Select Committee on Environmental Audit Minutes of Evidence

Memorandum submitted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

I.  INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS

  1.  The FCO welcomes this inquiry, and we are grateful for the opportunity to highlight our role and priorities on the environment and development. The Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) has recently audited our progress on sustainable development and we have just published a new FCO Sustainable Development Action Plan, which responds to the SDC's recommendations and sets out our specific aims and commitments for 2007-08. (see annex).

The FCO's role on environment and sustainable development

  2.  With our network of bilateral and multilateral Posts overseas (which provide advice, information and analysis to support global delivery of UK objectives) and our experience and expertise in negotiating and influencing, the FCO is the Government's principal vehicle for promoting sustainable development internationally.

  3.  Sustainable development is central to foreign policy and the work of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). It underpins, and will help to achieve, many of the Government's international priorities, which are driven forward by the FCO. Our 2006 White Paper—Active Diplomacy for a Changing World—established a specific international priority on "promoting sustainable development and poverty reduction underpinned by human rights, democracy, good governance and protection of the environment". It highlighted the importance of the environment and natural resources for development and recognised environmental degradation and an unstable climate as major threats to the UK's ability to secure its political, security and economic objectives. To strengthen our commitment to promoting sustainable development and tackling climate change, in June 2006 the Foreign Secretary added an additional international priority on "achieving climate security by promoting a faster transition to a sustainable, low carbon global economy".

  4.  The FCO supports sustainability through our efforts to promote improved environmental governance and democracy, and sustainable natural resource management in priority countries, a stronger international framework for sustainable development and climate security, and sustainable tourism. We lead for the Government on promoting human rights, democracy and good governance which are critical for sustainable development, and we seek to embed sustainable development principles in all our activities. This includes leading by example by managing our estate and corporate activities sustainably.

FCO Sustainable Development Strategy and Action Plan

  5.  Our Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS) was published in March 2005 and launched by the Foreign Secretary. It provides a framework, up to March 2008, for promoting sustainable development through our bilateral and multilateral work, through international partnerships, through our work with the governments of the UK's Overseas Territories and through our corporate activities and estate management. It focuses on how the FCO can help deliver the international commitments in the UK SD Strategy—Securing the Future (which was also published in March 2005, one week before our SDS).

  6.  We reviewed progress towards our SDS in September 2005 and March 2006, and published our conclusions on our website (www.fco.gov.uk/sustainabledevelopment). We also asked the Sustainable Development Commission—as HMG's "watchdog" on sustainable development—to audit our SDS and progress. The SDC's audit, published in October last year, highlighted in particular that we need to:

—    demonstrate top level commitment to sustainable development (SD);

—    ensure all staff understand SD and their role, and that SD acts as our underpinning principle;

—    root climate security within SD;

—    boost efforts on sustainable tourism;

—    consider working with the MOD on the links between natural resources and conflict;

—    ensure our Posts—especially in the major emerging economies—are adequately resourced for SD; and

—    lead by example, in terms of the way we manage our estate—both in the UK and overseas—and minimise the environmental impacts of our operations.

  7.  Our recently launched Sustainable Development Action Plan responds to these recommendations, focusing on where we can most add value. It includes activities to raise awareness of sustainable development across the FCO, to ensure that it is embedded in all our work.

FCO sustainable development priorities

  8.  Our Sustainable Development Action Plan (SDAP) identifies five main aims and five supporting activities to help us achieve these aims:

  Aims:

—    Promoting good environmental governance and sustainable management of natural resources.

—    Strengthening international governance for sustainable development.

—    Supporting the private sector as a driver for sustainable development (including promoting sustainable tourism).

—    Promoting international action to achieve climate security and the transition to a low carbon economy (in partnership with other government departments, we are developing a separate strategy on international climate change).

—    Promoting sustainable development through our corporate activities and operations.

  Supporting activities:

—    Working with stakeholders.

—    Working with other government departments.

—    Focusing on priority countries and working through our Posts.

—    Using programme funds strategically to build capacity overseas.

—    Raising awareness and building skills within the FCO.

  9.  Our SDAP sets out specific actions—from January 2007 to March 2008—under each of these areas. To make the most of the resources we have for sustainable development, it identifies a set of priority countries where we will focus our efforts. These are countries which face particular sustainable development challenges, possess significant natural resources, or are major emerging economies; and where we can make the most impact. Based on these criteria our sustainable development priority countries for 2007/8 are: Argentina, Brazil, Cameroon, the Caribbean Region, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa and Thailand. We work particularly closely with the major emerging economies of Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa, and are working with DEFRA to take forward bilateral high-level Sustainable Development Dialogues with these countries.

Multilateral work

  10.  We work with DEFRA and DFID to meet the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) commitment on strengthening international governance for sustainable development. We promote the integration of sustainable development across the UN and want to see a stronger UN Environment Programme (UNEP). We see the EU as a vital platform for promoting—and building consensus on—sustainable development. We support the implementation of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy and help ensure that its principles are considered in EU decision-making.

  11.  In 2005 the UK raised the profile of sustainable development issues through its presidencies of the EU and G8. Climate change was a key priority of both presidencies and we succeeded in achieving a step change in the attitude of the international community towards tackling climate change. The FCO played a key role in ensuring that progress was made at the UNFCCC (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) conference in Montreal (in December 2005) towards a post-2012 international framework by mobilising our network of posts. The UK also initiated the G8 Gleneagles Dialogue for the 20 largest energy consuming and producing countries. In October 2006 the FCO worked with the Mexican Government and other government departments to ensure the success of the second Gleneagles Dialogue Ministerial meeting in Monterrey, Mexico.

FCO structure for sustainable development

  12.  The FCO has two policy groups in London (see question three for more information on the teams working on sustainable development and climate change) focusing on sustainable development, climate change and energy—the Sustainable Development & Business Group (SDBG) and the Climate Change & Energy Group (CCEG). Both are within the Global and Economic Issues Directorate, which reports to the Director-General, Globalisation who has overall responsibility for sustainable development and environment issues on the FCO Board. In 2006 the Foreign Secretary appointed John Ashton as her Special Representative for Climate Change.

  13.  In addition to staff in London we have networks of attaches in Posts across the world, who lead on sustainable development, climate change, energy, economic, and science and innovation issues within their host countries. We also have attaches in our multilateral Posts, such as our Mission to the UN in New York, our Representation to the UN Environment Programme in Nairobi and our Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels. The Director-General, Corporate Affairs has overall responsibility for sustainable operations and environmental management, and this work is taken forward by the FCO's Environmental Manager in the Estates Directorate.

II.  QUESTIONS

Q1.   How do environmental protection and sustainable development relate to international security, good governance and democracy?

  14.  The Government's Strategic International Priority 7 (as detailed in the Government's White Paper Active Diplomacy in a Changing World) emphasises the importance of democracy, good governance and human rights. They are major objectives in their own right, but they are particularly relevant to realising sustainable development. Democracy gives all citizens a voice in policy-making and good governance will contribute to the fair and efficient management of resources. Development may be achievable without democracy, human rights and good governance, but it is rarely sustainable.

  15.  Sustainable development underpins many aspects of our foreign policy. It requires co-operation in an increasingly fragile world and is an integral part of the FCO's work. Global peace and stability depend on economic and social development and on protecting the environment. Threats to our security—such as conflict, terrorism and international crime—may thrive where there is poverty, mismanagement of natural resources, or social and environmental injustice. We will struggle to resolve conflicts unless these underlying issues are dealt with.

International sustainable development governance

  16.  The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in 2002, highlighted the importance of strengthening International Sustainable Development Governance (ISDG) in order to deliver on commitments made at WSSD, and on earlier agreements such as the Millennium Declaration, the Monterrey Financing for Development process and the Doha Development Agenda. The UK and FCO Sustainable Development Strategies underline the need to improve ISDG, and our SD Strategy included an ISDG Delivery Plan.

  17.  The UN World Summit in September 2005 also recognised "the need for more efficient environmental activities in the UN system" as well as the need "to explore the possibility of a more coherent institutional framework." The Summit document also mentions the need for "better integration of environmental activities in the broader sustainable development framework at the operational level".

  18.  The FCO and DEFRA, along with DFID, the Treasury, DTI and other government departments, work within the UN system and with international financial and other institutions, to promote a more integrated and coherent approach to environmental, social and economic issues. All share responsibility for delivery.

Environmental democracy and governance

  19.  To help improve the management of natural resources and local environments we seek to apply the principles of good governance and democracy to environmental issues. We are the lead UK Government department for fulfilling the WSSD commitment to "acknowledge the consideration being given to the possible relationship between environment and human rights" (paragraph 169 of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation; www.un.org/esa/sustdev). The FCO therefore promotes improved environmental governance to help achieve better protection, and sustainable and equitable use, of natural resources. Of the UK Government's three key objectives on environmental governance, the FCO leads on:

(i)  Supporting the implementation of Rio Principle 10 overseas at the local and national level, including through our support for the Partnership for Principle 10 (PP10).

(ii)  Strengthening capacity-building to enable governments to manage the environment better (on which we work closely with DFID).

Principle 10 and PP10

  Principle 10 refers to Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (1992) which promotes increased access to information on environmental matters; more public participation in environmental decision-making; and greater access to environmental justice.

  The Partnership for Principle 10 (PP10), of which the FCO is a founder-member, is an international partnership to promote improved environmental governance using these principles. We work closely with the World Resources Institute (WRI) which convenes the secretariat of PP10 and support projects that contribute to the goals of PP10 through our Sustainable Development Programme under the Global Opportunities Fund (GOF). GOF also provides funds to help governments enforce and strengthen environmental legislation.

International security

  20.  The UN Secretary-General's 2005 report In Larger Freedom emphasised that "we fundamentally depend on natural systems and resources for our existence and development." The UN World Summit's outcome document reaffirmed that "our common fundamental values, including freedom, equality, solidarity, tolerance, respect for all human rights, respect for nature and shared responsibility, are essential to international relations". It importantly also reaffirmed that "sustainable development in its economic, social and environmental aspects constitutes a key element of the overarching framework of United Nations activities".

  21.  Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 7 demonstrates a worldwide aspiration for development to be sustainable and for pursuing environmental objectives; it underpins achievement of the other MDGs. Sustainable use and management of environmental resources is critical to poverty reduction. Poor countries depend on environmental resources to a much greater extent than richer countries. Environmental wealth—natural resources—is one of the main sources of growth in developing countries, and central to the livelihoods of poor people. Environmental degradation can contribute to conflict, can undermine security and will result in development being short term and unsustainable. The FCO has been working with DfID to understand the links between sustainable development and sustainable peace better.

  22.  The delivery of a stable climate, as an essential public good, is an immediate security, prosperity and moral imperative, not simply a long-term environmental challenge. Increased tensions from overpopulation, resource scarcity and environmental degradation, which we spend a great deal of effort trying to resolve, can be exacerbated by climate change. As the Foreign Secretary said in Berlin last October "our obligation to our citizens is to put in place the conditions for security and prosperity in a crowded and interdependent world. An unstable climate will make it much harder for us to deliver on that obligation."

  23.  To address the root of the security issues we face we must tackle the global insecurities underlying them and focus, amongst other things, on the four resource pillars on which the security and prosperity of the international community rests: food security; water security; energy security; and climate security. These pillars of security are interdependent. For example, many in the world will need affordable energy to lift themselves out of poverty. Energy services are crucial for sustainable development, for promoting better health, access to education, increased productivity, enhanced competitiveness, and improved economic growth. Without a concerted shift towards cleaner energy production and use (such as the adoption of supercritical coal fired power stations, increased energy efficiency, and new techniques such as carbon capture and storage), the increased use of fossil fuels will accelerate climate change. Thus in our search for growth we risk undermining the most fundamental conditions for prosperity and security.

  24.  Climate security is central to national and international security. Without a stable climate it will become ever harder for governments to deliver other national and international priorities necessary to tackle the underlying problems that contribute to instability. Chief amongst these will be prosperity. The Stern Review shows that climate change poses a serious threat to growth and development, potentially reducing global GDP by as much as 20%. It will be the poorest and most vulnerable countries that are hit fastest and hardest, severely damaging the prospects for achieving poverty alleviation and stability.

  25.  Climate change alone will not cause conflict. Conflicts always have multiple causes. Climate change will exacerbate existing tensions, increasing the risk of conflicts and making them more complex and intractable through its impact on food and water security. Rising temperatures, changing weather patterns, more frequent and more widespread droughts, increased flooding and rising sea levels will disrupt and damage the supply of these vital resources. Resource shortages will combine with growing populations to increase tensions in fragile regions. Climate induced resource shortages were one of the drivers of the recent conflict in Darfur.

Q2.   What are the main stumbling blocks to international environmental diplomacy, how successful has it been in the past, and how might we ensure better that negotiations lead to effective global environmental protection?

  26.  Sustainable development is not just about environmental objectives; it is about achieving progress towards environmental, economic and social goals in a complementary and coherent manner. We need to demonstrate that good environmental management is consistent with growth and that future development is at risk without sustainable management of natural resources—such as forests, fish, wildlife, water resources, and clean air.

  27.  To ensure more effective negotiations on global environmental protection we need to encourage political leadership and ensure that there is a strengthened and more coherent multilateral system, which can help build consensus on the way forward.

Political leadership

  28.  In particular, on combating dangerous climate change, there needs to be improvements in environmental governance at the international as well as a national level. Greater coherence in the multilateral system and a much higher level of consensus on the way forward is required. Strong political leadership—which recognises the scale and urgency of the challenge of climate change—is essential in order to meet commitments under the Kyoto Protocol and agree on the international framework beyond 2012. The scientific and economic evidence grows ever clearer (particularly with the publication of the Stern Review in October). But without an injection of collective political leadership by some key countries, the UN process will not progress quickly enough. (As an example, see the box below on the UN climate change conference in Nairobi last year.)

  29.  Nairobi underlined to us the need for relentless pressure to keep climate change at the top of the global political agenda and to exploit major international summits, including of the EU and G8, to drive progress. In parallel with encouraging UN reform, and in order to ensure better that negotiations lead to effective action on climate change, we need to create the political conditions for policy change. In particular, we need to focus on helping to shift the political conditions in the major emitting countries whose emissions and political support will be critical to the establishment of a new international agreement: the EU, the US, India and China.

  30.  We need to change the terms of the debate so that key governments, leaders and international institutions understand the scale and urgency of the problem; that achieving a low carbon economy is necessary for economic growth; and the necessity of early rather than later action. We need to achieve recognition among the same leaders and governments that a stable climate must be a core policy goal not just in environmental terms, but also for foreign and security policy; energy; trade and investment; innovation and competition; poverty and development—thus mobilising political support for the requisite measures. Concentration on "traditional" climate policy alone, as if this is separate from those areas of decision-making that affect emissions, will not move us forward quickly enough.

UNFCCC, Nairobi, November 2006

  At the last major UN climate conference, in Nairobi last November, then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan addressed the conference and described climate change as an all-encompassing threat to development, health, food security, shelter, peace and security. His message was very similar to that which the Foreign Secretary made in her address to the UN General Assembly in September. Annan dismissed climate sceptics as "out of step, out of arguments and out of time". He also quoted Sir Nicholas Stern's assessment of climate change as "the greatest and widest-ranging market failure ever seen", with the potential to shrink the global economy by 20%. Stern himself also spoke at the conference in Nairobi and the findings of his Review were much discussed in the margins of the conference.

  But the warnings of these two notable external speakers were at odds with the tenor of the negotiations themselves. While progress was made on important issues for developing countries such as adaptation, discussion on future action continues to proceed at a pace insufficient for the ultimate objective of avoiding dangerous climate change. David Miliband (Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) has described an "After you, Claude" mentality, where the key countries and blocs of the developed and developing world seek assurances that any steps forward that they take are not taken alone. During 2007, the UK intends to work closely with Germany in its Presidencies of the EU and G8 to inject greater urgency and momentum into these discussions.

Achieving a coherent multilateral system

Within the UN

  31.  The outcome from the 2005 UN World Summit called for much stronger, system-wide coherence across the various development-related agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations. In response, Kofi Annan launched the High Level Panel (HLP) on System Wide Coherence (SWC) to make recommendations on how the United Nations system could work more coherently and effectively in these areas. The Chancellor, Gordon Brown was the UK's representative on the Panel. The Panel's recommendations, launched in November 2005, called for reform to the development, humanitarian assistance and environmental system of the UN, including the UN Environment Programme and UN operations at country level.

  32.  The report highlights the growing awareness of the acceleration of environmental degradation and climate change, and its effects on agricultural productivity and food security. It concludes that globalisation makes multilateralism indispensable, and that without far-reaching and ambitious reform, the United Nations will be unable to deliver its promises and maintain its legitimate position at the heart of the international system.

  33.  But the Panel also recognised that the UN is not as effective as it could be. And that—although the UN contributes greatly to the discourse and practice of development—too often, it has insufficient influence. They believe that the UN has outgrown its original structure, with weak and disjointed governance and inadequate and unpredictable funding contributing to policy incoherence, duplicating functions and operational ineffectiveness across the system.

  34.  The HLP recommendations provide for a step change in the way that the UN operates across the development, humanitarian and environment pillars. Crucially, the HLP recommended that UN Development Program "continue its support to mainstreaming environmental issues into national development strategies at the country level". The Panel also pointed out that greater co-ordination at UN headquarters should also improve coherence at the country level.

  35.  Alongside DFID and DEFRA, we are using our resources and influence to encourage UN reform. One of our objectives under our SD Action Plan is to promote the integration of environment, economic and social agendas within multilateral organisations, including the UN.

Within the EU

  36.  To ensure that environmental concerns, and wider issues in the sustainable development framework, are incorporated into both internal and external EU policies, FCO, DEFRA, DFID and officials from other government departments were actively engaged in the revision of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy, launched at the European Council in June 2006. Prior to this, there was no single document that could be called a strategy, and the external dimension had never been properly integrated. The UK's aim for the revised strategy was a single, coherent and accessible document that effectively communicated the Community's internal and external sustainable development objectives, including on international development. Our Embassies in EU capitals lobbied in support of UK views. As a result the UK's interests are well reflected in the revised strategy, which also has more content and substance.

  37.  The strategy outlines objectives under seven key challenges (climate change and clean energy; sustainable transport; sustainable production and consumption; management of natural resources; public health; social inclusion, demography and migration; and global poverty and sustainable development). It also references cross-cutting EU policies, notably by setting out its relationship to the Lisbon Agenda on jobs and growth, as well as on the role of better regulation and impact assessment as tools for delivery.

  38.  We want to achieve better integration of sustainable development into EU internal and external policies and aim to embed environmental considerations in all our work. In particular we want to ensure that sustainable development is appropriately factored in to all external agreements made by the EU at an early stage and we are encouraging the European Commission to include sustainable development and climate change issues in the new free trade agreements (FTAs) it is planning with third countries. Draft FTA mandates have recently been presented to the Council for several such agreements with South Korea, ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) and India, as have Association Agreement mandates for Central America and the Community of Andean Nations. The draft mandates each contain sections on sustainable development. The UK has welcomed this and has also asked for more information about how the Commission intends to tackle climate change issues within the negotiations.

  39.  Correspondence on environmental issues of the cabinet's European Policy Committee is seen and co-ordinated by officials in SDBG or CCEG. This ensures that the FCO has the chance to input and comment on all environment related European policy issues. We also support DEFRA in its bi-annual briefing for our network of Sustainable Development Attaches in EU Posts.

Q3.   How does the FCO account for the environment in its work? Is the FCO's current structure and capacity effective at promoting UK international environmental and sustainable development priorities? Are FCO officials, at all levels, aware of the importance of the environment for development and security objectives, and vice versa?
  (see SDC audit in the annex and the introduction for more information)

How we account for the environment in our work

  40.  The FCO Sustainable Development Strategy provides an overarching framework for our environment and sustainable development work. We reviewed progress in September 2005 and March 2006, and provided an update on the sustainable development pages of our website. We have just published our Sustainable Development Action Plan (SDAP), which sets out specific aims for the period of January 2007 to March 2008, and identifies which part of the FCO is responsible for delivering each commitment. We will review progress towards our SD Action Plan at the end of each financial year, and report publicly via our website. Regular reviews will not only help us keep track of progress but will also help maintain awareness of the ongoing need to integrate environmental considerations and sustainable development into other areas of work.

  41.  We have specific international priorities on "promoting sustainable development and poverty reduction underpinned by human rights, democracy, good governance and protection of the environment" and "achieving climate security by promoting a faster transition to a sustainable, low carbon global economy".

  42.  Our aim is to embed sustainable development in all FCO activity and our new SDAP includes a series of actions to help raise awareness of sustainable development and build skills within the FCO. This is a long-term process, and since the launch of our Sustainable Development Strategy in 2005 we have focused on building understanding of sustainable development in overseas Posts and among geographical desks for our priority countries (see introduction for a list of countries). FCO Groups such as the Climate Change and Energy Group, the Human Rights, Democracy and Governance Group, Sustainable Development and Business Group, Conflict Issues Group, International Organisations Department, Europe Directorate, and the Estates Directorate (which has responsibility for sustainable operations and estate management) play a key part in this process.

Structure and capacity for promoting UK international environmental and sustainable development priorities

  43.  The Director-General, Globalisation has overall responsibility for sustainable development and the environment; he reports directly to the Permanent Under Secretary and acts as the sustainable development champion on the FCO's management board. The Director-General, Corporate Affairs has overall responsibility for sustainable operations and environmental management.

  44.  Day-to-day responsibility for sustainable development, environment and climate change issues sits with the Sustainable Development & Business Group (SDBG) and the Climate Change & Energy Group (CCEG), which both report to the Director for Global & Economic Issues. SDBG's role is to promote sustainable development, economic prosperity and favourable international conditions for business in a rapidly globalising world. The Group (22 staff) covers—among other issues—forestry and natural resource management, environmental democracy (Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration), international environmental governance (eg through strengthening the UN's role on environment and sustainable development), sustainable tourism, corporate social responsibility, and anti-corruption work. Six members of staff within the group work full-time on sustainable development. They support DEFRA in ensuring that the EU position on sustainable development issues (including EU environment legislation) reflects UK priorities, and work closely with other government departments (particularly DEFRA and DFID) to promote UK sustainable development objectives in priority countries (see question four for more on priority countries).

  45.  CCEG supports OGDs, especially DEFRA and DTI in delivering the UK's climate change and energy issues and has 24 staff in London devoted solely to pursuing these priorities, in addition to attaches overseas (see below for more information on attaches). In June 2006 the Foreign Secretary appointed John Ashton as her Special Representative for Climate Change. This has led to a step change in FCO's approach to climate. (An example of the effectiveness of this structure can be seen in Europe.)

  46.  John Ashton has built upon the initiative taken by Prime Minister at Gleneagles and Hampton Court in 2005. His discussions with key Member States and parts of the European Commission; and the efforts of London and overseas staff and other departments enabled the Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister to persuade EU leaders at the December European Council to recognise the strong link between EU climate and energy policies and agree to an integrated debate on the theme in Spring. The UK welcomed the European Commission's Strategic Energy Review (SER), together with a Commission Communication on Limiting Global Climate Change, published on 10 January. This ambitious package focuses on two main strands, energy liberalisation and security, and climate change, including the aspiration that all new EU power plants be carbon neutral by 2020. It will form the basis of an Energy Action Plan to be presented to the Spring European Council in March.

Attaches in overseas Posts

  47.  Much of the promotion of sustainable development and climate priorities overseas is led by our network of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Energy Attaches in our embassies, High Commissions and multilateral Posts. We have around 150 Attaches who work on sustainable development and climate change issues, however, in most cases they work part-time on sustainable development as part of a wider portfolio. (See answer to question five for more information about the work of Sustainable Development and Climate Change and Energy attaches.)

Priority countries

  48.  To maximise limited resources, the FCO has focused its attention on a limited number of countries which face particular sustainable development challenges; possess significant natural resources; or are major emitters of greenhouse gases; and where the FCO can make an impact. The introduction sets out our priority countries for sustainable development. We encourage Posts in these countries to produce Country Action Plans on sustainable development and/or climate change and energy; see question five for more detail.

Programme resources

  49.   Our Global Opportunities Fund (GOF) supports projects on sustainable development, climate change and energy, human rights and economic reform overseas. Resources to support sustainable development and climate change public diplomacy work are also available through the Public Diplomacy Fund and the Chevening Programme. (More information about these resources is given in the answers to questions seven and fourteen.)

Raising awareness among FCO officials

50.  To help all officials understand sustainable development, and the importance of the environment for development and security objectives we run a series of three one-day training modules covering Sustainable Development, Energy and Climate Security.

  51.  The Sustainable Development module helps participants understand what sustainable development is, why it is important for foreign policy, and what the FCO's role in promoting it is so that they are more aware of how it impacts on their own roles and how they can help deliver our aims. The course provides an introduction to the concept of sustainable development and an overview of the UK and FCO Sustainable Development Strategies and the FCO's sustainable development priorities. It includes the relationship between environment and development, through a specific slot looking at the importance of sustainable development for eradicating poverty and the need to include environmental development aims in poverty reduction strategies. Using the example of water and energy, participants explore why environmental sustainability is crucial to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

  52.  The Climate Security and Energy modules also look at why these issues are particularly significant for development, including energy use and supply in the developing world, fuel poverty, the potential impacts of climate change in developing countries, and the importance of adaptation and mitigation. The modules are being revised for 2007 and will include new sessions on how the mismanagement of natural resources can threaten security, the relationship between sustainable development and the private sector, and the importance of tackling climate change as a security—rather than just an environmental—issue.

  53.  Other activities to help raise staff awareness of sustainable development and climate change and their understanding of how these relate to their work include:

—    regular communications with staff in Posts;

—    asking attaches to work across their Posts to ensure that political and economic staff understand how sustainable development and climate underpin all our strategic priorities;

—    ensuring that all staff covering international energy policy have a good understanding of climate and incorporate climate considerations into their policy work;

—    discussions between the Director for Global & Economic Issues with geographical directors on how climate security and sustainable development fit into their work;

—    using the staff magazine—News & Views—to promote sustainable development and the need to manage our operations sustainably;

—    relaunching the sustainable development pages on the intranet and external website and ensuring the UK and FCO Sustainable Development Strategies and the FCO Sustainable Development Action Plan are easy to find and download;

—    launching and developing SDNet (our sustainable development intranet site—see question five);

—    holding a series of lunchtime seminars on sustainable development, climate change, energy and business—recent speakers include Sir Nicholas Stern and Prof Chris Rapley (Director of the British Antarctic Survey);

—    a sustainable development newsletter (SDNews) for staff;

—    ensuring that sustainable development is included in the briefing material for new heads of missions (HoMs) and that HoMs and attaches going to posts which are priorities for sustainable development all visit SDBG for an oral briefing;

—    holding sessions on sustainable development at the HoMs Annual Leadership Conference in 2005 and 2006; and

—    holding annual conferences for FCO Sustainable Development and Climate Change and Energy Attaches as an opportunity to exchange information and brief on policy priorities.

Q4.   What more could the FCO do to advance the UK's environmental objectives?

  54.  To help us assess progress on sustainable development and how we can be more effective in promoting the UK's environment and sustainable development objectives we asked the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) to carry out an audit of our progress under the 2005 FCO Sustainable Development Strategy. According to the SDC assessment, released in October 2006, we have made a good start in implementing our Sustainable Development Strategy, but we must continue to embed sustainable development across the entire sphere of FCO activity. Responding to these recommendations, our Sustainable Development Action Plan (SDAP) sets out our main aims and activities for 2007-08.

Priorities: countries and themes

  55.  The SDC's audit supported the findings of our own March 2006 review, which concluded that we needed to focus on a smaller number of countries and a smaller number of priorities for action where the FCO can make the most impact. The introduction includes more detail on this and sets out our main priority issues.

  56.  The FCO fully acknowledges that it cannot fulfil UK sustainable development objectives without working with major emerging economies so the Action Plan commits the FCO to continue its support of the bilateral Sustainable Development Dialogues with Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa (the +5). These Dialogues are led by DEFRA with assistance from across Government, particularly the FCO and DFID. They are a mechanism for engaging these countries in a sustainable development partnership with the UK. They aim to provide a framework for sharing good practice and work on joint initiatives to address sustainable development challenges such as natural resource management, sustainable consumption and production, sustainable communities, poverty reduction and urban development. Dialogues have already been launched with India (October 2005), China (November 2005), Brazil (March 2006) and Mexico (October 2006). And we hope to launch the South Africa Dialogue this year. In each case, we have worked with DEFRA to strengthen contacts and establish thematic workstreams which aim to involve not only governments but business and civil society.

  57.  The UK also has Working Groups on Climate Change (WGCC) with China and Brazil and a Structured Dialogue on Climate Change with India (SDCC).The aim of these groups is to further co-operation and sharing of knowledge between India, Brazil and China and the UK on climate change. The Groups provide a framework for engagement between the participants, and enable progress to be made on key issues and be usefully fed into and shape activities relating to the G8 Dialogue, the EU-China Partnership on Climate Change and activities under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

  58.  Through the Groups the participants aim to complement and reinforce other initiatives in particular the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership ("REEEP"), the Global Opportunities Fund (GOF) projects on climate change, and other country specific projects on the impacts of climate change. This is a Defra-lead initiative benefiting from strong cross-Whitehall and in-country engagement by other government departments, and we hope with the assistance of FCO Posts to launch Working Groups in Mexico and South Africa later this year.

  59.  Our Posts play a crucial role in helping advance the UK's environmental and sustainable development objectives and we need to maintain the network of Sustainable Development Attaches in priority Posts in particular. See the answer to question 5 for more detail about the work of attaches.

A new strategic priority

  60.  Our 2006 White Paper—Active Diplomacy in a Changing World—recognised an unstable climate as a major threat to the UK's ability to secure its political, security and economic objectives. To strengthen our commitment to promoting sustainable development and tackling climate change, the Foreign Secretary established an additional strategic priority (SP6) on "achieving climate security by promoting a faster transition to a sustainable, low carbon global economy". The Government's strategic aim is to avoid dangerous climate change by stabilising atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. This is a highly ambitious and long-term outcome. To achieve this we need to:

—    bring about a step change in global investment in low carbon technologies to enable a transition to a low carbon economy, including through an effective carbon market;

—    build resilience through managing impacts and promoting adaptation to climate change; and

—    secure international agreement to a realistic, robust, durable and fair framework of commitments to reduce CO2 emissions for the post-2012 period.

  61.  It will be impossible to achieve these objectives without much wider acceptance of the scale and urgency of the challenge, matched by a major increase in international ambition. UK efforts are therefore directed at galvanising international collective action by shifting global attitudes towards climate change. This means going beyond traditional Government to Government diplomacy and mobilising a much wider range of constituencies. DEFRA is co-ordinating UK Government efforts to achieving these objectives through an international climate change work programme involving all relevant government departments. As the international delivery arm of Government, the FCO network of Posts is key to delivering all parts of this strategy.

  62.  The FCO also has a particular role to play in reframing the debate so that climate security is seen as a core goal in other policy fields, including foreign and security policy; energy; innovation and competition; and sustainable development. The Foreign Secretary and her Special Representative for Climate Change, John Ashton, are leading government efforts to reframe the debate. The Foreign Secretary raises climate security at most of her meetings with her opposite numbers, as well as with Heads of Government. Her speeches in US, Mexico, India and Berlin underlined links between climate change and foreign policy.

  63.  We will be making increasing demands on our Posts to run targeted political and public diplomacy campaigns aimed at raising the scale and urgency of the climate change challenge. This will involve mapping and identifying key players and constituencies, including Government but also parliament, business, and civil society; and engaging them in a way that brings them into coalitions that can deliver our desired strategic outcomes.

Q5.   Are FCO sustainable development attaches effective at promoting sustainable development internationally? How do they work and how might this be improved?

  64.  Our network of Attaches in both bilateral and multilateral Posts helps build support for UK objectives; maintains the engagement of host governments; develops and manage projects to address specific sustainable development challenges; reports on progress and developments in host countries; and identifies areas where the UK can offer or develop expertise on sustainable development issues. Attaches build up networks of in-country contacts—including in civil society and the private sector, as well as with host governments—to help build understanding of other countries' positions. This is particularly important in advance of major international negotiations and meetings. Sustainable Development and Climate Change and Energy Attaches are often supported by locally-engaged (LE) staff who bring to bear local language knowledge and contacts, as part of integrated UK/LE teams.

  65.  Other parts of the FCO's network also support UK sustainable development objectives. For example, UK Trade & Industry (UKTI) officers overseas contribute through their support for UK environmental technology firms, our Science & Innovation Attaches promote the development of new environmental technologies, and our Economic Officers are working to raise awareness of the conclusions of the Stern Review and help the transition countries to grow their economies sustainably.

  66.  The arrival of the Special Representative for Climate Change, John Ashton, has helped the FCO direct the attention of its network of overseas Posts on climate security issues. Staff in priority countries have begun a series of political and public diplomacy campaigns. These are aimed at increasing awareness of the scale and urgency of the challenge and targeting a wide range of constituencies, including Government and business. The network contributed to the Stern Review through the provision of analysis and information, and by facilitating visits by the review team to a number of countries. Posts subsequently played an important role in maximising the global impact of the Stern Review when it was published and continue to work closely with Sir Nick Stern and his team to sustain international interest and debate on the economic impacts of climate change.

  67.  Given the limited resources available the FCO is exploring ways to create more flexibility in support of the government's international, environmental and climate change objectives. A key part of achieving climate security is building coalitions of the key constituencies that can effect political change, both in the UK and overseas. Through its overseas network, the FCO already interacts well with key constituencies in specific priority countries. But the network is less well configured to deal effectively with regional or sectoral interests. Through testing innovative working structures, such as CCEG's Regional Energy Advisors, or creating hub-and-spoke arrangements with a network of Posts in a particular region, we aim to improve effectiveness.

  68.  We also want to improve the way in which we communicate with Posts on these issues. SD attaches are supported by SDNet, an intranet site that provides information and briefings on key issues, policy developments, events and meetings (accessible to all on the Government Secure Intranet, at www.sdnet.gsi.gov.uk). In June 2005 we launched a newsletter—SDNews—to help keep staff (particularly attaches) up to date on developments and activities and guide them through the latest information on SDNet. The newsletter is published every two months. To help us improve and make good use of SDNet, last year we commissioned Futerra, a sustainability communications company, to review the site. They have just finished their review, and we are implementing their recommendations to make the site easier to use and ensure that it is kept up to date and includes the most relevant information. We want to improve communications further, and ensure that SDNet becomes a "one-stop shop" for sustainable development information and resources for attaches and that it helps attaches share good practice, for example on project work or on ideas to improve environmental management in their offices.

  69.  Posts in our sustainable development priority countries are asked to produce Country Action Plans (CAPs), which set out specific objectives and activities to meet these. These CAPs are agreed with other relevant government departments (e.g. DEFRA, DFID and DTI) so that they reflect the Government's—rather than just FCO—objectives, and so that any competing demands can be identified and resolved. We are increasingly encouraging Posts and attaches to work directly with other government departments. For example, attaches in many of our EU Posts already have a very good relationship with DEFRA colleagues in order to advance our EU sustainable development objectives. And colleagues in Posts in the major emerging economies of Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa are working particularly closely with both DEFRA and DFID to take forward Sustainable Development Dialogues with these countries.

  70.  Every year we hold a conference for our Sustainable Development Attaches. This provides an opportunity to brief attaches on priorities and receive feedback from them about their work and the support they need. At the next conference in February we plan to talk attaches through the FCO's new SD Action Plan and to commission SD Country Action Plans for 2007/8 for priority countries.

Q6.   Do FCO policy documents, such as the 2006 White Paper, reflect sufficiently sustainable development objectives? Has the International Energy Strategy led to better consideration of climate change in international energy supply policy in the FCO and across government?

2006 White Paper

  71.  The FCO White Paper, Active Diplomacy for a Changing World was published in March 2006. It spells out that "our long term interests and values are best protected by the spread of democratic values, good government, and respect for human rights. These make conflict less likely, reduce poverty and support sustainable development across the world". This implicitly acknowledges sustainable development as a framework covering a wide range of issues throughout the FCO.

  72.  The White Paper sets out the FCO's role in advising and working with other government departments on international handling and negotiating, and in promoting and implementing UK policies overseas, giving sustainable development and climate change as specific examples.

  73.  It also establishes one of HMG's international priorities as "promoting sustainable development and poverty reduction underpinned by human rights, democracy, good governance and protection of the environment" (known as strategic priority 7, or SP7). Under this priority, the White Paper sets out the following aims:

—    Encourage the spread of democracy and good political governance, in particular through fair electoral processes, effective parliamentary institutions, public participation in decision making, independent judiciaries and freedom of expression.

—    Press individual countries on core human rights issues and specific cases of concern and back up our policies with practical help.

—    Lead a systematic strategy across Government for engaging with the Muslim world and work with our EU partners, the US, and Muslim governments to promote peaceful reform and increase mutual understanding.

—    Help create the conditions in which developing countries can meet the Millennium Development Goals, in particular by working to ensure commitments made by the EU, G8 and African countries in 2005 are met.

—    Help ensure a successful pilot of the International Finance Facility (IFF) for immunisation and promote the wider roll-out of the IFF and other measures to increase aid flows and deliver more effective debt relief.

—    Maintain international momentum on climate change by working towards international agreement to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations through the UN framework, the Plan of Action agreed at Gleneagles and practical initiatives to develop sustainable energy technologies.

—     Promote co-ordinated international action against global human health threats such as AIDS, pandemic influenza and major chronic disease

—    Support delivery of the commitments made at the 2002 World Summit in Johannesburg, with an emphasis on environmental sustainability.

  74.  In June 2006 the Foreign Secretary issued a follow-up document to the White Paper—Active Diplomacy for a Changing World: the UK's International Priorities; Updated Highlights. This established a new international priority on "achieving climate security by promoting a faster transition to a sustainable, low carbon global economy".

  75.  The FCO also worked closely with DFID and DEFRA to ensure that sustainable development principles were embedded in the Government's July 2006 White Paper on Making Governance Work for the Poor (DFID White Paper).

  76.  The FCO Departmental Report reflects progress made on SP7, outlining our work on environmental governance (including PP10), forest governance, the Sustainable Development Dialogues, the Overseas Territories, and the cross-cutting three year strategy on human rights, democracy and good governance.

  77.  We also seek to embed sustainable development in specific policy strategies. For example, we are currently drafting the FCO Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategy which will support and help deliver the FCO's Sustainable Development Strategy and Sustainable Development Action Plan. The aims outlined in the CSR Strategy include commitments such as: developing international principles and codes of conduct (i.e. social and environmental); greater awareness amongst businesses of the risks of becoming complicit in human rights abuses; reduced emissions through a rapid shift to a low-carbon global economy; sustainable production and consumption: implementation of the International Labour Organisation's fundamental core labour standards, including the elimination of child labour, forced labour and discrimination in the workplace; sustainably managed forests and reduced illegal logging; effective management of revenues from natural resources; and sustainable tourism.

  78.  As the main portal to the FCO for the public, the FCO's external website also emphasises sustainable development; it has a full sustainable development section within the international priorities section. This gives information on priority areas, a downloadable version of the FCO SD strategy and review of the strategy, and sections on: The FCO's Sustainable Development Programme, under the Global Opportunities Fund; Environmental governance and natural resources; Forestry and illegal logging; Sustainable tourism; Action through the UN; Action through the EU; Priority countries; and Environmental management on our own estate.

International Energy Strategy

  79.  The International Energy Strategy (IES) was the first Whitehall document to bring together HMG's international objectives on energy security and climate change in an integrated fashion. It was signed by the three key government departments: FCO, DTI and DEFRA. This followed the establishment, for the first time, of an FCO Climate Change and Energy Group in September 2004. The group's primary task since then has been the implementation of the strategy.

  80.  Since the IES was published in late 2004, there is considerable evidence that it has led to more integrated policy making. The best example is the progress we have made on European energy policy. European Council Conclusions and high-level statements from the European Commission in 2006 show that the imperative to tackle climate change on an international basis is increasingly at the heart of the EU's energy strategy. The EU's Strategic Energy Review, published on 10 January, has confirmed this. The British Government has been highly active in shaping this agenda, which has required close and collaborative cross-working across Whitehall departments. The IES helped lay the foundations for this collaborative work.

  81.  As is generally acknowledged, the British Government has played a leading international role on climate change and energy security, from our Presidency of the G8 in 2005 to our launching of the EU Hampton Court initiative in autumn 2005. The Foreign Secretary's decision to adopt climate security as an FCO strategic priority, and her appointment of a Special Representative for Climate Change, are testament to her commitment to tackling climate change. In this area of work she is clear that the consideration of international energy policy is indivisible from the consideration of climate change issues.

  82.  The three main Whitehall departments continue to work together, with others such as No 10 and HM Treasury, on international energy and climate change policy. A major priority now is the Energy White Paper due for publication in March, where international issues will be an important element and to which a number of government departments are contributing.

Q7.   Is there adequate funding for projects in the FCO Sustainable Development Programme? Are all projects funded by the FCO, including under other programmes, leading to truly sustainable outcomes? How are FCO-funded projects screened to ensure their sustainability?

  83.  Sustainable development is a strategic international priority but it should be noted that FCO resources devoted to sustainable development and climate change are limited. See question three "structure and capacity for promoting UK international environmental and sustainable development priorities" for more information.

Programme funds

  84.  The FCO's Global Opportunities Fund (GOF) includes programmes on sustainable development; climate change and energy; economic reform; and the UK's Overseas Territories (including the Overseas Territories Environment Programme or OTEP).

  85.  The GOF Sustainable Development Programme (GOF-SD) currently has two main objectives:

(i)  to promote greater respect for human rights, democracy and governance particularly on priority themes through support to priority countries in their adherence to international human rights standards and norms especially UN Human Rights Treaties; and

(ii)  to promote sustainable management of natural resources in priority countries through improved environmental governance and more effective implementation and enforcement of international and national agreements and legislation.

  A review of the programme in 2006 recommended splitting the current GOF-SD to create separate Human Rights and Sustainable Development programmes. These new arrangements will be in place by April 2007 and will provide around £1.6 million of funding per annum for sustainable development projects and £3.4 million per annum for Human Rights projects. Furthermore, in response to the review we are revising the objectives for the GOF-SD programme and are developing a new strategy. Its aim will be to promote access to information, public participation and access to justice on environmental issues; the mainstreaming of SD into policies and planning; and the implementation of environmental legislation. To achieve this, and to maximise FCO impact in areas that are not necessarily being addressed by others in Whitehall, we expect the programme to focus on projects on environmental democracy, sustainable forest management and sustainable tourism.

Project examples

Green Scorpions—South Africa

  The Global Opportunities Fund Sustainable Development Programme is providing around £180,000 to train South African Environmental Management Inspectors, nick-named the `Green Scorpions', so that they are better able to deal with environmental crimes. Our support has helped to make the tackling of environmental offences a priority for the criminal justice system. This in turn raises South Africa's market profile internationally through the implementation of environmental enforcement, compliance and monitoring standards. This is a collaborative project between the Environment Agency (England and Wales), the British High Commission and the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. Work has commenced on this three-year project supporting the implementation of new environmental legislation, needing capacity building support for enforcement, to help newly designated Environmental Management Inspectors (EMIs). This project will continue until March 2008.

Amazon Deforestation—Tackling a root cause in Brazil

  We are providing £157,0000 to support a project run by The Nature Conservancy in Brazil to help combat deforestation by developing and implementing an independent certification scheme for "forest-friendly" soya. The scheme will be modelled on advances in timber certification in the Amazon and thematic certification, such as dolphin-friendly tuna, in First World markets.

Post tsunami—Sri Lanka tourist industry recovery programme

  This Travel Foundation project in Sri Lanka aims to contribute to the tsunami-recovery programme through a programme of sustainable tourism projects that will help restore the natural environment, provide new employment, training and income-generating opportunities, increase knowledge and awareness of the importance of the ecosystem, and contribute to the development and promotion of the Galle region as a tourist destination. As part of the project the Buena Vista Tree Nursery was officially opened at the end of December 2005, and nurserymen/women have been trained to produce plants for re-vegetation of tsunami-affected land, new housing developments and schools, and for sale to tourists through a "plant a tree" programme. The project also supports local crafts. GOF-SD has provided £35,000 to this project.

Other Government Departments' programmes

  86.  DEFRA and other departments and organisations have various funding programmes relating to sustainable development. Under our new action plan we aim to provide advice on project proposals under DEFRA's WSSD Implementation Fund (WIF) and their Environment for Europe (EfE) Fund (which also funds project under the Partners for Environmental Co-operation in Europe initiative). Our network of attaches receives advice on how to gain access to these funds for their own projects (most recently during the 2006 attaches conference) and, when appropriate, our Posts will also help to monitor and implement other WIF projects.

  87.  As already noted, we work closely with DEFRA on the Sustainable Development Dialogues and they have provided funding for additional personnel in Mexico, Brazil and China to assist with follow-up activities on the Dialogues, including project work.

Sustainability of projects

  88.  We aim to ensure that all projects are sustainable—both in terms of ensuring that they have a positive impact on local communities, environments and economies; and ensuring that projects continue to have an impact beyond the life-time of the funding.

  89.  Sustainable development is a strategic priority for the FCO so we aim to embed environmental considerations in all Global Opportunities Fund project work. The GOF programme office issues guidance notes for those bidding for project funds. The guidance asks that proposals assess the proposed projects' impacts on the environment—for example this includes considering the effect on the local environment (such as water supplies or waste disposal) and the wider impact on global warming and climate change (such as aviation or car emissions from travel). All potential direct and indirect impacts on the environment must be assessed, and alternatives, mitigating actions or justifications must be included in the proposal. The quality of these assessments varies and we are working to ensure that project implementers understand how to complete these assessments and what they can do to improve a project's environmental impacts. We are also working to make sure that policy leads who appraise projects know what they should be looking for in these assessments.

  90.  At the end of every project an evaluation report must be produced. The purpose of this report is to present information on the performance of the project and its impact. It is intended to allow programme managers to quickly assess how the project performed as well as to understand why such performance occurred. This is combined with what lessons have been learned and how implementation of such projects in the future should be modified in order to improve the chances of project success.

Q8.   How well does the FCO work with other departments, and in particular Defra, DfID and DTI, in relation to sustainable development objectives?

  91.  The FCO helps to progress the UK's international sustainable development objectives, particularly through our network of Posts. We cannot do this effectively unless we work closely with colleagues in other government departments (as most sustainable development, climate change and energy policy issues are led by other departments) and encourage Posts to do the same.

  92.  The Sustainable Development Team (within SDBG) works extremely closely with their counterparts at DEFRA and DFID, with DEFRA personnel seconded to the team itself. The Business Team (also within the same group—SDBG) have their own close working relationships with DTI and DFID. The Climate Change & Energy Group (CCEG) also works closely with other departments—particularly DEFRA, DFID, DTI and the Treasury. Both SDBG and CCEG co-ordinate Government activity on sustainable development, and climate and energy security at a country level in priority countries, including through:

—    developing Country Action Plans, agreed with Posts and relevant government departments;

—    designing and implementing GOF projects: DEFRA, DTI and DFID are represented on the appraisal panel for GOF Climate Change & Energy projects, and DEFRA and DFID are also on the appraisal panel for GOF Sustainable Development projects; and

—    co-ordination of "tailored conversations" on sustainable development, climate and energy issues with our priority countries, to ensure common and consistent messaging by Ministers and officials.

  93.  Our multilateral Posts—such as the UK's Missions to the UN in New York and Geneva, our Representation to the UN Environment Programme in Nairobi, our Representation to the EU in Brussels and our Delegations to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)—play a crucial role in advancing UK priorities on issues such as poverty reduction, environment, development, human rights, trade, debt relief, natural resource management, climate change and energy. The FCO ensures that our Attaches in multilateral Posts receive instructions that have been co-ordinated with Whitehall Departments. UK Missions also work directly with colleagues in DEFRA, DFID, HMT, DTI and other Departments on an ongoing basis and particularly in the run up to major international meetings and negotiations. For example, our International Organisations Department (IOD) coordinates UK policy on UN reform working across Whitehall. IOD also ensures a coherent UK approach to sustainable development issues in the UN, particularly for the annual session of the UN's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and during the UN General Assembly, working closely with DFID, DEFRA, HMT, DTI and other Departments.

Specific examples of cross-departmental working

  94.  Climate change: The FCO worked closely with other government departments, particularly DEFRA, DTI and DFID, in preparing authoritative advice before the UK undertook its international legal obligations under the Kyoto Protocol to the UN Convention on Climate Change. The UK ratified the Protocol on 31 May 2002. The UK has developed a policy to mitigate the causes of climate change and to secure UK and global energy supplies. Our achievements in 2006-07 on climate change were often the result of excellent teamwork with other Government Departments, particularly DEFRA, DTI and DFID. The FCO is represented in the UK delegation in all major bilateral and multilateral activity, for example at the UN negotiations on climate change and in the Gleneagles Dialogue on Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Development.

  95.  Delivery of WSSD commitments: We work particularly closely with both DEFRA, DFID and DTI on delivery of the commitments made at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) and to deliver the international commitments in the UK SD Strategy. We are part of an interdepartmental group (chaired by DEFRA and comprising representatives from DEFRA, DFID, FCO and DTI) which co-ordinates activity and monitors progress on these commitments. The FCO is the lead co-ordinating department on two UK WSSD commitments:

(i)  exploring the relationship between the environment and human rights, where we focus on promoting better environmental governance and the Partnership for Principle 10; and

(ii)  achieving more effective action by international organisations in promoting sustainable development. The FCO also helps other departments deliver other WSSD commitments, for example through our work on natural resource management, climate change and energy.

  96.  Poverty reduction and debt relief: The FCO uses its network of bilateral and multilateral Posts to support DfID's work on poverty reduction, including by encouraging the integration of the principles of sustainable development into poverty reduction strategies, policies and programmes. The FCO works with the Treasury and DFID to ensure that international financial institutions and the OECD DAC (Development Assistance Committee) make decisions on aid, lending and debt that support sustainable development. We also support improved co-ordination with other international organisations to help meet WSSD commitments.

  97.  International trade and finance: The FCO supports the commitment in the UK SD Strategy to work through the WTO to promote trade liberalisation and environmental protection, for example by strengthening links between the WTO and those Multilateral Environmental Agreements that have trade provisions.

  98.  Natural resource management: The FCO works with other government departments in promoting improved natural resource management, such as sustainable forest management and tackling illegal logging; protecting and managing biodiversity in the Overseas Territories, promoting sustainable tourism; and implementing Multilateral Environmental Agreements.

Q9.   How well does the FCO meet the competing demands placed upon them by different departments such as DTI and DEFRA, and is there evidence that the environment and development are given adequate priority?

  99.  The formation of Global and Economic Issues Directorate on 1 April 2006 gave us the opportunity to bring together the FCO's work on sustainable development and global business issues in a single department, the Sustainable Development & Business Group (SDBG). Both issues continue to have their own FCO Strategic Priority. The positioning of the sustainable development teams within a policy group, alongside global and economic issues sends an important signal that sustainable development is a core business issue for the FCO. Similarly, the creation of Climate Change and Energy Group (CCEG) brought together climate and energy security within a single group as both are essential for maintaining security and prosperity and are core business for the FCO.

  100.  There is always potential for tensions between sustainable development and economic growth. However, if problems do arise we can address them constructively together because of our close working relationship across a range of issues. The FCO is uniquely positioned to harness the knowledge of both departments to achieve the UK's international objectives so FCO work with DEFRA and DTI can be mutually reinforcing rather than competitive.

  101.  For example, November was the FCO's "Responsible Business Month". As a part of that initiative we are working on a Stakeholder Plan for Business and a Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy. These documents recognise the FCO's role in supporting UK firms abroad but also acknowledge that business has the potential to be our most powerful ally in meeting the UK's international objectives and achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

  102.  Furthermore, a number of sustainable development/business synergies have been realised as a result of our merger. For example, marine biodiversity (such as conserving whales) is now handled by the same team dealing with commercial exploitation of the oceans (bioprospecting, continental shelf delimitation etc.); policy on sustainable tourism and deforestation now takes more account of key market/business aspects of these phenomena; and being the link department to UKTI the group is also helping to implement UKTI's new five-year strategy (which includes a new emphasis on supporting UK environmental technology firms internationally).

Q10.   To what extent does the FCO work with non-state actors in achieving sustainable development objectives? Has the FCO made full use of such organisations?

FCO Stakeholder policy

"As the links between domestic and international issues grow, co-operation between Departments of Government and with the private sector, NGOs and the public must deepen."

White Paper on the UK's International Priorities—Updated Highlights, June 2006

  103.  The FCO as an international network actively engages with non-state actors, such as NGOs, faith groups, businesses, trade unions and others, in delivering the Government's international strategic priorities. The White Paper highlighted a need for the FCO to strengthen its partnerships and build a future based on shared values and interests. The FCO is seeking to tap into the expertise and experience of a range of stakeholder groups and communities throughout this country, with an aim to set up strategic partnerships and networks in the UK and overseas to work towards common goals.

  104.  We also work extensively with stakeholders. A number of NGOs contributed to the FCO SD Action Plan, and will continue to help us with implementation. We have invited this group to meet again in March or April to help us review progress towards our SDAP and give us an external perspective. The Action Plan itself envisages extensive co-operation with non-government actors. One early example will be a round-table with NGOs in February to discuss collaboration in drawing the links between climate security and development.

Other examples of how we work with stakeholders

  105.  The FCO is developing a strategies for engagement with businesses, trade unions, NGOs, and faith groups, which recognise the achievement they can make to help achieve the Government's international environmental objectives.

  106.  Delivering projects through stakeholders: Non-state actors play a particularly effective role in cooperation with our FCO network overseas in direct implementation of GOF projects. For example, through the Global Opportunities Fund Sustainable Development Programme (GOF SD), the FCO is supporting various NGO run projects in 18 countries world-wide. GOF projects involve work with organisations as varied and diverse as the Argentine National Parks Agency, Conservation International Brasil, WWF, Centrex, the RSPB, and the Travel Foundation.

Examples of working through partnerships

  PECE: The FCO, along with Defra and DfID, is a founding member of the Partners for Environmental Co-operation in Europe initiative, or PECE (www.pece.co.uk). PECE brings together organisations from the public sector, business and civil society—based in the UK, the countries of Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia, and multilateral organisations—who have a shared goal to help protect the environment and promote sustainable development. PECE's 87 member organisations include Shell, Imperial College London, UNEP, and the Environment Council. FCO officials, both in London and at Posts, are actively involved in assessing project bids, and we have a representative on the PECE board to select projects. Previous projects include providing local government officials in far-Eastern Russia skills needed to work effectively with the private sector and civil society on sustainable development. Current running projects include the establishment of a sustainable pilot waste management scheme (collection, transport and disposal) in at least one Azeri community, helping to tackle environmental and health and safety problems in both the short and long-term.

  The travel foundation (www.thetravelfoundation.org.uk) was launched by Bill Rammell MP in October 2003 under the Prime Minister's Sustainable Tourism Initiative. An independent UK charity that aims to help the outbound travel industry manage tourism more sustainably, it offers a unique resource to the tourism industry, helping to safeguard resources on which business depends and balancing the need for sustainability with profitability. Crucially it brings together government, NGOs and the private sector to work in partnership. Though FCO core financial support ceased in 2004 (funding since has been from the travel industry, with partners such as BA, Thomas Cook, First Choice and Virgin), the FCO continues to work closely with the Travel Foundation. For instance, FCO officials have observer status on the board of trustees, GOF-SD money has been used to fund a number of the Foundation's projects and the FCO also hosted 2005 and 2006 AGMs for the Foundation.

  The World Resources Institute provides the secretariat to the Partnership for Principle 10 (PP10), a global coalition of civil society groups, governments and international organisations formed to promote transparent, inclusive and accountable decision-making at the national level. We work closely with WRI to encourage other governments such as The Netherlands and Sweden to join the partnership. We will continue to explore how best to use the knowledge gained by NGO partners in implementing Principle 10 to encourage other governments to join PP10.

Q11.   Should the FCO be required to extend its environmental policy statement to its foreign estate? How well does its foreign estate perform in relation to the policy statement? Is the FCO foreign estate providing an example of our international environmental aspirations, such as the use of less polluting vehicles or renewable energy?

Sustainable Operations on our Estate

  107.  The Environmental Policy Statement is part of the policy infrastructure of the FCO's Environmental Management System (EMS) in the UK. Awareness of and support for good environmental practice is high across our overseas network, and we have begun to roll out formal EMS principles to Posts, starting with a pilot project involving nine Posts in 2005-06, and extending this to a further tranche of twenty Posts this financial year. If resources allow, we will extend the principles to a further twenty Posts in 2007-08, and a further twenty in 2008-09. As part of their application of EMS principles, each of these Posts will be required to develop a local environmental policy (where not already established), based on our UK sustainability policies.

  108.  However, we do not think it would be possible to apply to the overseas estate our Environmental Policy Statement and the measures that support it in the UK, without adaptation. The overseas network consists of over 220 Posts in 160+ countries. There are significant differences in the size of individual Posts' operations, the age and nature of their buildings, and the local environmental and infrastructure background against which they operate. For example, 25% of our UK car fleet is now powered by alternative fuels. When purchasing vehicles, Posts' value for money assessment must take account of environmental performance. So sustainability is a factor in vehicle selection. But it would clearly be wrong to buy a technically advanced vehicle which could not be maintained locally.

  109.  We are currently engaged in a significant building programme overseas to improve the security of our Posts. In the UK, we apply the standard Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method to all new builds and major refurbishments. Working with the BRE, we have developed a bespoke environmental assessment method, which we now apply to our new builds and major refurbishment projects overseas. Equally, we insist that materials used in our new builds overseas are obtained from renewable resources.

  110.  As far as our existing buildings are concerned, we are currently extending the coverage of our property management database to all our properties overseas, owned and rented alike. When complete the system will give us the information we need to measure the full environmental impact of the overseas estate and, hence, the tools to mitigate this.

  111.  We are working with REEEP (the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership) to offset the emissions generated by the air travel of UK based staff and Ministers. We also encourage staff in our Posts to make a voluntary contribution from their travel budgets to an airline or other organisation to offset the carbon emissions from their air travel.

Q12.   How well are environmental objectives reflected in the FCO Public Service Agreements?

  112.  We have a specific Public Service Agreement (PSA) target on sustainable development: "To promote sustainable development, underpinned by democracy, good governance and human rights, particularly through effective delivery of programmes in these and related fields."

  113.  As mentioned in preceding answers, the FCO aims to embed environmental concerns throughout its work; actively engaging multilateral and bilateral contacts through our network of attaches and Posts to ensure that sustainable development is appropriately considered in a number of issues.

  114.  The Government's international climate change strategy has ambitious objectives on urgent collective international action. We need to scale up efforts and take innovative approaches across government in order to achieve a step change in international engagement and to implement the strategy.

Q13.   Has the FCO met its responsibilities towards the environment in UK Overseas Territories?

  115.  Responsibility for the protection of the environment in the UK Overseas Territories is owned jointly by the Governments of the Overseas Territories and the UK Government as a whole. As the 1999 White Paper Partnership for Progress and Prosperity made clear, Britain is pledged to defend the Overseas Territories, to encourage their sustainable development and to look after their interests internationally. The responsibility for the environment of the Overseas Territories rests with the people and the governments of the Territories. The UK Government can, and does, support those governments to deliver sustainable development. The FCO has a role, as do DEFRA, DFID, the Ministry of Defence and a number of NGOs. All of these give support through either direct financial or technical assistance.

  116.  The Overseas Territories (except British Antarctic Territory and the Cyprus SBAs) signed Environment Charters with HMG in 2001. Gibraltar has a different type of Charter. The Charters have a list of commitments that both HMG and the OT Governments are working towards.

  117.  As a result of the Charters, the Overseas Territories Environment Programme (OTEP), a joint FCO and DFID funded programme, was initiated to support the OTs with the implementation of the Charters and environmental management more generally. It began with an initial budget of £3 million for three years, to March 2007. Further funding of £469,000 (FCO) and £500,000 (DFID) has been approved for FY2007-08. OTEP has funded projects in most territories, including: environmental legislation in Anguilla; eradication of rodents on Eagle Island in British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT); support for an Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) conference in the Falkland Islands; and habitat restoration in Bermuda.

  118.  OTEP was subject to an independent review in late 2005 by the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development. The review was led by Dr Stephen Bass, formerly Chief Environment Adviser at DFID. The review and the OTEP Secretariat's response to its recommendations are available at http://www.ukotcf.org/otep/review2005.htm. The review noted that "after only two years of operation, OTEP has become a highly valued source of support to environment stakeholders in the OTs—both governmental and non-governmental—and is a particularly key player in biodiversity conservation."

Q14.   How effective have public diplomacy activities funded by FCO been in promoting sustainable development principles abroad?

  119.  We see public diplomacy as a tool to help us achieve our strategic priorities through engagement with the public overseas; it is vital for sustainable development. We are developing a new approach to public diplomacy work, focusing on three of the government's International Strategic Priorities: achieving climate security; promoting sustainable development, poverty reduction, human rights, democracy and good governance; and supporting the UK economy and business. This approach is being piloted by key UK governmental and non-governmental public diplomacy organisations in eight countries from January 2007 for two years. There are three objectives behind the pilot country exercise:

(a)  to concentrate our effort on priority issues in priority countries in order to achieve change;

(b)  to test public diplomacy approaches so we can see what works and what doesn't as a means of informing decisions on future activity; and

(c)  to test a new approach to measuring the impact of public diplomacy work.

Public Diplomacy Fund

  120.  Part of the FCO's Public Diplomacy Fund (PDF) is used to support public diplomacy projects globally through a competitive bidding process (the other part of the PDF supports the new pilot approach to public diplomacy). In 2006/7, projects to a total value of approximately £2 million were supported. Many of these projects help to deliver our sustainable development or climate security objectives, for example:

—    Promoting awareness in Turkmenistan of climate change issues, to strengthen the Embassy's contacts with local governmental environment agencies, and to raise Britain's profile as the leading nation in matters of global concern.

—    Developing the relevant capacities of media and civil society organisations on environmental issues in Sri Lanka.

—    Promoting UK excellence in energy efficiency and energy saving and improving awareness of these matters among local communities and media in Ukraine.

—    Translating the growing awareness of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Singapore's tourism and hospitality sector into widespread commitment to put CSR into practice.

—    Demonstrating the UK's leadership in tackling climate change in Japan and making Japanese businesses, decision-makers and policy formulators aware of the economic benefits of improved environmental performance.

—    Highlighting UK leadership in innovative green city development by encouraging the sharing of climate change best practice between Woking, regarded as a model energy efficient city, and US cities.

Chevening Programme

  121.  The aim of the Chevening programme is to build influence for the UK among the leaders of the future in support of the International Strategic Priorities. The Chevening Programme—for which the FCO provides £32 million per year—is divided into Chevening Scholarships (generally one year Master's courses) and Chevening Fellowships (12 week tailor made courses for mid-career professionals).

Chevening Scholarships

  122.  Scholarships are offered in over 150 countries; they enable talented graduates and young professionals to study in the UK to gain skills which will benefit their own countries. Scholarships are used to fund studies in a wide range of subjects, many of which help build capacity on sustainable development—for example of the 1677 scholarships awarded in 2005/6, 79 were for environmental studies, 180 for international relations, 129 for development and gender studies and 59 for science and technology.

Chevening Fellowships

  123.  Chevening Fellowships are tailor-made short courses for overseas, mid-career professionals that focus on subjects aligned to the Government's international strategic priorities. In 2006 the University of Wolverhampton delivered a new Fellowship course on Governance & Environmental Democracy on behalf of the FCO. This course supports our strategic priority on "promoting sustainable development and poverty reduction underpinned by human rights, democracy, good governance and protection of the environment". Fourteen of the fifteen participants valued the Fellowship as a high-quality professional development opportunity which also increased their professional network. The same number claimed the Fellowship gave them the opportunity to gather information and exchange knowledge at an international level. The course is being repeated in 2007. Other Fellowship courses—such as those on More Efficient Energy Consumption and The Economics of Energy—also support our sustainable development objectives.

January 2007

---

---

Prepared 23 May 2007