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.