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Press Releases Will the World Summit Walk Its Talk? Ottawa, ON - Young Canadians are concerned that the estimated 65 000 people expected to attend the upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg will ironically contribute to the planet's ecological and human degradation. "The amount of waste generated by a gathering of this size counters the principle of sustainability that the Summit is trying to affirm," states Lindsay Cole, member of Canada's Youth Summit Team. The City of Johannesburg has estimated that the Summit will generate 500 000 tons of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, through delegate travel alone. "It is paradoxical to see delegates discussing sustainable development in paper-filled rooms, while sipping coffee from styrofoam cups, before returning to hotels far removed from the surrounding poverty-stricken slums," notes Cole, after attending the last preparatory meeting in Indonesia. The Youth Summit Team strongly urges people attending the Summit to support the "Greening the WSSD" initiative funded by the South African government and its partners. It includes the placement of consumption barometers at the entrances of major venues that will provide daily updates on the resources being used and offer ideas for better actions such as double-sided photocopying and using biodegradable cups and plates. Given the number of international events held each year, the Youth Summit Team hopes that the lessons learned from "Greening the WSSD" will go beyond "green-washing" the Summit and will actually reduce the ecological and social impacts of this large gathering. The Youth Summit Team has been working towards preparations for the WSSD since March 2001 through Youth Agenda 2002, an initiative coordinated by the United Nations Association in Canada. - 30 - FOR MORE INFORMATION: |
