How do we achieve sustainable development

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I would like to make some points on the question: how do we achieve sustainable development.

The interventions by the key-note speakers this morning have reminded us of the need to take a long-term perspective when we establish our priorities. This is important. However, to come closer to our goal – sustainable development – we need, first of all,

political will. Basically, we have the knowledge, the tools and the instruments required. This means that OECD-countries should give higher priority to the environmental dimension of sustainable development the way we have given/at a par with the priority we have given to economic growth, prosperity and welfare aspects of sustainable development.

Secondly, sustainable development requires as well a global approach and our willingness to give developing countries access to our markets as well as additional resources for technology transfer and capacity building.

-I agree with the opening remarks of the Danish prime minister today, on how we should use the time towards next year's Johannesburg summit to deliver concrete progress in this field.

-The dialogue between finance and environment ministers is important because it is very much on the traditional budget, economic and trade arenas - "the finance ministers' arenas" - that higher priority to environmental concerns should be given.

-The OECD can be a helpful tool in our efforts. Therefore, sustainable development should be an overarching objective for the OECD and the environmental achievements of our countries should be surveyed by the OECD reviewing mechanisms. This means that the elaboration of indicators should have priority.

With political willl, we still have some obstacles to overcome in order to strengthen environmental action. I cannot see any alternative to furthering the work for binding, international cooperation. International agreements with concrete targets and compliance regimes are necessary. The Kyoto-protocol provides the legal framework. We need to start combatting climate change. Further steps will be necessary. But we cannot afford to lose the Kyoto-protocol framework we have worked out during years as the best vehicle to implement the Climate convention and the obligations within the protocol.

The protocol will provide predictable conditions for governments and industries (in their implementation) for the coming years. Some countries, like my own, introduced carbon taxes some years ago. Similar initiatives on a broader international basis would allow us to use them even more efficiently.

Finally : A strong policy for environmental action on the international and national level needs to be strengthened and complemented by new partnerships with local government/authorities, NGO's, trade Unions and business. This will mobilize popular support for the necessary strategies in changing production and consumption patterns, as well as strengthening environmental priorities locally, for instance in the waste sector and concerning energy priorities.