26 August 2002

Environment Minister To WSSD

Environment Minister Marian Hobbs leaves this afternoon after the Parliamentary swearing in for Johannesburg where she will lead the 29-strong New Zealand delegation to the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

"Air pollution, unsafe water supplies, depleted fish stocks, hazardous waste, plant, bird life and tropical forests threatened by extinction, alarming concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere-- these all demand an international solution," Marian Hobbs said.

"Four core objectives will guide our delegation. We want to position New Zealand as a champion of sustainable development committed to following and developing best practice.

"We will seek the best possible results in key issues for New Zealand and our region such as energy, oceans, small island developing states, poverty eradication, sustainable patterns of production and consumption and trade liberalisation.

"We will share New Zealand experience and update our knowledge of sustainable development best practice and launch partnership initiatives targeted at the needs of developing countries, primarily in our immediate Pacific neighbourhood but also Asia."

The summit runs till September 4 and the Prime Minister Helen Clark will take over as delegation leader from September 2 for the High Level Segment involving heads of state or government.

The delegation includes representatives of civil society, business, local government, Maori and government officials.

Ends

© Scoop Media