Johannesburg sets targets for sustainable development

Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Environment press release 5 September, 2002

Leaders of over 100 countries attending the final session of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, 4 August, adopted a Plan of Implementation for the eradication of poverty. The plan commits countries to the more sustainable use of natural resources, changes in production and consumption habits and the more fair regulation of globalisation. The closing of the Johannesburg Summit also saw the adoption of a declaration by national leaders that challenges peoples and organisations to take common responsibility and act in partnership to carry out the Plan of Implementation. In addition a large package of new partnerships were announced, in which different actors in addition to governments, such as businesses, organizations, local authorities and scientific bodies committed themselves to furthering sustainable development.

Finland considers the Plan of Implementation worked out at the negotiations reasonable. The majority of the suggestions put forward by Finland and the EU at the Summit negotiations were accepted. Environment Minister Jouni Backman says that the agreement reached on the preparation of a 10-year framework programme concerning changes to production and consumption patterns is important for Finland. The initiative for the framework plan was proposed by Finland.

The 157-point Plan of Implementation contains commitments on nine areas of sustainable development. The main emphasis is on practical action, including halving poverty worldwide by 2015. By this date, the plan seeks to halve the numbers of people without access to clean water and proper sanitation. Also, poverty cannot be eliminated without reliable and cheap energy.

Mr Backman regretted that no timeframes or limits were set for increasing the use of renewable energy resources. Nevertheless, he believes that the practical approach of the plan creates good prerequisites to promote sustainable development at all levels. The plan emphasises that urgent action could be taken to further increase the use of clean and renewable energy, and it stresses that such action should be developed. It was important that the EU decided to increase the renewable energy share of overall energy production and to get as many other countries as possible behind the commitment. Backing for the proposal came already in Johannesburg from EU applicant countries plus Island, Norway, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the Alliance of Small Island States. Support for the initiative was expressed by Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uganda.

“Many sustainable development targets were defined at the Johannesburg Summit. But the main work lies ahead: carrying out the commitments and affirming the goals demand massive efforts by all parties,” said the Foreign Ministry Ambassador for Sustainable Development Taisto Huimasalo at closing session of the Summit.

Practical targets for sustainable development work

The Plan of Implementation also aims to improve saving on the use of natural resources and change current production and consumption practices to make them more sustainable, especially in industrialised countries. The priority goal of the 10-year framework programme to bring about change in production and consumption habits is to sever the link between industrial growth and the consumption of natural resources. This can be achieved, for instance, by increasing ecological effectiveness – to produce more by using less.

In the Plan of Implementation countries commit themselves to halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010, to stop the reduction of fisheries by 2015 and to reduce significantly the amounts of chemicals hazardous to health and the environment by 2020. The plan also includes measures to halt illegal logging especially in developing countries.

The plan also includes commitments on health promotion, strengthening Africa’s sustainable development and the development to ways to control globalisation. It also stresses measures related to trade, financing and good governance. These comply with the programme adopted by the World Trade Organisation at Doha in 2001 and the final document UN conference on development financing held in Monterrey in Spring 2002.

The Finnish delegation to the Summit was led by President Tarja Halonen. Environment Minister Jouni Backman led the Finnish team at the negotiations on the Plan of Implememtation. The Minister for Development Cooperation Suvi-Anne Siimes and the Foreign Trade Minister Jari Vilén also took part in the Summit. The official delegation comprised 45 members and an equal number of experts representing local authorities, business, NGO and other bodies. The delegation members took an active part in the many parallel events as well as in the negotiations and in drawing up and presenting Finland’s position. NGOs and the delegations of other countries took a positive interest in the working methods of the Finnish delegation.

For further information contact:
Ambassador for Sustainable Development Taisto Huimasalo, Foreign Ministry, mobile phone: 040 759 8816
Head of international affairs Aira Kalela, Ministry of Environment, mobile phone: 040 506 1175

Declaration (pdf)(Link to another website.)

Plan of Imlementation (pdf)(Link to another website.)