South Africa
SOUTH AFRICA
CSD15 THEME: AIR POLLUTION
Intergovernmental Planning Meeting
New York 28 February 2007
Mr. Chairman, South Africa fully supports the statement made by Pakistan on
behalf of G77 and China.
It is our view that in order for us to achieve the Sustainable Development goals
as outlined in Agenda 21 as well the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, it is
imperative that we find effective ways to address air pollution at national, regional
and sub-regional levels in an integrated manner as the other three thematic
areas have a bearing on air pollution. This requires the involvement and
commitment of all stakeholders, including at international level.
For us in developing countries, air pollution is closely inter-linked with poverty.
Indoor air pollution has been identified as one of the major causes of respiratory
ailments among women and children in developing countries, particularly in rural
areas where access to clean and affordable energy is virtually absent. In the
promotion the sustainable livelihoods of these vulnerable groups, it is therefore
important to ensure supply of technologies and fuels which will enhance the
quality of their lives.
In urban areas, unregulated emissions from vehicles using high sulphur fuels as
well as lead containing petrol coupled with dangerous industrial emissions
contribute to the public health burden of developing countries caused by air
pollution. In all these instances it is the poor who find themselves at the receiving
end of this problem, as they do not have the necessary resources to choose
where they live, nor the resources to meet the medical costs associated with the
impacts of air pollution.
While the design of policies and strategies to combat air pollution is an essential
step, the impacts of these often come to naught if not backed by the necessary
technical and financial resources to ensure their effective implementation. It is in
this regard that we call on developed countries in line with the principle of equal
but differentiated responsibility, to show real commitment by taking concrete
steps to facilitate access by developing countries to environmentally sound
technologies, for minimizing air pollution, as well as the transfer of know-how with
respect to the use of such technologies. One such example is the promotion of
research at national and regional levels aimed at quantifying the contribution to
air pollution by various sectors, such as transport and industry, and their impacts
on human health.
In addition, financial assistance to developing countries on favourable terms with
respect to implementation of policies at national level should be seen as a critical
factor in the fight against air pollution and its attendant social and economic
impacts.
Assistance in transferring know-how with respect to advanced energy
technologies as well as clean fuels and renewable energy technologies for both
vehicles and domestic cooking and space heating is of critical importance.
While South Africa has successfully eliminated the use of lead in gasoline, there
is a strong need to strengthen the support of the Partnership for Clean Fuels and
Vehicles in other developing countries in order for it to complete the good work
aimed at the global elimination of leaded gasoline, as well as other initiatives
aimed at reducing sulphur in fuels.
We recognize that air pollution is a trans-boundary issue and therefore needs to
be addressed not only at national level but at regional and international levels. To
this end there is an urgent need for assistance in the harmonization of policies
and standards on air pollution. Partnerships between scientist and experts in
developing countries and their counterparts in the developed countries must be
encouraged, especially in the areas of developing ambient and emission
standards and guidelines.
CSD15 THEME: AIR POLLUTION
Intergovernmental Planning Meeting
New York 28 February 2007
Mr. Chairman, South Africa fully supports the statement made by Pakistan on
behalf of G77 and China.
It is our view that in order for us to achieve the Sustainable Development goals
as outlined in Agenda 21 as well the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, it is
imperative that we find effective ways to address air pollution at national, regional
and sub-regional levels in an integrated manner as the other three thematic
areas have a bearing on air pollution. This requires the involvement and
commitment of all stakeholders, including at international level.
For us in developing countries, air pollution is closely inter-linked with poverty.
Indoor air pollution has been identified as one of the major causes of respiratory
ailments among women and children in developing countries, particularly in rural
areas where access to clean and affordable energy is virtually absent. In the
promotion the sustainable livelihoods of these vulnerable groups, it is therefore
important to ensure supply of technologies and fuels which will enhance the
quality of their lives.
In urban areas, unregulated emissions from vehicles using high sulphur fuels as
well as lead containing petrol coupled with dangerous industrial emissions
contribute to the public health burden of developing countries caused by air
pollution. In all these instances it is the poor who find themselves at the receiving
end of this problem, as they do not have the necessary resources to choose
where they live, nor the resources to meet the medical costs associated with the
impacts of air pollution.
While the design of policies and strategies to combat air pollution is an essential
step, the impacts of these often come to naught if not backed by the necessary
technical and financial resources to ensure their effective implementation. It is in
this regard that we call on developed countries in line with the principle of equal
but differentiated responsibility, to show real commitment by taking concrete
steps to facilitate access by developing countries to environmentally sound
technologies, for minimizing air pollution, as well as the transfer of know-how with
respect to the use of such technologies. One such example is the promotion of
research at national and regional levels aimed at quantifying the contribution to
air pollution by various sectors, such as transport and industry, and their impacts
on human health.
In addition, financial assistance to developing countries on favourable terms with
respect to implementation of policies at national level should be seen as a critical
factor in the fight against air pollution and its attendant social and economic
impacts.
Assistance in transferring know-how with respect to advanced energy
technologies as well as clean fuels and renewable energy technologies for both
vehicles and domestic cooking and space heating is of critical importance.
While South Africa has successfully eliminated the use of lead in gasoline, there
is a strong need to strengthen the support of the Partnership for Clean Fuels and
Vehicles in other developing countries in order for it to complete the good work
aimed at the global elimination of leaded gasoline, as well as other initiatives
aimed at reducing sulphur in fuels.
We recognize that air pollution is a trans-boundary issue and therefore needs to
be addressed not only at national level but at regional and international levels. To
this end there is an urgent need for assistance in the harmonization of policies
and standards on air pollution. Partnerships between scientist and experts in
developing countries and their counterparts in the developed countries must be
encouraged, especially in the areas of developing ambient and emission
standards and guidelines.
Stakeholders