Valuing the Environment
JOHN GUMMER
calls for a mobilization of moral vision and changed
lifestyle to forestall 'environmental winter'
When the Barbarians were at the
gates of Rome, and it appeared that everything that people had taken for
granted was about to be destroyed, St Benedict sought to maintain that
which was most threatened. He swore his monks to a threefold vow - not of
poverty, chastity and obedience, but of poverty, chastity and stability.
They committed their allegiance, not to a leader, nor to an organization,
but to a particular place. That was essential at a time of tempestuous
change. However, throughout history, human beings have drawn strength from
their roots. They need the security of belonging somewhere.
Of course, roots can also be restrictive. They can confine opportunities
and confound ambitions. But if civilization is to flower and offer us the
chance to develop our full potential it needs healthy and well-nourished
roots. A society which does not grow will not be able to satisfy many
basic human needs. 'Sustainable development' is a recent and much
misunderstood term. But at its heart is an ancient article of faith: that
without a moral vision our material capabilities will destroy us.
The stakes are very high. At worst is the Domesday scenario predicted by
some: population overload, complete climate change, destruction of our
natural habitats and massive extinction of species, desertification, gross
pollution of our rivers and seas - even of the air we breathe. Only the
optimism of faith prevents me from sharing that pessimism; I believe that
we will find a way through, but to do so will mean engaging huge numbers
of people in effective remedial action. We must all begin to recognize our
vulnerability. Pressures on our non-renewable resources were graphically
underlined by the first oil crisis; and now it seems our renewable
resources face perhaps the greatest risk from overconsumption -
particularly those like the oceans, which are in common ownership and thus
apparently the responsibility of no one.
A global concern
And we are all in this together. The need to encompass population growth
and other demographic changes and to develop more sustainable consumption
and production patterns is a problem for the industrialized world as much
as for the developing one. In England, with close to zero population
growth, our most recent household projections indicate that we may well
need some 4.4 million more homes over the next 20 years to cater for more
single-parent households, created by the welcome factor of longevity and
the deeply destructive increase in marriage breakdown. How far can we
accommodate that extra housing? How do we use existing urban areas in ways
which improve the quality of our towns and cities? Do we also have to
decide between expanding existing urban areas or building new towns and
villages? HABITAT II is therefore just as important for us in informing
our decisions as it is for other less developed nations.
Effective stewardship of the world is not only an economic imperative, but
also a moral one. At Rio the international community recognized the need
to bring a halt to the damage to the environment. For example, we need to
ensure that everyone has access to water that is fit to drink. We need to
limit climate change so that we can all continue to enjoy and profit both
spiritually and economically from a world whose landscapes and wildlife we
recognize and value. But we need to get the message across that the damage
that is occurring is not just the result of greed by people bent on making
a fast buck; nor even just of the indifference of politicians. Pressures
on the environment are the result of the individual choices that millions
of people make every day about the way they lead their lives, the demands
they make on resources and the waste they generate. Environmental
protection and enhancement is therefore more a matter of changing
lifestyles than making declarations or passing laws.
As leaders we have a moral duty both to ensure that everyone understands
the consequences of their decisions and to develop a clear view of the
action necessary to achieve the environmental standards which are demanded
by many. A recent survey showed that 82 per cent of people in the United
Kingdom are concerned about the loss of our plants and animals. We need to
convert such concern - which is better developed and articulated in some
parts of the world than others - into an informed commitment to take
effective remedial and preventative action. Understand too what we mean by
the slogan 'think globally, act locally' - for example, that if
individuals want to tackle climate change, they must use energy
efficiently - and that this starts from measures as easy and painless as
switching off unnecessary lights. Other changes will be much harder, and
perhaps the toughest for the developed and the fast-developing world will
be to bring individuals to understand that they too must cut their own use
of the car and not simply expect others to do so. Whilst we have already
had some success in changing public attitudes - to smoking, drink-driving
and so on - governments have little experience in bringing about the
degree of change that is required to attain sustainable development. But
unless people start to change their lifestyles and begin to express
different values through the way they choose to lead their lives, it will
not be possible for politicians and business people to halt the pressures
on the environment.
UNEP's pivotal role
I see a crucial role for the United Nations here, given the global
dimension of the issues and the moral authority that the organization
brings. Since Rio, the United Kingdom has worked hard with colleagues in
international fora, such as the Framework Convention on Climate Change and
the annual sessions of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), to
develop consensus between North and South. This sort of cooperation is
essential if we are to continue to make progress. And in this, UNEP has an
absolutely pivotal role to play in bringing to bear its expertise and in
developing into a global environmental monitor and voice, helping to
catalyse effective government action.
Regulation, economic instruments and voluntary measures also have a role
to play, provided we can find the right mix. Price signals and other
market mechanisms offer a way of changing the behaviour of industry and
individuals to take account of environmental costs and benefits. Ecolabels
allow consumers to make more informed choices about products, and
voluntary management schemes help businesses demonstrate their performance
to customers and the public. Environmental education and training are
vitally important in influencing future patterns of behaviour and once
people understand the benefits of sustainable development action, they may
be spurred to become more energy efficient or to recycle waste. We need to
develop mechanisms that deliver agreements to which everyone (industry,
the voluntary sector and the general public, as well as government and
international bodies) can sign up.
Thinking green
To help get this message across to the
British public after Rio, I set up the campaigning organization, Going for
Green. In February last year it launched a campaign to reduce land, air
and water pollution; create, protect and improve local environments; and
reduce demands on precious resources by encouraging individuals to think
green in their daily lives. A green code has been issued to show what
simple steps can be taken to improve the environment and pilot projects
set up to measure and thereby improve the effectiveness of its campaigns.
I am eager to promote a deeper understanding of the complex interplay
between the issues raised by sustainable development. I was therefore
delighted to be able to publish what I believe to be the first set of
national sustainable development indicators. Indicators of sustainable
development for the United Kingdom is designed to help inform
businesses and individuals, as well as government and policy makers, of
the ways in which the environment is changing and how this is linked to
economic development. Some show positive trends. For example, since 1970,
primary energy consumption has remained broadly stable while the economy
has grown by 60 per cent; as a result the energy ratio has followed a
generally downward trend over the last 25 years. On the other hand, the
average journey length for commuting has increased by 40 per cent, for
shopping by 35 per cent and for taking children to school by 40 per cent
over the last 20 years. Such indicators are not a substitute for the more
detailed analyses required for policy formulation. Yet if we cannot
measure we cannot deliver. We can all become overloaded with data and miss
the key messages in the wealth of environmental, economic and social
statistics that exist. The indicators aim to highlight the main issues and
trends, and help us to consider how our own actions have an effect on the
environment.
By highlighting the main trends, the indicators can help to shape
policies. But they can only form part of a wider strategy; we must carry
on revising and refining these policies, so that our economy can continue
to grow in a way that does not cheat on our children. In the United
Kingdom, the Government's Annual Report on sustainable development and the
environment is a valuable means of auditing performance, publicizing new
policies and setting priorities. At the international level, the CSD
offers an important forum to maintain the momentum for action and the 1997
meeting of the General Assembly will require us all to take stock of our
own action and of global progress.
Sustainable development presents the world with a huge challenge. But I
take comfort from the example of St. Benedict. He and his followers kept
civilization alive throughout the Dark Ages. As we approach the new
millennium, the Barbarians of an environmental winter are at our gates. We
can drive them back only if we mobilize whole populations to commit
themselves to the battle for sustainable development.
The Rt Hon John Gummer MP is Secretary of State for the Environment in
the United Kingdom.
