PRIME MINISTER 18/ 92
STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P J KEATING, MP
ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT REPORTS ON GREENHOUSE
AND INTERSECTORAL ISSUES
The Ecologically Sustainable Development ( ESD) reports on
Greenhouse and intersectoral Issues were tabled in
Parliament and released publicly today. This follows, and
complements, the release of the ESD Working Groups' sectoral
reports on 2 December 1991.
The Greenhouse Report was commissioned in November 1990
following the Government's decision to adopt an interim
planning target to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
At the time, the Government observed the need for additional
work to assess the costs and benefits of possible greenhouse
response measures, in line with its undertaking not to take
actions that would have net adverse impacts on the economy
or on Australia's trade competitiveness, in the absence of
similar action by major greenhouse gas producing countries.
The ESD Greenhouse Report draws together the work of the
nine ESD Working Groups in identifying options for reducing
greenhouse gas emissions and provides the Chairs' advice on
a range of cost effective options which could be implemented
by governments in seeking to achieve the interim planning
target. The Intersectoral Issues Report was prepared separately by
the ESD Chairs, drawing on the expert input from ESD Working
Group and wo: ckshop participants, consultants and other
interest groups. It highlights the importance of an
integrated, system-wide approach to the successful
implementation of ESD policies. Many of the issues dealt
with are inherently complex but nevertheless fundamental to
consideration of ESD policies.
The presentation of these two reports marks a milestone in
the ESD process the completion of the Working Group phase.
The challenge now for governments, and the wider community,
is to examine and build on these reports in developing new
policies and processes which will move us towards
ecologically sustainable development.
The Government intends to develop effective mechanisms for
ongoing community consultation as a key element of its
response to the ESD process. These mechanisms will include
further roundtable meetings to discuss implementation of ESI)
policies. The Government considers that, as with the ESD Working Group
reports, the two reports released today will contribute
significantly to the initial national strategies for
Ecologically Sustainable Development and Greenhouse response
which are in the process of being developed.
I thank the Chairs, Dr Roy Green, Professor Stuart Harris
and Professo David Throsby, for their efforts throughout
the ESD process and for these reports. I also wish to thank
the many individuals and organisations who devoted their
time and expertise to the ESD process at every stage.
CANBERRA FEBRUARY 25 1992