28 August 2002

Sustainable Development Reports Released

Prime Minister Helen Clark and Environment Minister Marian Hobbs today released two government reports related to the government’s attendance at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.

- Towards Sustainable Development in New Zealand is the government’s response to the United Nations on Agenda 21 which was adopted at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992; and
- The Government's Approach to Sustainable Development outlining the government’s present approach to sustainable development as a step towards a New Zealand Sustainable Development Strategy.

Helen Clark said the government is committed to ensuring that New Zealand is at the forefront of international efforts to be economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.

“The central issue is how we achieve sustainable economic growth in a manner which enables us to improve the wellbeing of all our peoples without compromising the quality of the environment.

“We have taken many important steps – such as the decisions to end logging in state-owned indigenous forests and to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, as well as many other social, environmental and economic initiatives – but more needs to be done.

“The reports outline the government's present approach to sustainable development and describes a wide range of activities already underway across the government sector.

"The World Summit on Sustainable Development will help show us where New Zealand stands compared to other countries. After the summit we will review whether there are new issues which New Zealand needs to address," Helen Clark said.

Environment Minister Marian Hobbs is currently in South Africa leading New Zealand's delegation to the Johannesburg summit.

"We will consider the Johannesburg Programme of Action and its implications for New Zealand as we continue to develop the strategy," Marian Hobbs said.

"An important part of this process will be public consultation, giving everyone the opportunity to comment and contribute ideas."

Helen Clark will lead the delegation from September 2 when she attends the summit's ‘High Level Segment’ involving heads of state or government. She will participate in a roundtable discussion convened by the UN Environment Programme and chaired by President Chirac of France.

The reports are available on:
www.beehive.govt.nz/policies.cfm
www.mfe.govt.nz

Ends

© Scoop Media