Notes from the 13th ASEAN Summit (Part 2)
November 21, 2007 by Eugene
Filed under Asia, Government and Policies, Singapore
ASEAN leaders signed the ASEAN Declaration on Environmental Sustainability yesterday at the 13th ASEAN Summit in Singapore. The Declaration signifies ASEAN member countries’ concern of the environment and climate change, and the need to ensure environmental sustainability while pursuing economic development. The leaders pledged to address issues on environmental protection and management, responding to climate change, and conservation of natural resources. Some key issues that the leaders declared:
Combating Haze Pollution
To implement measures and enhance international and regional cooperation to combat transboundary environmental pollution, including haze pollution, through, among other things, capacity building, enhancing public awareness, strengthening law enforcement, promoting environmentally sustainable practices, as well as combating illegal logging and its associated illegal trade;
Improving Water Access and Living Conditions
To endeavour to reduce by half of the number of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water by 2010 in accordance with the VAP to meet the needs of ASEAN citizens, and significant improvement in the lives of slum dwellers by 2020 in ASEAN Member Countries in accordance with the UN MDGs;
Promoting Renewable and Nuclear Energy
To take concrete measures to promote the use of renewable and alternative energy sources such as solar, hydro, wind, tide, biomass, biofuels and geothermal energy, as well as, for interested parties, civilian nuclear power, while ensuring safety and safeguards that are of current international standards, and environmental sustainability throughout the full life cycle of production and use;
Protecting Biodiversity and Forests
To achieve by 2010, a significant reduction in the current rate of loss of biodiversity, as pledged by countries at the WSSD in 2002 and as envisaged by the Convention on Biological Diversity;
To agree to collectively work towards achieving an aspirational goal of significantly increasing the cumulative forest cover in the ASEAN region by at least 10 million hectares by 2020;
Source: ASEAN Declaration on Environmental Sustainability. Image attribution: 13th ASEAN Summit.
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