SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

• Mee Kam Ng
• Centre of Urban Planning Environmental
  Management
• The University of Hong Kong
• 5 December 2006

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Contents

• Ice-breaking game
• Why sustainable development?
• What is sustainable development?
• Sustainable development key milestones
• Sustainable development at different geographical
  scale
• From individual to global
• China
• Hong Kong
• Conclusion

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Ice-breaking game
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Sustainable development
Social
Environmental
Economic
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1. Do you reduce, reuse recycle?
Yes No
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2. Do you use sustainable mode of transportation
such as public transport and walking?
Yes No
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3. Have you participated in community activities?
Yes No
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4. Do you have a good relationship with your
neighbour?
Yes No
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5. Are you concerned about heritage conservation?
Yes No
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6. Do you appreciate local character?
Yes No
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7. Do you support local economy?
Yes No
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Why Sustainable Development?
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• Figures
• Carbon dioxide during 400 000 years
• Projected changes in global temperature
• Global fossil carbon emissions
• CO2 concentration, temperature and sea level
• Comparison between GDP and CO2 emissions for
  selected countries
• World primary energy use and carbon dioxide
  emissions by region from 1971 to 1998

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(No Transcript)
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The Development Gap
Christie, I and D. Warburton, 2001, p.7, Table 1.1
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Unsustainable Exploitation of Resources

• Since 1971, global energy use has increased by
  70 and is expected to rise 2 per year in the
  next 15 years. This will increase greenhouse
  gases by 50 over current levels.
• Increased atmospheric nitrogen from fossil fuel
  combustion and farming of root crops, which
  release nitrogen, has intensified the occurrence
  in of acid rain
• Natural resources (e.g. soils, forests, fish
  aquatic habitats) continue to decrease in
  quantity due to fires, pollution and human
  influence

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Unsustainable Exploitation of Resources

• Loss of biological diversity has resulted from
  human activities such as deforestation and
  pollution.
• 40 of our global economy is dependent on
  biologically derived products.
• 17 million hectares of tropical forest destroyed
  each year
• 70-100 species disappear every day
• Water, soil and air have been strained due to
  high pollution levels.

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What is Sustainable Development?
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Key elements of sustainable development and
interconnections

• Source Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
• http//www.ipcc.ch/present/graphics.htm

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Principles of Sustainable Development

• Ecologically ethical utilization of natural
  resources
• Inter- and intra-generational equity
• Precautionary principle
• Subsidiarity principle
• A sustainable process
• Partnership among stakeholders

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Sustainable Development key milestones
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• 1962 Silent Spring (by Rachel Carson)
• 1969 Friends of the Earth
• 1970 Celebrate Earth Day 2004
• 1970 The limits to growth
• 1972 Only one Earth
• 1972 United Nations Environment Programme
• 1976 UN-HABITAT
• 1983 Our common future

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The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) has been established by WMO and UNEP to
assess scientific, technical and socio- economic
information relevant for the understanding of
climate change, its potential impacts and options
for adaptation and mitigation. It is open to all
Members of the UN and of WMO.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
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• 1992- Earth Summit Is development sustainable?
• 1993- UN Commission on Sustainable Development
• 1997 Kyoto Protocol
• Earth Summit 2002 Building partnerships for
  sustainable development

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Sustainable development at different
geographical scale
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From individual to global
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Do you reduce, reuse recycle?
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Are you using sustainable mode of transportation
such as public transport and walking?
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Sustaining the Environment
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Have you participated in community activities?
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Do you have a good relationship with your
neighbour?
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Sustaining the Community
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Are you concerned about heritage conservation?
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Do you appreciate local character?
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Do you support local economy?
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Sustaining the Economy
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Sustainable development in China
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Chinas Agenda 21

• 1978 Open Door Policy, rapid industrialization
  urbanization ? serious environmental problems
• June 1992 UN Conference on Environment and
  Development in Rio de Janeiro
• July 1992 the State Development Planning
  Commission (SDPC) the State Science
  Technology Commission (SSTC) were appointed as
  the leading institutions for co-ordinating all
  ministries, departments and non-government
  organizations to work together to formulate
  Chinas Agenda 21White Paper on Chinas
  Population, Environment and Development in the
  21st Century

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Chinas Agenda 21

• SDPC socio-economic planning
• SSTC research and development
• ACCA21 The Administrative Centre for Chinas
  Agenda 21secretariat set up in May 1994
• March 25, 1994 Chinas Agenda 21, the first
  national agenda 21 formulated after the 1st Earth
  Summit

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Chinas Agenda 21

• Meaning of sustainable development
• Economy material foundation cornerstone of
  sustainable development poverty alleviation
  improving living standards of the people
  protection of the environment
• Rational utilization of natural resources and
  environmental protection
• The planned economy needs to be transformed into
  a socialist market economy
• Change of attitudes and behaviour new awareness,
  concepts and knowledge of SD
• Agenda 21 a guide document for drawing up medium
  long-term plans on socio-economic development
  Five Year Plans sectoral plans at different
  levels

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Strategic SD Concepts

• To promote the shift in economic structure the
  mode of economic development improving quality
  of development in growth
• Relying on science and technology integrating
  science, education the economy
• To promote moral ethical development to
  strengthen democracy legal systems
• Control population growth
• Policies and laws on utilization protection of
  natural resources
• Controlling pollution preventing soil erosion
• Help the poor programmes
• National policy, legal system, decision making
  and management coordination mechanisms for SD

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SD Development Planning Institution Process

• SD strategies were incorporated into the FYPs,
  various cross-sectoral and sectoral plans and
  local plans (Local Agenda 21 Pilot Programme,
  Priority Programme and Experimental Sustainable
  Community)

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Conclusion

• SD in China still economics first
• Translating strategy into policies programmes
• Chinas Agenda 21 ? through various directives
  circulars ? different ministries and governments
  at different geographical scale
• FYPs, local agenda 21 and actions plans, priority
  programmes, experimental projects
• Top-down, technical approach, with little
  participation
• Rhetoric vs actions, esp. at the local levels

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Hong Kong
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SusDev 21 conclusions
1997-2000

• Existing institutional mechanisms do not fully
  promote the development of holistic views about
  issues in a way which recognises sustainable
  development.
• Communication barriers exist among different
  Bureaux and Departments, which results in
  decisions being taken without the full benefit of
  inputs from across the range of sectoral
  interests.
• The existing operational culture is not conducive
  to greater integration and accountability. This
  in turn creates a resistance to institutional
  change.
• Policy formulation in key areas which impinge on
  sustainability issues are sometimes ad-hoc and
  slow.

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SusDev 21 conclusions

• Roles and responsibilities are at times unclear
  and this detracts from transparency and
  accountability. Incentives to take the lead and
  make decisions are not in the right place.
• Whilst the concept of sustainability has broad
  support within the Administration, it has not
  reached far enough at all levels (as it must if
  it is to be meaningfully pursued).
• There is no existing, forward looking strategy
  for sustainable development. Certain Bureaux and
  Departments are uncertain about introducing
  mechanisms to make sustainable development
  operational in the absence of a government
  strategy on sustainable development.

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Sustainable Development Unit

• The Sustainable Development Unit (SDU) is under
  the Administration Wing of the Chief Secretary
  for Administration's Office since April 2001. Our
  main tasks are to facilitate the integration of
  sustainable development into new Government
  initiatives and programmes and in the community
  generally, and to provide support to the Council
  for Sustainable Development.

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Sustainable Development Council

• to advise the Government on the priority areas it
  should address in promoting sustainable
  development
• to advise on the preparation of a sustainable
  development strategy for Hong Kong that will
  integrate economic, social and environmental
  perspectives
• to facilitate community participation in the
  promotion of sustainable development in Hong Kong
  through various means, including the award of
  grants from the Sustainable Development Fund and
  
• to promote public awareness and understanding of
  the principles of sustainable development.

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Sustainable Development StrategyFirst
Engagement Report
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Sustainable Development Strategy Population
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Sustainable Developmentfrom THEORY to ACTION

• Environmental, social, economic INSTITUTIONAL
  dimensions
• At different levels INDIVIDUAL TO GLOBAL
• PROCESS PARTNERSHIP driven