"Global Warming in an Unequal World" (Hansard, 15 May 1991)

Viscount Astor
My Lords, I have seen a copy of the report. While we do not share the approach it suggests, the report does highlight the important role of the developing countries in the international response to climate change. The Government are strongly committed to the negotiation of a convention on climate change to be signed during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in June 1992. To be effective in tackling this global problem, the convention must be supported by all the world's major greenhouse gas emitters, including leading developing countries.

§ Lord Hatch of Lusby
My Lords, I thank the noble Viscount for that Answer. Is he aware that the report is a counterblast to the propaganda that is mounting in Washington, based on the World Resources Institute, suggesting that the developing countries are as culpable as the developed countries in producing the major greenhouse gases? Is it not a fact that the United States and the Soviet Union alone account for 1611 about 30 per cent. of the total world emissions of those gases? Is that not a major issue which the Government will face, and one hopes are now preparing to face, at next year's conference in Rio?

Viscount Astor
My Lords, this is of course a major issue. The Government support the aim of preparing the climate change convention in time for its signature during i he conference. We are also playing an active part in negotiations for a convention on bio-diversity and an international agreement on forestry to be finalises in time for the conference. UNCED will look at a great range of environment and development issues. We hope that it will agree an action agenda on key issues and produce a declaration, or charter, of environmental rights and principles.

§ Baroness Nicol
The Minister states that we must include the underdeveloped countries on this attack on global warming. Can he say how seriously the report about which my noble friend asks is taken? For example, will it be studied by our own Interagency Committee on research into global environmental change? I refer to the committee into which all our research councils have an input. If the Minister takes the report seriously perhaps he will suggest that those councils consider it and take it into account when they next advise the Government.

Viscount Astor
My Lords, I have stated that we do not necessarily share the approach that the report suggests. It suggests a global formula which seeks to solve this complex issue of climate change in one bite. We believe that the negotiation of such a formula would invariably delay the world's response to this serious problem. We prefer to approach the current negotiations on a step-by-step basis. That was the approach successfully adopted in the international agreements on the protection of the ozone layer.
The authors of the report met officials from my department when they recently visited this country. They had a very interesting discussion on the issues raised in the report.

Lord John Mackie
My Lords, the noble Viscount referred to an international agreement on forestry. Will he consider his Government's record on planting trees in this country over the past two years?

Viscount Astor
My Lords, we are proud of our record of planting trees. However, that is a rather different question from the one on the Order Paper.

§ Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos
My Lords, does the noble Viscount agree that this problem is closely related to the external debt burden of the third world? Does he recall the proposal made by his right honourable friend the Prime Minister in the Commonwealth meeting held last year? Mr. Major then proposed that the external debt of the poorer countries should be cut by two-thirds? Will he tell the House what progress has been made on his right honourable friend's proposal?

Viscount Astor
My Lords, I am afraid that I cannot say what progress has been made. I can say what we are doing. We are co-operating with 1612 developing countries in many ways. Through the Overseas Development Administration we aim to strengthen the ability of developing countries to manage their environmental resources in a sustainable way. The ODA is examining ways of enhancing its work in the energy sector. The Government have announced a contribution of£40 million to the new global environment facility in the World Bank to provide funds for projects in developing countries with global environmental benefits. We have also increased our support for conservation of tropical forests by£100 million and now fund projects with a total value of£174 million.

§ Lord Hatch of Lusby
My Lords, I congratulate the noble Viscount on having read the report. I am glad that he has done so. He states that the Government do not accept all the approaches, but does he accept that there are two major issues for discussion at next year's Rio conference? First, how can the developed world cut down its present emissions of greenhouse gases? Secondly, but no less important, how can the developed world assist the developing world to secure the genuine, sustainable growth to which it is entitled without at the same time adding to the destruction of the planet's resources?

Viscount Astor
My Lords, as I said, it is an extremely important subject. Although developing countries currently contribute only one-quarter of global CO₂, emissions, the proportion will rise sharply in the next decades as a result of economic growth and population increases. We believe that the contribution of those countries to global response should be through adopting policies which omit growth in their emissions without impeding their economic development. The developing countries can learn from our experience and our mistakes and ensure that they produce and use energy as efficiently as possible.

§ Lord Hatch of Lusby
My Lords, will the noble Viscount agree that they can do so only if they are assisted by those of us who have gained benefit while polluting the planet in the past 150 years?

Viscount Astor
My Lords, I have already said that we help the developing countries in those areas.