Home > Press releases > 2002
05 Apr 2002
United Nations, New York:
Friends of the Earth today slammed the UK Government, the EU, and governments
from other industrialised countries for putting big business before
people and the environment during the preparations for this year's "Earth
Summit". The environment group warned that the Johannesburg meeting
looked set to become "the world's largest trade fair",
unless governments seized the opportunity to address the negative aspects
of corporate-led globalisation.
This weekend, the third preparatory meeting for the Earth Summit [1] will draw
to a close at the United Nations headquarters in New York. There is
only one more such meeting prior to the summit itself, due to take place
in Johannesburg, South Africa, in August 2002.
The preparatory meetings are held so that when world leaders arrive in Johannesburg, they are able to sign up to documents that present a clear vision on environment and development issues, and a clear set of actions and initiatives.
With less than five months to go, the proposals are currently big on platitudes
but short on commitments, targets or plans for action. But the documents
do contain detailed references- inserted by the EU, the US, and other
industrialised countries - to the need for "public/private partnerships"
as a way of delivering environmental protection and poverty eradication.
The US has also proposed recognising "the important role that
multinational enterprises play in sustainable development".
If adopted, the existing proposals could pave the way for large environment and development contracts going to the world's largest firms. And yet there is currently no language that will place binding responsibilities or duties on trans-national corporations, with respect to their social and environmental impacts. Instead, the text suggests that “voluntary agreements" with business can achieve this goal.
Friends of the Earth has proposed a binding Corporate Accountability
Convention as a way of ensuring people and the planet come before corporate
profits. The environment group has called on world leaders to seize
the opportunity at the Earth Summit to begin negotiations.
Craig Bennett, Corporates Campaigner for Friends of the Earth said:
"When fat-cat shareholders and financial institutions are hurt
by dodgy corporate dealings - as in the case of Enron - politicians
rush to intervene, demanding prosecutions and tougher laws. But when
it is ordinary people or the environment that suffer, politicians go
for a 'voluntary approach', allowing business as usual.
Now the EU, the US and other rich governments are conspiring to turn
the Earth Summit into the world's largest trade fair. If they get their
way, Blair's beloved public-private partnerships will go global, with
big business dominating almost every aspect of life, from agriculture,
to water provision and education.
They are doing everything to increase the market opportunities available
to big business, but nothing to force them to behave in more responsible
way. While it is important that Prime Minister Tony Blair is going to
Johannesburg, is he going to save the planet, or to bring in the contracts
for big business?"
1. The current meeting in New York started on March 25th and is scheduled
to end on April 5th. It is the third global meeting preparing the Johannesburg
Summit, which takes place from August 26th to September 4th
to review progress made on sustainable development in the 10 years since
the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992. The negotiating text and all
official information can be found at www.johannesburgsummit.org
Contact details:
Friends of the Earth
26-28 Underwood St.
LONDON
N1 7JQ
Tel: 020 7490 1555
Fax: 020 7490 0881
Web: www.foe.co.uk/feedback.html
Media team
