Brussels, 16/04/2002 (Agence Europe) - Despite the polemic surrounding the Kyoto Protocol, which was exacerbated by Canada during a preparatory meeting on the World Summit on Sustainable Development (see EUROPE yesterday page 10), Margot Wallström, European Commissioner for the Environment welcomed the most recent results from the G8Environment.
"Given the slow progress in the UN preparatory discussions on WSSD…it was useful that G8 Enviroment Ministers were able to agree on some important priorities to take froward. We agreed that it was time to move from words to action", declared Ms Wallström. Amongst the priorities approved by the G8 are: the necessity to make progress wwwork on sustainable water resource management in all countries including halving the number of peole without access to energy and promoting the use and share of renewable energy sources in all countries); Enhancing the protection and sustainable ùmanagement of forests, including action to combat illegallogging and realted trade ; Greater research into the interface between health and the environment, such as establishing an inventory on current research, information exchange and the development of children's environmental health indicators in consultation with relevant organisations, including the WHO and the collaboration with African countries to advance the new partnership in development in their continent.