Conclusions
The Government's role at Rio+20
1. We
had hoped to report on the Rio+20 outcomes sooner, but wanted
to provide every opportunity for the Deputy Prime Minister to
engage with us, and provide evidence, on his role before and after
the Summit. We can understand that the Deputy Prime Minister is
reluctant to be expected to give evidence to all committees simply
on account of his Government-wide representative role. But in
this case, he not only led the delegation but also announced a
new policy initiative at the Summit (on corporate emissions reporting).
His perspectives would therefore have been particularly useful
to our inquiry and it is regrettable that he declined to give
oral evidence to us in that capacity. (Paragraph 6)
2. Defra, which took
the lead in coordinating the Government's preparations for the
Rio+20 Summit, consulted businesses and NGOs and brought some
into the official delegation. It allowed the Government at the
Summit to demonstrate a better understanding of the agenda than
it would otherwise have been able to do, but the businesses and
NGOs were not an integral part of the process of formulating the
Government's approach to the Rio agenda. (Paragraph 21)
3. It is regrettable that the Prime Minister did not attend the Rio+20 Summit. There might have been a case for the Deputy Prime Minister attending in his place on the grounds that no treaty or other firm legal commitments were in prospect, and it is arguable whether the Brazilian diplomacy or the outcomes of the Summit would have been any different had the Prime Minister gone. However, the Prime Minister's absence meant that the Government failed to take advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to the sustainable development agenda not just internationally but also at home in the UK.
(Paragraph 25)
Taking forward the Rio+20 commitments
4. The commitments from Rio+20 challenged the UK, like all countries, to do more to promote a green economy, but effectively left it to individual countries to decide how strongly to embrace the principles of a green economy. While the Government says that it is committed to a green economy, it still has to demonstrate that commitment by producing an overarching strategy that will actively drive its delivery.
(Paragraph 31)
5. The UK is a leader in measuring progress on sustainable development through its initiatives on GDP-plus, Sustainable Development Indicators and the planned inclusion of natural capital in the National Accounts. These are important initiatives, but the test of their effectiveness will be in how such metrics are used to drive policy-making.
(Paragraph 33)
6. We concur with the International Development Committee's conclusion that the SDG and post-2015 Development goals processes should be carried out jointly, and welcome the recommendation from the High Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, co-chaired by the Prime Minister, to integrate sustainable development targets with poverty eradication and climate change targets. It is vital that the Sustainable Development Goals introduce a shift from the developing country focus of the Millennium Development Goals towards a more universal approach which will also be relevant to developed countries. Goals also embracing developed countries should ensure that development does not jeopardise environmental 'planetary boundaries' by emphasising the importance of sustainable consumption and production. The High Level Panel's conclusion that Post-2015 Development Agenda targets should equally address developed countries is therefore welcome. As with other Rio+20 commitments, the UK's input on the SDGs (whether they are eventually separate from or combined with the Post-2015 Development Goals) needs to reflect a departmentally cross-cutting view of the sustainable development challenges we face.
(Paragraph 38)
7. We welcome the
Government's decision to introduce mandatory emissions reporting
for large UK-listed companies. Rio+20 challenged countries to
go further, however, to introduce 'sustainability reporting' which
would include a wider set of information in companies' annual
accounts. The information already required to be included in Government
departments' reports demonstrates what might be possible. (Paragraph
47)
8. Education for sustainable
development is vital in developing countries faced with the effects
of climate change and natural resource constraints. But it is
also important that here in the UK future generations, including
future leaders, fully understand the necessity of sustainable
development, to put us on a sustainable footing and to provide
the skills needed for a green economy. That requires a foundation
of education and training that reflects an understanding of sustainable
development at all stages, from primary schools through to apprentice
colleges and universities. The proposed new national curriculum
allows schools to set their own priorities for study, and we hope
that all schools will wish to develop sustainable development
learning. (Paragraph 55)
9. The Government
is in a pivotal position to make progress on the globally-focussed
commitments flowing from the Rio+20 Summit, by virtue of the Prime
Minister's co-chairmanship of the UN Secretary General's High
Level Panel on post-2015 development and as one of the working
group countries developing the Sustainable Development Goals.
Consistent and effective action is also needed in the UK, but
recent policy development suggests that the Government has not
resolved its attitude and approach to sustainable development
at home. (Paragraph 64)
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