UK pioneers global cooperation to secure the future

Global efforts to achieve social, economic and environmental improvements are being boosted by pioneering agreements spearheaded by Britain, Environment Minister Ian Pearson told an international conference today.

China, India, Brazil, South Africa and Mexico have entered into pioneering sustainable development dialogues with the UK, promoting closer cooperation on issues including climate change, environmental protection, clean energy, reducing poverty, and sustainable consumption and production.

Politicians, business and community leaders, academics and scientists from around the world are attending a two-day event hosted by Defra, discussing how this unique international initiative can help to increase propsperity and improve people's quality of life while protecting the environment.

Mr Pearson said:

“All nations face the challenge of creating growth and improving people's quality of life while minimising damaging impacts on the environment. No nation can meet this challenge alone, so cooperation is required to ensure that efforts are collective, learning is shared and progress achieved.

“Existing global consumption and production patterns are already unsustainable. According to a recent report, if China and India's use of natural resources and pollution levels were to match those of the USA, it would take two planets just to sustain their countries.

“The UK is committed to international sustainable development and has much to learn from these emerging powers in addressing our own home-grown challenges. Our dialogues with China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa, led by Defra in close collaboration with other government departments, are one way in which the UK is working to deliver international commitments.

"Our partners have expanding economies and rising expectations, and their global impact is already significant. But the opportunities for leap-frogging some of the mistakes we have made are significant. This is a new and different partnership of equals committed to learning from each other and acting together to secure a sustainable future.”

For more information go to: www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/international/dialogues.

Notes to editors

Sustainable Development Dialogues (SDDs) were launched in 2005/6 with China, India and Brazil alongside the signing of a letter of intent with Mexico and discussions towards an SDD with South Africa.

These are a series of new innovative partnerships that the UK is establishing with leading emerging powers. The UK's commitment to international sustainable development was emphasized in the UK's Sustainable Development Strategy, published in March 2005. The SDDs are one way in which the UK is working to improve follow-up of international commitments, recognising that no single nation can address the challenges of sustainable development alone.

Led by Defra, in close collaboration with a range of other government departments including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development, the aim of the Dialogues is to place sustainability as a core principle in the bilateral relationship and provide a coherent framework for cooperation using a cross-governmental, multi-level approach.

The conference was organised by Defra and Wilton Park with support from SABMiller plc.

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