Linking poverty reduction with environmental policy

Advisory Council presents recommendation paper for the UN Summit to the federal government

Environmental protection and sustainability have to be integrated more firmly into poverty reduction. Natural resources have to be protected and used in a sustainable way. Otherwise, the environment will not be able to recover, livelihoods are endangered and poverty is exacerbated. Federal Education Minister Bulmahn and Federal Environment Minister Trittin agree with these conclusions drawn by the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WGBU) in its new policy paper. On Thursday in Berlin the Advisory Council presented the federal government with its paper titled "Development needs Environmental Protection: Recommendations for the Millennium + 5 Summit". It points out possibilities for an improved harmonisation of developmental and environmental goals. In September 2005, five years after the Millennium Development Goals were agreed on, the heads of state and government of the world will review development policies worldwide and will discuss policy corrections at the "Millennium + 5 Summit" in New York.

According to Federal Education Minister Bulmahn, scientific analyses and the latest approaches in research are decisive for a sustainable protection of the environment and for a successful reduction of poverty. At the presentation of the policy paper she pointed to the fact that researchers and innovative companies from Germany provided a lot of assistance for global development cooperation. "Germany has a leading position worldwide", said Bulmahn. Examples ranged from successful concepts for early warning systems and integrated water resource management to urban planning for the cities of tomorrow. It was only natural that Germany made its expertise available to other regions. "Everybody should get a chance for development", said Bulmahn.

Federal Environment Minister Jürgen Trittin welcomed the Advisory Council's recommendations for up-grading UN environmental politics: "Only a strong UN Environmental Organisation can be a global advocate for sustainable development. The 21st century will either be the century of irreversible environmental damages or the century of successful global environmental policy. That is why we, together with the EU, call for the UN Summit in September to be the start of a UN founding process." A strong UNEO will be able to successfully defend the interests of environmental protection against partners from the UN as well as against the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the World Bank.

Further information on the policy paper "Development needs Environmental Protection: Recommendations for the Millennium + 5 Summit" is available on the Internet at www.wbgu.de