Archived press release

Leadership needed for earth summit

24 August 2002

The UK still has time to provide political leadership to make the Earth Summit a success Friends of the Earth said today in response to a downbeat interview in today’s Financial Times with Margaret Beckett.

Margaret Beckett, who will be the only UK Minister at the talks for the duration of the Summit, said that:

• She was worried that the Summit would lead to exhortations rather than concrete results.
  FOE says - The UK itself has been pushing for voluntary controls on big business rather than binding agreements. Friends of the Earth has been leading a coalition of environment and development groups in calling for an agreement to develop a new treat on corporate accountability.
  
  
• It was “disingenuous” to expect Tony Blair to be spending time on the “nitty gritty of negotiations”.
  FOE says - Tony Blair famously rolled up his sleeves to get involved in the nitty gritty of the Northern Ireland peace process to achieve a breakthrough. The security threats posed by global poverty and environment degradation are huge; as US Secretary of State Colin Powell said “sustainable development is a security imperative.” Tony Blair also spent considerable time travelling around the world before Trade talks in Doha to push governments to sign up to new free trade agreements.
  
  
• Environment and development groups should be critical and supportive rather than just critical. They should recognise the role of big business.
  FOE says - Friends of the Earth has recognised that business can be a force for good but many multinational businesses cause huge environmental and social damage and ignore the rights of local communities. See www.radioearthsummit.org for numerous examples of corporate abuses. We will not shirk from pointing out the Government’s lack of endeavour on getting good agreements from the Summit.

Mike Childs, Earth Summit Coordinator for Friends of the Earth, said:
“The Earth Summit desperately needs leadership if it is to successfully deal with the global threats posed extreme poverty and environmental degradation. It is clear that Margaret Beckett does not want to play this role. Tony Blair can provide global leadership, but to do so he must go the Earth Summit earlier and stay longer. If he doesn’t give this leadership we can only assume that he is more concerned about protecting his friends in big business and not upsetting George Bush. The world cannot afford for the Summit to be killed of by the USA.”

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust