§ Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps have been taken by the Government since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 to(a) set goals on environmental protection and (b) improve eco-efficiency and resource productivity relating to minerals and metal issues; and what these (i) goals and (ii) improvements have been. [44342]
§ Mr. WilsonI have been asked to reply.
The Government have been working with others within the EU to set emissions standards which will protect the environment but also strike an appropriate balance with the economic and social aspects of sustainable development.
More specifically, as they are dominated by multinationals, we have been actively encouraging the minerals and metals industries to work globally to establish their sustainable development credentials. Work on indicators to measure performance are being developed.