APEC officials to make environment a priority

APEC officials to make environment a priority

MANILA (AFP): Fast-growing economies in the Asia Pacific
region aim to make the environment a priority at a leaders'
summit in November, officials said here yesterday.

Officials from the 18-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC) forum would draft a declaration that gives priority to
ensuring development that does not harm the environment, APEC
officials said.

The draft ministerial declaration would be forwarded to
leaders at the APEC summit to be held in the northern port of
Subic, said officials at the start of a four-day officials'
meeting on sustainable development here.

"Sustainable cities are a very important primary concern of
APEC economies, " said Philippine environment undersecretary
Delfin Ganapin, who chaired the meeting.

He said the concern was fueled by rapid growth and expansion
among APEC member economies.

Ganapin told delegates that in Manila there were emerging
problems in urban development, referring to worsening traffic,
increasing pollution and the growth of squatter areas.

These problems were "consequences of our successes in economic
and industrial development as well as rapid population growth
common not only to the Philippines but to many of the economies
of APEC," he said.

The declaration "will assure that (sustainable development)
will be a major consideration in the upcoming leader's meeting,"
he said, adding that an APEC leader would bring the issue up at
the summit, Ganapin said.

While APEC was still devoted to opening up regional trade, the
officials also wanted to ensure that freer trade would be
"supportive and protective of the environment."

Among measures suggested to promote sustainable cities were
increasing partnerships between the private and public sectors,
including non-government organizations.

Ways of financing and encouraging protection of the
environment such as tax incentives to property developers
allocating green spaces in urban parks, or pollution charges for
waste discharge were also considered.

Ganapin conceded such measures may lift costs for poorer
countries which might reduce their attractiveness to foreign
investors, but said officials hoped to reach consensus on how to
implement these measures immediately.

The officials' meeting here aims to promote and identify areas
of cooperation in urban management, clean technology and
sustainability of marine environment and to draft an action plan
on sustainable development.