Pakistan
I-.
PA
-lowIS AN PERMANENT MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS
8 EAST 65th STREET - NEW YORK, NY 10021 - (212) 879-8600
Check ajainst delivery
STATEMENT
BY
H.E . MR. MALIK AMIN ASLAM
MINISTER OF STATE
FOR ENVIRONMENT OF PAKISTAN IN THE
HIGH LEVEL SEGMENT OF
FOURTEENTH SESSION OF COMMISSION
ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (CSD-14)
New York
May 11, 2006
Statement by H .E . Mr. Malik Amin Aslam, Minister of State
for Environment of Pakistan in the High Level Segment of
Fourteenth Session of Commission on Sustainable Development
(CSD-14) May 11, 2006
Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
Let me at the very outset thank you for your able stewardship of the
deliberations during the Fourteenth Session of the Commission on
Sustainable Development .
2 . Pakistan wishes to associate itself with the statement made by the
distinguished representative of South Africa on behalf of the G-77 and
China .
3 . In the past week, we have had rich discussions on "Energy, climate
change, industrial development and air pollution", all of which are strongly
interlinked with each other and deeply impact the issue of sustainable
development .
4 . Much that we would like to think otherwise, the fact of the matter is
that poverty is still rampant globally and on the rise in some countries and
regions, natural resources are depleting at a rapid pace while natural
disasters and pressures on environment are increasing . What is becoming
increasingly, and uncomfortably, apparent is that environmental issues are
driven by the forces of nature and not by global politics . The impacts of
issues such as climate change, desertification and air pollution are evidently
upon us and are not waiting for the politics to entangle or the economics to
optimize . Moreover, they are now manifesting themselves with increasingly
high and unpredictable costs - borne, in most cases, by some of the most
underdeveloped countries of the world . Clearly, the situation demands a
renewed and enhanced commitment for concerted actions based on concrete
plans .
5 . The leaders at the 2005 World Summit reaffirmed their commitment to
achieving sustainable development through the implementation of agenda 21
and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation by undertaking concrete
actions and measures at all levels .
6 . However, to date, implementation has been the Achilles heel of the
global development agenda . The world showed tremendous stewardship in
reaching global consensus on a number of critical agreements such as the
MEA's, the MDG's and the overall Agenda-21 . Unfortunately, this
collective stewardship has not translated into local action on the ground . The
biggest challenge of sustainability remains implementation - ironically the
implementation of what has already been globally agreed to . Thus, this
present commitment to focus on implementation is, therefore, very essential
and timely .
7 . This commitment has to get transformed into a concrete action plan
supported by a cohesive and coordinated institutionalized structure and
driven by targeted time tables . - most importantly it has to be packaged with
adequate and predictable funding . This path to sustainability is common
sense but as they say "common sense remains the most uncommon
commodity" .
8 . Secondly, the role of the private sector as a driver for sustainable
development has to be seriously explored and fully supported . This is
especially critical for the investments in the energy sector . If we are to
ensure that the future global growth occurs on a cleaner and low-carbon
trajectory we have to incentivise the private sector and make them the
custodians and guardians of a sustainable growth .
9 . This requires a shift in paradigms . Fortunately, it is a shift, which is
already taking place . The global carbon market, incentivised through the
Kyoto market based instruments and driven by the private sector is beginning
to show positive results . Last year, the market grew to a size of about $ 10
billion and almost one third of this occurred through the Clean Development
Mechanism - the size of which was almost Million . This money flowed
into cleaner industrial investments, renewables, efficiency enhancements and
landfill gas projects . The flow of money through the CDM alone in one year
was more than the global multilateral annual flows into the environment
sector. The first CDM project that came to Pakistan last month is almost
50% of our national environmental budget . The stimulus to the private sector
is thus working in the climate arena and this, Mr . Chairman is what we need
to do for furthering the global sustainability agenda . Let the private sector be
its prime driver and let the Government incentivise and regulate it .
2
Mr. Chairman,
10 . Pakistan is a country which is on a rapid growth trajectory . Last year
our economy grew at a rate of 8 .4 % which was second only to China . As we
grow rapidly we are increasingly becoming aware that to translate this
economic growth into a better quality of life for our citizens we have to
remain conscious of the environmental issues . We realize that development
and growth without environmental care is not a sustainable option . The issue
of sustainability is no more an element of choice but a necessary prerequisite
for growth-leading to a better quality of life .
11 . We have advanced the environmental agenda from being a stand-alone
topic to one that identifies itself as an integral element of our national
mainstream development agenda . Our environmental budget last year saw an
increase of 700% and it is now one of the pillars of our future growth with a
clear allocation of funds in our five-year MTDF . Providing clean drinking
water to our population remains a primary target and we are aiming to
provide it to 100% of our population by the end of 2007 . We have also
targeted a growth in CNG for our vehicles and are today the largest user of
natural gas vehicles in Asia . Also, we view renewable energy especially
wind, solar and hydel as prime drivers of our future growth and are inviting
investments through carbon financing for this purpose .
Mr. Chairman,
12 . Finally, I would like to state that there is an urgent need to reopen the
environmental debate on nuclear energy and large dams . Both of these
options have been termed environmental taboo subjects for too long now .
The environmental costs, in terms of climate change, of not using these
options, where available, is extremely high and has considerably risen in the
past decade . In the context of the evidently clear benefits to the climate, it is
now becoming imperative to utilize them as possible pillars of an
environmentally sustainable future .
I thank you .
PA
-lowIS AN PERMANENT MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS
8 EAST 65th STREET - NEW YORK, NY 10021 - (212) 879-8600
Check ajainst delivery
STATEMENT
BY
H.E . MR. MALIK AMIN ASLAM
MINISTER OF STATE
FOR ENVIRONMENT OF PAKISTAN IN THE
HIGH LEVEL SEGMENT OF
FOURTEENTH SESSION OF COMMISSION
ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (CSD-14)
New York
May 11, 2006
Statement by H .E . Mr. Malik Amin Aslam, Minister of State
for Environment of Pakistan in the High Level Segment of
Fourteenth Session of Commission on Sustainable Development
(CSD-14) May 11, 2006
Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
Let me at the very outset thank you for your able stewardship of the
deliberations during the Fourteenth Session of the Commission on
Sustainable Development .
2 . Pakistan wishes to associate itself with the statement made by the
distinguished representative of South Africa on behalf of the G-77 and
China .
3 . In the past week, we have had rich discussions on "Energy, climate
change, industrial development and air pollution", all of which are strongly
interlinked with each other and deeply impact the issue of sustainable
development .
4 . Much that we would like to think otherwise, the fact of the matter is
that poverty is still rampant globally and on the rise in some countries and
regions, natural resources are depleting at a rapid pace while natural
disasters and pressures on environment are increasing . What is becoming
increasingly, and uncomfortably, apparent is that environmental issues are
driven by the forces of nature and not by global politics . The impacts of
issues such as climate change, desertification and air pollution are evidently
upon us and are not waiting for the politics to entangle or the economics to
optimize . Moreover, they are now manifesting themselves with increasingly
high and unpredictable costs - borne, in most cases, by some of the most
underdeveloped countries of the world . Clearly, the situation demands a
renewed and enhanced commitment for concerted actions based on concrete
plans .
5 . The leaders at the 2005 World Summit reaffirmed their commitment to
achieving sustainable development through the implementation of agenda 21
and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation by undertaking concrete
actions and measures at all levels .
6 . However, to date, implementation has been the Achilles heel of the
global development agenda . The world showed tremendous stewardship in
reaching global consensus on a number of critical agreements such as the
MEA's, the MDG's and the overall Agenda-21 . Unfortunately, this
collective stewardship has not translated into local action on the ground . The
biggest challenge of sustainability remains implementation - ironically the
implementation of what has already been globally agreed to . Thus, this
present commitment to focus on implementation is, therefore, very essential
and timely .
7 . This commitment has to get transformed into a concrete action plan
supported by a cohesive and coordinated institutionalized structure and
driven by targeted time tables . - most importantly it has to be packaged with
adequate and predictable funding . This path to sustainability is common
sense but as they say "common sense remains the most uncommon
commodity" .
8 . Secondly, the role of the private sector as a driver for sustainable
development has to be seriously explored and fully supported . This is
especially critical for the investments in the energy sector . If we are to
ensure that the future global growth occurs on a cleaner and low-carbon
trajectory we have to incentivise the private sector and make them the
custodians and guardians of a sustainable growth .
9 . This requires a shift in paradigms . Fortunately, it is a shift, which is
already taking place . The global carbon market, incentivised through the
Kyoto market based instruments and driven by the private sector is beginning
to show positive results . Last year, the market grew to a size of about $ 10
billion and almost one third of this occurred through the Clean Development
Mechanism - the size of which was almost Million . This money flowed
into cleaner industrial investments, renewables, efficiency enhancements and
landfill gas projects . The flow of money through the CDM alone in one year
was more than the global multilateral annual flows into the environment
sector. The first CDM project that came to Pakistan last month is almost
50% of our national environmental budget . The stimulus to the private sector
is thus working in the climate arena and this, Mr . Chairman is what we need
to do for furthering the global sustainability agenda . Let the private sector be
its prime driver and let the Government incentivise and regulate it .
2
Mr. Chairman,
10 . Pakistan is a country which is on a rapid growth trajectory . Last year
our economy grew at a rate of 8 .4 % which was second only to China . As we
grow rapidly we are increasingly becoming aware that to translate this
economic growth into a better quality of life for our citizens we have to
remain conscious of the environmental issues . We realize that development
and growth without environmental care is not a sustainable option . The issue
of sustainability is no more an element of choice but a necessary prerequisite
for growth-leading to a better quality of life .
11 . We have advanced the environmental agenda from being a stand-alone
topic to one that identifies itself as an integral element of our national
mainstream development agenda . Our environmental budget last year saw an
increase of 700% and it is now one of the pillars of our future growth with a
clear allocation of funds in our five-year MTDF . Providing clean drinking
water to our population remains a primary target and we are aiming to
provide it to 100% of our population by the end of 2007 . We have also
targeted a growth in CNG for our vehicles and are today the largest user of
natural gas vehicles in Asia . Also, we view renewable energy especially
wind, solar and hydel as prime drivers of our future growth and are inviting
investments through carbon financing for this purpose .
Mr. Chairman,
12 . Finally, I would like to state that there is an urgent need to reopen the
environmental debate on nuclear energy and large dams . Both of these
options have been termed environmental taboo subjects for too long now .
The environmental costs, in terms of climate change, of not using these
options, where available, is extremely high and has considerably risen in the
past decade . In the context of the evidently clear benefits to the climate, it is
now becoming imperative to utilize them as possible pillars of an
environmentally sustainable future .
I thank you .
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