.
? Increasing controls on pollution emissions for transportation vehicles
and industry.
Mr. Chairman,
14. It is our hope that the outcome of the IPM and eventually that of the
CSD-15 will facilitate the implementation of policy options to reduce air
pollution.
I thank you.
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