Agenda 21
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Chapter 8. Integrating Environment and Development in Decision-Making
Introduction
8.1. This chapter contains the following programme areas:
(a) Integrating environment and development at the policy, planning and management
levels;
(b) Providing an effective legal and regulatory framework;
(c) Making effective use of economic instruments and market and other incentives;
(d) Establishing systems for integrated environmental and economic accounting.
Programme Areas
A. Integrating environment and development at the policy, planning and management
levels
Basis for action
8.2. Prevailing systems for decision-making in many countries tend to separate
economic, social and environmental factors at the policy, planning and management levels.
This influences the actions of all groups in society, including Governments, industry and
individuals, and has important implications for the efficiency and sustainability of
development. An adjustment or even a fundamental reshaping of decision-making, in the
light of country-specific conditions, may be necessary if environment and development is
to be put at the centre of economic and political decision-making, in effect achieving a
full integration of these factors. In recent years, some Governments have also begun to
make significant changes in the institutional structures of government in order to enable
more systematic consideration of the environment when decisions are made on economic,
social, fiscal, energy, agricultural, transportation, trade and other policies, as well as
the implications of policies in these areas for the environment. New forms of dialogue are
also being developed for achieving better integration among national and local government,
industry, science, environmental groups and the public in the process of developing
effective approaches to environment and development. The responsibility for bringing about
changes lies with Governments in partnership with the private sector and local
authorities, and in collaboration with national, regional and international organizations,
including in particular UNEP, UNDP and the World Bank. Exchange of experience between
countries can also be significant. National plans, goals and objectives, national rules,
regulations and law, and the specific situation in which different countries are placed
are the overall framework in which such integration takes place. In this context, it must
be borne in mind that environmental standards may pose severe economic and social costs if
they are uniformly applied in developing countries.
Objectives
8.3. The overall objective is to improve or restructure the decision-making process so
that consideration of socio-economic and environmental issues is fully integrated and a
broader range of public participation assured. Recognizing that countries will develop
their own priorities in accordance with their prevailing conditions, needs, national
plans, policies and programmes, the following objectives are proposed:
(a) To conduct a national review of economic, sectoral and environmental policies,
strategies and plans to ensure the progressive integration of environmental and
developmental issues;
(b) To strengthen institutional structures to allow the full integration of
environmental and developmental issues, at all levels of decision-making;
(c) To develop or improve mechanisms to facilitate the involvement of concerned
individuals, groups and organizations in decision-making at all levels;
(d) To establish domestically determined procedures to integrate environment and
development issues in decision-making.
Activities
(a) Improving decision-making processes
8.4. The primary need is to integrate environmental and developmental decision-making
processes. To do this, Governments should conduct a national review and, where
appropriate, improve the processes of decision-making so as to achieve the progressive
integration of economic, social and environmental issues in the pursuit of development
that is economically efficient, socially equitable and responsible and environmentally
sound. Countries will develop their own priorities in accordance with their national
plans, policies and programmes for the following activities: (a) Ensuring the integration
of economic, social and environmental considerations in decision-making at all levels and
in all ministries;
(b) Adopting a domestically formulated policy framework that reflects a long-term
perspective and cross-sectoral approach as the basis for decisions, taking account of the
linkages between and within the various political, economic, social and environmental
issues involved in the development process;
(c) Establishing domestically determined ways and means to ensure the coherence of
sectoral, economic, social and environmental policies, plans and policy instruments,
including fiscal measures and the budget; these mechanisms should apply at various levels
and bring together those interested in the development process;
(d) Monitoring and evaluating the development process systematically, conducting
regular reviews of the state of human resources development, economic and social
conditions and trends, the state of the environment and natural resources; this could be
complemented by annual environment and development reviews, with a view to assessing
sustainable development achievements by the various sectors and departments of government;
(e) Ensuring transparency of, and accountability for, the environmental implications of
economic and sectoral policies;
(f) Ensuring access by the public to relevant information, facilitating the reception
of public views and allowing for effective participation.
(b) Improving planning and management systems
8.5. To support a more integrated approach to decision-making, the data systems and
analytical methods used to support such decision-making processes may need to be improved.
Governments, in collaboration, where appropriate, with national and international
organizations, should review the status of the planning and management system and, where
necessary, modify and strengthen procedures so as to facilitate the integrated
consideration of social, economic and environmental issues. Countries will develop their
own priorities in accordance with their national plans, policies and programmes for the
following activities:
(a) Improving the use of data and information at all stages of planning and management,
making systematic and simultaneous use of social, economic, developmental, ecological and
environmental data; analysis should stress interactions and synergisms; a broad range of
analytical methods should be encouraged so as to provide various points of view;
(b) Adopting comprehensive analytical procedures for prior and simultaneous assessment
of the impacts of decisions, including the impacts within and among the economic, social
and environmental spheres; these procedures should extend beyond the project level to
policies and programmes; analysis should also include assessment of costs, benefits and
risks;
(c) Adopting flexible and integrative planning approaches that allow the consideration
of multiple goals and enable adjustment of changing needs; integrative area approaches at
the ecosystem or watershed level can assist in this approach;
(d) Adopting integrated management systems, particularly for the management of natural
resources; traditional or indigenous methods should be studied and considered wherever
they have proved effective; women's traditional roles should not be marginalized as a
result of the introduction of new management systems;
(e) Adopting integrated approaches to sustainable development at the regional level,
including transboundary areas, subject to the requirements of particular circumstances and
needs;
(f) Using policy instruments (legal/regulatory and economic) as a tool for planning and
management, seeking incorporation of efficiency criteria in decisions; instruments should
be regularly reviewed and adapted to ensure that they continue to be effective;
(g) Delegating planning and management responsibilities to the lowest level of public
authority consistent with effective action; in particular the advantages of effective and
equitable opportunities for participation by women should be discussed;
(h) Establishing procedures for involving local communities in contingency planning for
environmental and industrial accidents, and maintaining an open exchange of information on
local hazards.
(c) Data and information
8.6. Countries could develop systems for monitoring and evaluation of progress towards
achieving sustainable development by adopting indicators that measure changes across
economic, social and environmental dimensions.
(d) Adopting a national strategy for sustainable development
8.7. Governments, in cooperation, where appropriate, with international organizations,
should adopt a national strategy for sustainable development based on, inter alia, the
implementation of decisions taken at the Conference, particularly in respect of Agenda 21.
This strategy should build upon and harmonize the various sectoral economic, social and
environmental policies and plans that are operating in the country. The experience gained
through existing planning exercises such as national reports for the Conference, national
conservation strategies and environment action plans should be fully used and incorporated
into a country-driven sustainable development strategy. Its goals should be to ensure
socially responsible economic development while protecting the resource base and the
environment for the benefit of future generations. It should be developed through the
widest possible participation. It should be based on a thorough assessment of the current
situation and initiatives.
Means of implementation
(a) Financing and cost evaluation
8.8. The Conference secretariat has estimated the average total annual cost (1993-2000)
of implementing the activities of this programme to be about $50 million from the
international community on grant or concessional terms. These are indicative and
order-of-magnitude estimates only and have not been reviewed by Governments. Actual costs
and financial terms, including any that are non-concessional, will depend upon, inter
alia, the specific strategies and programmes Governments decide upon for implementation.
(b) Researching environment and development interactions
8.9. Governments, in collaboration with the national and international scientific
community and in cooperation with international organizations, as appropriate, should
intensify efforts to clarify the interactions between and within social, economic and
environmental considerations. Research should be undertaken with the explicit objective of
assisting policy decisions and providing recommendations on improving management
practices.
(c) Enhancing education and training
8.10. Countries, in cooperation, where appropriate, with national, regional or
international organizations, should ensure that essential human resources exist, or be
developed, to undertake the integration of environment and development at various stages
of the decision-making and implementation process. To do this, they should improve
education and technical training, particularly for women and girls, by including
interdisciplinary approaches, as appropriate, in technical, vocational, university and
other curricula. They should also undertake systematic training of government personnel,
planners and managers on a regular basis, giving priority to the requisite integrative
approaches and planning and management techniques that are suited to country-specific
conditions.
(d) Promoting public awareness
8.11. Countries, in cooperation with national institutions and groups, the media and
the international community, should promote awareness in the public at large, as well as
in specialized circles, of the importance of considering environment and development in an
integrated manner, and should establish mechanisms for facilitating a direct exchange of
information and views with the public. Priority should be given to highlighting the
responsibilities and potential contributions of different social groups.
(e) Strengthen national institutional capacity
8.12. Governments, in cooperation, where appropriate, with international organizations,
should strengthen national institutional capability and capacity to integrate social,
economic, developmental and environmental issues at all levels of development
decision-making and implementation. Attention should be given to moving away from narrow
sectoral approaches, progressing towards full cross-sectoral coordination and cooperation.
B. Providing an effective legal and regulatory framework
Basis for action
8.13. Laws and regulations suited to country-specific conditions are among the most
important instruments for transforming environment and development policies into action,
not only through "command and control" methods, but also as a normative
framework for economic planning and market instruments. Yet, although the volume of legal
texts in this field is steadily increasing, much of the law-making in many countries seems
to be ad hoc and piecemeal, or has not been endowed with the necessary institutional
machinery and authority for enforcement and timely adjustment.
8.14. While there is continuous need for law improvement in all countries, many
developing countries have been affected by shortcomings of laws and regulations. To
effectively integrate environment and development in the policies and practices of each
country, it is essential to develop and implement integrated, enforceable and effective
laws and regulations that are based upon sound social, ecological, economic and scientific
principles. It is equally critical to develop workable programmes to review and enforce
compliance with the laws, regulations and standards that are adopted. Technical support
may be needed for many countries to accomplish these goals. Technical cooperation
requirements in this field include legal information, advisory services and specialized
training and institutional capacity-building.
8.15. The enactment and enforcement of laws and regulations (at the regional, national,
state/provincial or local/municipal level) are also essential for the implementation of
most international agreements in the field of environment and development, as illustrated
by the frequent treaty obligation to report on legislative measures. The survey of
existing agreements undertaken in the context of conference preparations has indicated
problems of compliance in this respect, and the need for improved national implementation
and, where appropriate, related technical assistance. In developing their national
priorities, countries should take account of their international obligations.
Objectives 8.16. The overall objective is to promote, in the light of country-specific
conditions, the integration of environment and development policies through appropriate
legal and regulatory policies, instruments and enforcement mechanisms at the national,
state, provincial and local level. Recognizing that countries will develop their own
priorities in accordance with their needs and national and, where appropriate, regional
plans, policies and programmes, the following objectives are proposed:
(a) To disseminate information on effective legal and regulatory innovations in the
field of environment and development, including appropriate instruments and compliance
incentives, with a view to encouraging their wider use and adoption at the national,
state, provincial and local level;
(b) To support countries that request it in their national efforts to modernize and
strengthen the policy and legal framework of governance for sustainable development,
having due regard for local social values and infrastructures;
(c) To encourage the development and implementation of national, state, provincial and
local programmes that assess and promote compliance and respond appropriately to
non-compliance.
Activities
(a) Making laws and regulations more effective
8.17. Governments, with the support, where appropriate, of competent international
organizations, should regularly assess the laws and regulations enacted and the related
institutional/administrative machinery established at the national/state and
local/municipal level in the field of environment and sustainable development, with a view
to rendering them effective in practice. Programmes for this purpose could include the
promotion of public awareness, preparation and distribution of guidance material, and
specialized training, including workshops, seminars, education programmes and conferences,
for public officials who design, implement, monitor and enforce laws and regulations.
(b) Establishing judicial and administrative procedures
8.18. Governments and legislators, with the support, where appropriate, of competent
international organizations, should establish judicial and administrative procedures for
legal redress and remedy of actions affecting environment and development that may be
unlawful or infringe on rights under the law, and should provide access to individuals,
groups and organizations with a recognized legal interest.
(c) Providing legal reference and support services
8.19. Competent intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations could cooperate to
provide Governments and legislators, upon request, with an integrated programme of
environment and development law (sustainable development law) services, carefully adapted
to the specific requirements of the recipient legal and administrative systems. Such
systems could usefully include assistance in the preparation of comprehensive inventories
and reviews of national legal systems. Past experience has demonstrated the usefulness of
combining specialized legal information services with legal expert advice. Within the
United Nations system, closer cooperation among all agencies concerned would avoid
duplication of databases and facilitate division of labour. These agencies could examine
the possibility and merit of performing reviews of selected national legal systems.
(d) Establishing a cooperative training network for sustainable development law
8.20. Competent international and academic institutions could, within agreed
frameworks, cooperate to provide, especially for trainees from developing countries,
postgraduate programmes and in-service training facilities in environment and development
law. Such training should address both the effective application and the progressive
improvement of applicable laws, the related skills of negotiating, drafting and mediation,
and the training of trainers. Intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations already
active in this field could cooperate with related university programmes to harmonize
curriculum planning and to offer an optimal range of options to interested Governments and
potential sponsors.
(e) Developing effective national programmes for reviewing and enforcing compliance
with national, state, provincial and local laws on environment and development
8.21. Each country should develop integrated strategies to maximize compliance with its
laws and regulations relating to sustainable development, with assistance from
international organizations and other countries as appropriate. The strategies could
include:
(a) Enforceable, effective laws, regulations and standards that are based on sound
economic, social and environmental principles and appropriate risk assessment,
incorporating sanctions designed to punish violations, obtain redress and deter future
violations;
(b) Mechanisms for promoting compliance;
(c) Institutional capacity for collecting compliance data, regularly reviewing
compliance, detecting violations, establishing enforcement priorities, undertaking
effective enforcement, and conducting periodic evaluations of the effectiveness of
compliance and enforcement programmes;
(d) Mechanisms for appropriate involvement of individuals and groups in the development
and enforcement of laws and regulations on environment and development. (f) National
monitoring of legal follow-up to international instruments
8.22. Contracting parties to international agreements, in consultation with the
appropriate secretariats of relevant international conventions as appropriate, should
improve practices and procedures for collecting information on legal and regulatory
measures taken. Contracting parties to international agreements could undertake sample
surveys of domestic follow-up action subject to agreement by the sovereign States
concerned.
Means of implementation
(a) Financing and cost evaluation
8.23. The Conference secretariat has estimated the average total annual cost
(1993-2000) of implementing the activities of this programme to be about $6 million from
the international community on grant or concessional terms. These are indicative and
order-of-magnitude estimates only and have not been reviewed by Governments. Actual costs
and financial terms, including any that are non-concessional, will depend upon, inter
alia, the specific strategies and programmes Governments decide upon for implementation.
(b) Scientific and technological means
8.24. The programme relies essentially on a continuation of ongoing work for legal data
collection, translation and assessment. Closer cooperation between existing databases may
be expected to lead to better division of labour (e.g., in geographical coverage of
national legislative gazettes and other reference sources) and to improved standardization
and compatibility of data, as appropriate.
(c) Human resource development
8.25. Participation in training is expected to benefit practitioners from developing
countries and to enhance training opportunities for women. Demand for this type of
postgraduate and in-service training is known to be high. The seminars, workshops and
conferences on review and enforcement that have been held to date have been very
successful and well attended. The purpose of these efforts is to develop resources (both
human and institutional) to design and implement effective programmes to continuously
review and enforce national and local laws, regulations and standards on sustainable
development.
(d) Strengthening legal and institutional capacity
8.26. A major part of the programme should be oriented towards improving the
legal-institutional capacities of countries to cope with national problems of governance
and effective law-making and law-applying in the field of environment and sustainable
development. Regional centres of excellence could be designated and supported to build up
specialized databases and training facilities for linguistic/cultural groups of legal
systems.
C. Making effective use of economic instruments and market and other incentives
Basis for action
8.27. Environmental law and regulation are important but cannot alone be expected to
deal with the problems of environment and development. Prices, markets and governmental
fiscal and economic policies also play a complementary role in shaping attitudes and
behaviour towards the environment.
8.28. During the past several years, many Governments, primarily in industrialized
countries but also in Central and Eastern Europe and in developing countries, have been
making increasing use of economic approaches, including those that are market-oriented.
Examples include the polluter-pays principle and the more recent
natural-resource-user-pays concept.
8.29. Within a supportive international and national economic context and given the
necessary legal and regulatory framework, economic and market-oriented approaches can in
many cases enhance capacity to deal with the issues of environment and development. This
would be achieved by providing cost-effective solutions, applying integrated pollution
prevention control, promoting technological innovation and influencing environmental
behaviour, as well as providing financial resources to meet sustainable development
objectives.
8.30. What is needed is an appropriate effort to explore and make more effective and
widespread use of economic and market-oriented approaches within a broad framework of
development policies, law and regulation suited to country-specific conditions as part of
a general transition to economic and environmental policies that are supportive and
mutually reinforcing.
Objectives
8.31. Recognizing that countries will develop their own priorities in accordance with
their needs and national plans, policies and programmes, the challenge is to achieve
significant progress in the years ahead in meeting three fundamental objectives:
(a) To incorporate environmental costs in the decisions of producers and consumers, to
reverse the tendency to treat the environment as a "free good" and to pass these
costs on to other parts of society, other countries, or to future generations;
(b) To move more fully towards integration of social and environmental costs into
economic activities, so that prices will appropriately reflect the relative scarcity and
total value of resources and contribute towards the prevention of environmental
degradation;
(c) To include, wherever appropriate, the use of market principles in the framing of
economic instruments and policies to pursue sustainable development.
Activities
(a) Improving or reorienting governmental policies
8.32. In the near term, Governments should consider gradually building on experience
with economic instruments and market mechanisms by undertaking to reorient their policies,
keeping in mind national plans, priorities and objectives, in order to:
(a) Establish effective combinations of economic, regulatory and voluntary
(self-regulatory) approaches;
(b) Remove or reduce those subsidies that do not conform with sustainable development
objectives;
(c) Reform or recast existing structures of economic and fiscal incentives to meet
environment and development objectives;
(d) Establish a policy framework that encourages the creation of new markets in
pollution control and environmentally sounder resource management;
(e) Move towards pricing consistent with sustainable development objectives.
8.33. In particular, Governments should explore, in cooperation with business and
industry, as appropriate, how effective use can be made of economic instruments and market
mechanisms in the following areas:
(a) Issues related to energy, transportation, agriculture and forestry, water, wastes,
health, tourism and tertiary services;
(b) Global and transboundary issues;
(c) The development and introduction of environmentally sound technology and its
adaptation, diffusion and transfer to developing countries in conformity with chapter 34.
(b) Taking account of the particular circumstances of developing countries and
countries with economies in transition
8.34. A special effort should be made to develop applications of the use of economic
instruments and market mechanisms geared to the particular needs of developing countries
and countries with economies in transition, with the assistance of regional and
international economic and environmental organizations and, as appropriate,
non-governmental research institutes, by:
(a) Providing technical support to those countries on issues relating to the
application of economic instruments and market mechanisms;
(b) Encouraging regional seminars and, possibly, the development of regional centres of
expertise.
(c) Creating an inventory of effective uses of economic instruments and market
mechanisms
8.35. Given the recognition that the use of economic instruments and market mechanisms
is relatively recent, exchange of information about different countries' experiences with
such approaches should be actively encouraged. In this regard, Governments should
encourage the use of existing means of information exchange to look at effective uses of
economic instruments.
(d) Increasing understanding of the role of economic instruments and market mechanisms
8.36. Governments should encourage research and analysis on effective uses of economic
instruments and incentives with the assistance and support of regional and international
economic and environmental organizations, as well as non-governmental research institutes,
with a focus on such key issues as:
(a) The role of environmental taxation suited to national conditions;
(b) The implications of economic instruments and incentives for competitiveness and
international trade, and potential needs for appropriate future international cooperation
and coordination;
(c) The possible social and distributive implications of using various instruments.
(e) Establishing a process for focusing on pricing
8.37. The theoretical advantages of using pricing policies, where appropriate, need to
be better understood, and accompanied by greater understanding of what it means to take
significant steps in this direction. Processes should therefore be initiated, in
cooperation with business, industry, large enterprises, transnational corporations, as
well as other social groups, as appropriate, at both the national and international
levels, to examine:
(a) The practical implications of moving towards greater reliance on pricing that
internalize environmental costs appropriate to help achieve sustainable development
objectives;
(b) The implications for resource pricing in the case of resource-exporting countries,
including the implications of such pricing policies for developing countries;
(c) The methodologies used in valuing environmental costs.
(f) Enhancing understanding of sustainable development economics
8.38. Increased interest in economic instruments, including market mechanisms, also
requires a concerted effort to improve understanding of sustainable development economics
by: (a) Encouraging institutions of higher learning to review their curricula and
strengthen studies in sustainable development economics;
(b) Encouraging regional and international economic organizations and non-governmental
research institutes with expertise in this area to provide training sessions and seminars
for government officials;
(c) Encouraging business and industry, including large industrial enterprises and
transnational corporations with expertise in environmental matters, to organize training
programmes for the private sector and other groups.
Means of implementation
8.39. This programme involves adjustments or reorientation of policies on the part of
Governments. It also involves international and regional economic and environmental
organizations and agencies with expertise in this area, including transnational
corporations.
(a) Financing and cost evaluation
8.40. The Conference secretariat has estimated the average total annual cost
(1993-2000) of implementing the activities of this programme to be about $5 million from
the international community on grant or concessional terms. These are indicative and
order-of-magnitude estimates only and have not been reviewed by Governments. Actual costs
and financial terms, including any that are non-concessional, will depend upon, inter
alia, the specific strategies and programmes Governments decide upon for implementation.
D. Establishing systems for integrated environmental and economic accounting
Basis for action
8.41. A first step towards the integration of sustainability into economic management
is the establishment of better measurement of the crucial role of the environment as a
source of natural capital and as a sink for by-products generated during the production of
man-made capital and other human activities. As sustainable development encompasses
social, economic and environmental dimensions, it is also important that national
accounting procedures are not restricted to measuring the production of goods and services
that are conventionally remunerated. A common framework needs to be developed whereby the
contributions made by all sectors and activities of society, that are not included in the
conventional national accounts, are included, to the extent consistent with sound theory
and practicability, in satellite accounts. A programme to develop national systems of
integrated environmental and economic accounting in all countries is proposed. Objectives
8.42. The main objective is to expand existing systems of national economic accounts in
order to integrate environment and social dimensions in the accounting framework,
including at least satellite systems of accounts for natural resources in all member
States. The resulting systems of integrated environmental and economic accounting (IEEA)
to be established in all member States at the earliest date should be seen as a complement
to, rather than a substitute for, traditional national accounting practices for the
foreseeable future. IEEAs would be designed to play an integral part in the national
development decision-making process. National accounting agencies should work in close
collaboration with national environmental statistics as well as the geographic and natural
resource departments. The definition of economically active could be expanded to include
people performing productive but unpaid tasks in all countries. This would enable their
contribution to be adequately measured and taken into account in decision-making.
Activities
(a) Strengthening international cooperation
8.43. The Statistical Office of the United Nations Secretariat should:
(a) Make available to all member States the methodologies contained in the SNA Handbook
on Integrated Environmental and Economic Accounting;
(b) In collaboration with other relevant United Nations organizations, further develop,
test, refine and then standardize the provisional concepts and methods such as those
proposed by the SNA Handbook, keeping member States informed of the status of the work
throughout this process;
(c) Coordinate, in close cooperation with other international organizations, the
training of national accountants, environmental statisticians and national technical staff
in small groups for the establishment, adaptation and development of national IEEAs.
8.44. The Department of Economic and Social Development of the United Nations
Secretariat, in close collaboration with other relevant United Nations organizations,
should:
(a) Support, in all member States, the utilization of sustainable development
indicators in national economic and social planning and decision-making practices, with a
view to ensuring that IEEAs are usefully integrated in economic development planning at
the national level;
(b) Promote improved environmental and economic and social data collection.
(b) Strengthening national accounting systems 8.45. At the national level, the
programme could be adopted mainly by the agencies dealing with national accounts, in close
cooperation with environmental statistics and natural resource departments, with a view to
assisting national economic analysts and decision makers in charge of national economic
planning. National institutions should play a crucial role not only as the depositary of
the system but also in its adaptation, establishment and continuous use. Unpaid productive
work such as domestic work and child care should be included, where appropriate, in
satellite national accounts and economic statistics. Time-use surveys could be a first
step in the process of developing these satellite accounts.
(c) Establishing an assessment process
8.46. At the international level, the Statistical Commission should assemble and review
experience and advise member States on technical and methodological issues related to the
further development and implementation of IEEAs in member States.
8.47. Governments should seek to identify and consider measures to correct price
distortions arising from environmental programmes affecting land, water, energy and other
natural resources.
8.48. Governments should encourage corporations:
(a) To provide relevant environmental information through transparent reporting to
shareholders, creditors, employees, governmental authorities, consumers and the public;
(b) To develop and implement methods and rules for accounting for sustaining
development.
(d) Strengthening data and information collection
8.49. National Governments could consider implementing the necessary enhancement in
data collection to set in place national IEEAs with a view to contributing pragmatically
to sound economic management. Major efforts should be made to augment the capacity to
collect and analyse environmental data and information and to integrate it with economic
data, including gender disaggregated data. Efforts should also be made to develop physical
environmental accounts. International donor agencies should consider financing the
development of intersectoral data banks to help ensure that national planning for
sustainable development is based on precise, reliable and effective information and is
suited to national conditions.
(e) Strengthening technical cooperation
8.50. The Statistical Office of the United Nations Secretariat, in close collaboration
with relevant United Nations organizations, should strengthen existing mechanisms for
technical cooperation among countries. This should also include exchange of experience in
the establishment of IEEAs, particularly in connection with the valuation of non-marketed
natural resources and standardization in data collection. The cooperation of business and
industry, including large industrial enterprises and transnational corporations with
experience in valuation of such resources, should also be sought.
Means of implementation
(a) Financing and cost evaluation
8.51. The Conference secretariat has estimated the average total annual cost
(1993-2000) of implementing the activities of this programme to be about $2 million from
the international community on grant or concessional terms. These are indicative and
order-of-magnitude estimates only and have not been reviewed by Governments. Actual costs
and financial terms, including any that are non-concessional, will depend upon, inter
alia, the specific strategies and programmes Governments decide upon for implementation.
(b) Strengthening institutions
8.52. To ensure the application of IEEAs:
(a) National institutions in developing countries could be strengthened to ensure the
effective integration of environment and development at the planning and decision-making
levels;
(b) The Statistical Office should provide the necessary technical support to member
States, in close collaboration with the assessment process to be established by the
Statistical Commission; the Statistical Office should provide appropriate support for
establishing IEEAs, in collaboration with relevant United Nations agencies.
(c) Enhancing the use of information technology
8.53. Guidelines and mechanisms could be developed and agreed upon for the adaptation
and diffusion of information technologies to developing countries. State-of-the-art data
management technologies should be adopted for the most efficient and widespread use of
IEEAs.
(d) Strengthening national capacity
8.54. Governments, with the support of the international community, should strengthen
national institutional capacity to collect, store, organize, assess and use data in
decision-making. Training in all areas related to the establishment of IEEAs, and at all
levels, will be required, especially in developing countries. This should include
technical training of those involved in economic and environmental analysis, data
collection and national accounting, as well as training decision makers to use such
information in a pragmatic and appropriate way.
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