Consistent with other international
environment and development regimes such as the UN climate
change and biodiversity processes, the Commission on Sustainable Development has
witnessed a rapid rise in the quantity and quality of events
held in conjunction with its annual meetings. Indeed, many
participants now appear to believe that such side events have become as important as the
"main feature" of CSD’s official schedule. Following the four
themes contained within CSD’s 2006/7 thematic cluster, the
more than 65 side events mostly centered around the
interrelated issues of energy, industrial development, air
pollution, and climate.
ENERGY ISSUES
Just as with the "official" CSD discussions,
there is no doubt that energy was the primary focus of the
side events. Most events address one or more aspects of this
issue, with a large number focused on access to energy for the
developing world. At these events, a common theme among some
speakers was that, although it is not mentioned explicitly
within the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), energy access
is critical to achieving most development goals. The value
that the side event component of CSD-14 added here was
a pragmatic sense of what is required to "energize" vast
areas, and the development benefits that this carries with it.
In the lively discussions that often followed
panel presentations on the subject, the debate over whether to
focus on the introduction of renewable technologies such as
solar power inevitably emerged. The bulk of presenters
maintained that the short term focus should be on providing
access to energy, and that this may very well require fossil
fuels, such as liquid petroleum gas. However, many donors have
expressed their preference for funding climate-friendly
technologies, pointing out that innovations such as solar and
improved biomass stoves are less dependent on ongoing external
fuel inputs, and hence less subject to the volatility of fuel
prices. Several participants from both developing and
developed countries objected strongly to this stance, saying
that the plight of the poor merits immediate assistance, and
that having this hinge on the adoption of climate-friendly
technology is immoral. Related to this debate was the
definition of what "renewable" actually means, and
particularly whether large-scale hydropower projects that
involve widespread flooding and displacement should be
included within this category.
HEALTH AND GENDER EQUITY
Several events tied the issue of cooking
stoves to the health issues associated with the burning of
biomass and improper ventilation. Further, the issue of gender
equity figured prominently within this debate, with research
showing the disproportionate burden borne by women and
children in the time-consuming collection of fuel, an activity
so time-consuming it can present a significant barrier to
formal education. Many participants and panelists were also
vocal about the need to go beyond "tokenism" with this issue,
and to move to a rights-based approach regarding women and
energy policy.
Energy efficiency also figured prominently
within the events, mostly with regards to seizing the
"low-hanging fruit" by replacing obsolete appliances and
reforming the transport sector, with the greatest gains to be
had in the developed world. This was part of a larger
discussion of sustainable production and consumption, and the
need to decouple economic prosperity from energy
consumption.
THE ROLE OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR
The role of the private sector figured
prominently at several events, with discussions revolving
around the need for conducive regulatory and investment
frameworks to attract business and stimulate entrepreneurship,
the utility of public-private partnerships, and how the
concept of "corporate social responsibility" can be taken
beyond a public relations exercise to produce verifiable
performance improvements.
Just as significant, however, were the issues
absent from the CSD official agenda that were addressed in
several side events. It is probably no coincidence that some
of these events were among the most well-attended of the
entire two weeks.
THE NUCLEAR DEBATE
One such topic was that of nuclear energy.
Given that 2006 marks the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl
disaster, it is not surprising that two out of the three
related side events cautioned against nuclear power being
deemed a safe or viable option to include in the future energy
mix, and urged a focus on renewables and energy efficiency as
sustainable solutions. However, some pro-nuclear advocates
continue to argue that the door should remain open to all
energy options in the face of rising greenhouse gas emissions
and the need to address climate change.
UN REFORM
Another issue that received greater attention
within the side events than within the main discussions was
the contentious issue of UN reform and environment and
development, revolving around the General Assembly’s informal
consultations, as well as the High Level Panel for System-Wide
Coherence. The bulk of discussions here were focused on how to
avoid pitting environment against development, how to close
the widening gap between commitments made and implementation,
how to further engage civil society and major groups, and the
need to revitalize long-term substantial funding.
Finally, a number of participants remarked
that the high quality of the research projects presented at
many CSD-14 side
events is not currently reflected in the shelf-life or
attention they are given by decision makers. Some felt that
this could be due in part to the sheer volume of literature
and other materials that is generated and distributed, and the
number of events held simultaneously during the course of the
meeting. Whether this is true or not, it seems clear that the
growing interest shown in CSD’s side events may finally be
generating recognition for the informal dialogue and knowledge
sharing that many seem to feel is an unsung cornerstone of
multilateral environment
agreements.
