Environment Secretary David Miliband welcomes DFID's White Paper

Welcoming the Department for International Development's White Paper today, Environment Secretary David Miliband said:

"Rather than dealing with the environment as a separate issue from international development or viewing it as a brake on economic growth, this White Paper makes clear that environmental degradation, such as soil loss or water pollution, hit the poorest hardest. Conversely, good management of natural resources like air and water, forests, land and soil goes hand in hand with development, provides the basis for sustainable economic growth, and can be central to conflict prevention or resolution.

"One of the most urgent and largest environmental challenges is of course climate change. We will need to work closely with developing countries on adapting to climate change and on establishing a long-term international framework and goal to avoid dangerous levels of climate change. The Government supports investment in the developing world through the Clean Development Mechanism. So far UK project participants have invested in 75 projects around the world to help lower greenhouse gas emissions and encourage energy efficiency and greater use of renewables.

"Defra will continue to work jointly with DFID and other departments to tackle such challenges in a way that delivers environmental sustainability, economic growth and social justice. This includes reducing the harmful impacts of UK consumption and production on developing countries and the global environment and assisting rapidly developing countries such as China, India and Brazil to make the transition to sustainable growth."

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