SUMMIT BULLETIN ********************************************************** Delhi Sustainable Development Summit 2001 8 February 2001 *********************************************************** For daily live / on-demand multimedia coverage of the Summit, visit TERI web site at http://www.teriin.org/dsds *********************************************************** In this issue: 1. The inauguration... 2. From the Director, TERI... 3. As they said it... Keynote address Mr Maurice Strong Keynote address 2: Mr Michael Zammit Cutajar Plenary session 1: Poverty and Sustainable Development Keynote address 3: Mr Mark Malloch Brown Dinner address: Dr Antonio V del Rosario *********************************************************** 1. The inauguration... *********************************************************** The DSDS (Delhi Sustainable Development Summit) commenced with the arrival of the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His arrival was followed by a presentation on the themes of the DSDS 2001 by Dr R K Pachauri, Director, TERI. Dr A Ramachandran, Chairman, TERI then welcomed the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India and other distinguished guests to the summit. Mr Mark Malloch Brown, UN Under Secretary-General and Administrator, United Nations Development Programme, USA, began his address by referring to the recent devastation in Gujarat caused by earthquakes. Mr Maurice Strong, President, United Nations University for Peace, Costa Rica, then delivered the keynote address. The Hon'ble Prime Minister of India released DISHA, a major publication by TERI. Then came the moment that everyone was eagerly awaiting -the inaugural address by the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He emphasized the point that 'development has to be sustainable, otherwise it cannot be called development at all'. The inaugural session ended with a vote of thanks by Dr R K Pachauri. Web:http://www.teriin.org/dsds/webcast/day1/inaug.htm ******************************************************** 2. From the Director, TERI... ******************************************************** There was so much richness and intellectual excellence in the presentations today that it would be difficult to pick out a single point that could be treated as the highlight of the day. However, I feel tempted to highlight two points from today's proceedings. The first was the point made by our Hon'ble Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, when he made a valid comparison between someone living in a rural setting and a counterpart living in an urban slum. Even though the latter may get a higher monetary income, is he really happier than his rural cousin? It is vitally important that we look at poverty within a larger context that goes beyond income, and link it with the quality of life. The second point that I would like to highlight is Ambassador Walter Fust's statement about how efforts to remove poverty could actually become an engine of growth. If we look at interventions, say in improving energy efficiency or reducing environmental damage in the production process, we find that in most cases this set of narrow objectives actually resulted in much larger productivity gains than anticipated. In similar fashion, perhaps, we have been much too defensive in implementing poverty-alleviation measures, merely looking at the outcome as the removal of poverty. In actual fact, poor areas could also prosper, once the capability and capacity for sustainable growth and development has been established. Perhaps we should redefine our poverty-alleviation strategies as prosperity-creating efforts in the light of Ambassador Walter Fust's statement. *********************************************************** 3. As they said it... *********************************************************** "India has been one of the most influential nations in championing the cause of the developing countries." Mr Maurice Strong, President, United Nations University for Peace, Costa Rica "Foresight is cheaper than hindsight." Dr Maritta B Koch-Weser, former Director General, The World Conservation Union, Switzerland *********************************************************** 4. Keynote address 1: Mr Maurice Strong *********************************************************** Mr Maurice Strong expressed his admiration for India's role in bringing the perspective of developing countries into focus in various summits on environment and development. Noting that the rapid growth achieved by India and China would make the concept of G-7 irrelevant, Mr Strong nevertheless cautioned against equating growth with human development and said that developing countries should create their own models of development and not replicate western ones. India, he said, was very advantageously situated in this respect with its diversity of resources, and its institutional commitment to R&D, education, and science and technology. He held that providing food to an increasing population and coping with water scarcity would be critical to India's future development. Mr Strong urged countries of the North to critically analyse their consumption patterns. He said that there has to be more efficient use of energy coupled with viable alternatives, through effective international cooperation. Web:http://www.teriin.org/dsds/webcast/day1/keynote1.htm *********************************************************** 5. Keynote address 2: Mr Michael Zammit Cutajar *********************************************************** The session focused on the need to resolve problems, bridge differences, and work to preserve the environment against the effects of climate change. Mr Cutajar discussed the linkages among climate change, vulnerability to disasters, and poverty. He said that the impact of climate change will be felt more by the poor, who are least able to adapt, and, hence, introduce a new element of inequity into our world. Though international negotiations to address the challenge of climate change have ended in an impasse and despite the complexity of the issues and the inadequacy of political will to confront them, there are encouraging signs such as corporate interest in becoming the driver of green innovation. Mr Cutajar called upon developing countries to take the lead in exploring qualitative emissions reduction commitments based on per capita considerations consistent with their economic and social priorities and dependent on demonstrable progress by developed countries. Dr Sujata Gupta analysed the key issues arising from the negotiations, and hoped some headway would be made at the resumed session of COP-6. Web:http://www.teriin.org/dsds/webcast/day1/keynote2.htm ************************************************************* 6. Plenary session 1: Poverty and Sustainable Development ************************************************************* The session highlighted the concept of poverty beyond material deprivation and emphasized the role of participatory development, technology, effective governance, and management of natural capital in fighting poverty. Dr Emil Salim raised the concern that economic growth has been at the cost of environmental degradation and has widened inequalities. He contended that global institutional frameworks like the IMF and World Bank should play a proactive role in poverty reduction through trade, capital flows, conflict resolution, disease prevention, and development assistance. Referring to the inability of economic growth to ensure poverty reduction, Dr K Venkatasubramanian described the challenge as one of tackling 'poverty in the midst of plenty'. He emphasized the need to empower the poor, especially women, who are the most vulnerable. Mr L C Jain described the food situation in India as one of 'full warehouses and empty stomachs'. He called for abandoning the top-down approach to development planning and said that the poor should be at the centre of planning and decision-making. Dr Maritta B Koch-Weser referred to gaps in the present international assistance system, citing examples from four important aspects of natural resource management: sustainable management of natural resources, long-term sustained flow of finances for maintenance of protected areas and world heritage, foresight in natural resource management, and the commitment of local civil society. Dr Pachauri said that biotechnology, information technology, renewable energy technology, and efficient resource management can be applied for the benefit of the poor. Web:http://www.teriin.org/dsds/webcast/day1/plenary.htm ******************************************************** 7. Keynote address 3: Mr Mark Malloch Brown ******************************************************** Mr Mark Malloch Brown pointed out that one of the challenges of the new millennium is to simultaneously address the issues of tackling poverty and environmental risks. He said that the poor should be made participants in improving their condition and protecting the environment. Another critical issue, he pointed out, is to achieve sustainable energy. An estimated 60% of Indian households still use biomass as a primary cooking fuel. The resulting respiratory diseases cause as many as 500,000 premature deaths annually-mainly women and infants. According to Mr Brown the solution to this problem lies not in increasing the supply of fuels or electricity but rather on improving the level of energy services. Mr Brown concluded by emphasizing the need for faster global technology flows in fields like information and communication technology and pharmaceuticals that can have a huge catalytic impact on development. Web:http://www.teriin.org/dsds/webcast/day1/keynote3.htm ******************************************************* 8. Dinner address: Dr Antonio V del Rosario ******************************************************* The dinner session began with an MoU (memorandum of understanding) signed between TERI and CH2M Hill Canada Limited, a leading environmental professional organization of Canada. Signing the MoU with Dr R K Pachauri, Mr Maurice Strong said this agreement between a commercial organization and a not-for-profit institution was the perfect example of a private-public partnership that manifested a practical commitment to sustainable development. Mr R Andrigo, Canadian Deputy High Commissioner to India, added that collaboration between Canada and India would greatly help improve the global environmental conditions. Later, Mr S L Rao, former Chairman, Central Electricity Regulatory Commission, hoped the conference would answer questions about how to eliminate poverty and have sustainable development in a developing-country democracy. Mr A V del Rosario, Chairman, World Energy Council, talked about the acceptability, availability, and affordability of energy to rural population. He talked about how the WEC efforts to provide energy to the rural poor at affordable prices conflict with the sustainable development criteria of accounting for the full costs of energy. Web:http://www.teriin.org/dsds/webcast/day1/dinner.htm ***********************************************************************