XN000022-1993-04-24 — Page 5

SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 1993

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FUTURE EARTH.

EARTH

WHILE WE CAN BE PROUD OF BOTH OUR PAST SUCCESS AND OUR COMMITMENT TO DOING OUR PART TO PRESERVE OUR CORNER OF PLANET WE CANNOT BE COMPLACENT. WE NEED TO TAKE A STEP FURTHER. THE SUMMIT HELD IN RIO DE JANEIRO LAST YEAR MADE THIS CLEAR. THE WORLD COMMUNITY HAS TO GO BEYOND CONTROLLING POLLUTION AND PRESERVING RESOURCES IMPORTANT THOUGH THESE ARE. WE HAVE TO BROADEN OUR FOCUS TO INCLUDE THE CONCEPT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. IT'S NOT AN EASY ONE TO DEFINE BUT THE CHAIRMAN OF THE WORLD COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENT, GROS BRUNDTLANDT MADE A GOOD STAB AT IT WHEN SHE SAID THAT SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IS "DEVELOPMENT THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE PRESENT WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE ABILITY OF FUTURE GENERATIONS TO MEET THEIR OWN NEEDS."

AND THIS OF COURSE BRINGS US BACK TO WHERE I STARTED THIS MORNING. LOOKED AFTER CAREFULLY, OUR PLANET WILL BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN OUR CHILDREN AND OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN. TO DO THIS WE NEED TO MAKE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS PART AND PARCEL OF OUR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DECISION MAKING,

HERE IN HONG KONG WE WILL RISE TO THIS CHALLENGE, WE WILL TURN TALK INTO ACTION, PLANS INTO REALITY. WE WILL FOR EXAMPLE FIRST OF ALL FURTHER PROMOTE THE EFFICIENT USE OF ENERGY SO AS TO REDUCE THE EFFECT OF GREENHOUSE GASES ON OUR CLIMATE. SECOND WE INTENT ΤΟ ENCOURAGE CONTRACTORS TO USE ALTERNATIVES TO HARD WOOD ON THEIR SITES SO AS TO REDUCE THE DECIMATION OF THE WORLD'S FORESTS AND THIRD WE INTEND TO PURSUE THE INTRODUCTION OF THE POLLUTER PAYS PRINCIPLE. THIS WON'T BE EASY. MOST PEOPLE FIND THE PRINCIPLE LAUDABLE UNTIL THEY'RE ACTUALLY ASKED ΤΟ PAY. WE WILL NEED ΤΟ ENCOURAGE OUR COMMUNITY TO SEE THAT IT IS IN THEIR INTERESTS TO PAY AND PLAY THEIR PART.

WHILE GOVERNMENT SHOULD AND WILL TAKE THE LEAD ON THIS, EVERYONE CAN MAKE A CONTRIBUTION, FROM THE HOUSEWIFE WHO USES FEWER PLASTIC BAGS TO THE INDUSTRIALIST WHO INSTALLS CLEAN TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT IN HIS OR HER FACTORY. FROM THE OFFICE WORKER WHO RECYCLES PAPER TO THE DEVELOPER WHO BUILDS ENERGY EFFICIENT BUILDINGS. SOME OF THESE THINGS MIGHT SOUND TRIVIAL BUT ALL OF THEM MAKE A DIFFERENCE. AND WORKING TOGETHER WE CAN SUCCEED.

WHEN I WAS SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, I SOMETIMES USED то THINK THAT JETTING ROUND AS WE WERE FROM ONE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE то ANOTHER AND DELIVERING AS MUCH HOT AIR AS WE DID IN ONE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AFTER ANOTHER, WE WERE COLLECTIVELY LIKELY TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A GOOD DEAL OF THE GLOBAL WARMING WHICH WE WERE PLEDGED TO REDUCE AND I'D BETTER TAKE DUE NOTE OF THAT THIS MORNING.

BUT I DO WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH ONE THOUGHT. I WAS ONCE AGAIN YESTERDAY AFTERNOON IN A PRIMARY SCHOOL, IN A JUNIOR SCHOOL AND REMINDED BY THE PICTURES ON THE WALLS OF HOW TO OUR CHILDREN AND THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE SO LUCKY TO OUR GRANDCHILDREN THE WHOLE ISSUE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION COMES ENTIRELY NATURALLY. THEY'VE ALL GOT THEIR ORDER OF PRIORITIES. IT'S NOT VERY SURPRISING BECAUSE IT'S THEIR WORLD THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PROTECTING. THE WORLD IN WHICH THERE GOING TO BE GROWING WORLD IN WHICH THERE GOING IN DUE COURSE TO BE HAVING GRANDCHILDREN OF THEIR OWN.

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