Ministry of Environment, Norway

State Secretary Bernt Bull

Environmental Programme for Europe.

THE SOFIA CONFERENCE
SESSION 4:
23-25 October 1995

I welcome the support that countries and organizations have given to the follow up and enrichment of the working programme on sustainable production and consumption that was adopted by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development in New York this spring.

The Sofia Conference gives us a chance to adopt measures to carry out this programme in our region. In session 3 we discussed sustainable production. We agreed that industry must use raw materials and energy in the most efficient way. Eco-Efficiency can save money as well as environmental values.

To achieve this is important, but it may not be enough. For a fragile climatic balance, for species on the brink of extinction or for a river threatened by irreversible acidification, the best available technology may still not be good enough. If the world gets another billion cars, cutting energy use by a factor of ten will not be enough. If the world gets another 5 billion people needing reasonable living conditions, we must reexamine consumption as well as production.

We should redouble our efforts to avoid an overpopulated world, but until we succeed in this we must provide for our own populations. A focus on end-use efficiency will buy us time. If we choose to do this, it will mean adoption of Green taxes and Green procurement policies. It will mean ensuring the greening of each sector of the economy and to have open and forthright information to the public on why policies need to be changed.

This is difficult and will take time. As a small step forward I invite all of you to cooperate in establishing a pilot project for green procurement. I know there are several Governments here who wish to take part and I hope that industry, labour and environmental organizations can join us. If we succeed in greening the consumption of governments we can create a powerful force for change.

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Lagt inn 23 oktober 1995 av Statens forvaltningstjeneste, ODIN-redaksjonen