Germany takes lead with pledge to double aid to developing nations
US isolated by its opposition to 'green' goals endorsed by rest of the world
RIO DE JANEIRO — Germany took the lead at the Earth Summit on Friday in pledging to nearly double its aid to developing nations.
Its promise to boost its aid to 0.7 per cent of its gross national product — from 0.42 per cent, or US$6.3 billion (S$10 billion) - appeared to seal its leadership position at the summit.
The United States has been isolated by its opposition to environmental goals that the rest of the world endorses.
The German pledge met Third World demands for aid that had been resisted previously by most industrialized nations.
US development aid amounts to about 0.2 per cent of the GNP. At US$11 billion a year, that still makes it the world’s biggest donor.
But Washington has opposed linking aid levels to the economic indicator.
German Chancellor Helmut Kohl also committed Germany to reducing its carbon dioxide emissions by 25 per cent to 30 per cent by the year 2005. He said Germany was the first industrial nation to accept that target.
"A peaceful future can only be assured if we make our peace with nature," he said.
"We are ready to assume our share and hope other industrial countries will do the same."
The German leader and British Prime Minister John Major called for the Global Environment Facility, a World Bank-run fund for environmental programmes, to be topped up with about US$3 billion.
Mr Major said that amount would mean about £100 million (S$300 million) from his country.
Aides later said that this was a firm commitment from Britain.
Mr Major also announced a plan to study the world’s biological resources and make British climate-control technology available to developing countries.
Japanese Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa — kept at home by a bitter parliamentary debate on sending troops abroad on international peacekeeping missions —was to make an address via satellite from Tokyo yesterday that his country would give up to one trillion yen (S$12.3 billion) in environmental aid to developing nations over the next five years.
He was also to promise that Japan would try to keep carbon dioxide emissions at 1990 levels by the year 2000 and eliminate substances that deplete the ozone layer by 1996.
The European Community announced on Friday that it would together spend more than US$4 billion for specific projects, such as tackling poverty and encouraging transfer of "clean" technologies.
Portuguese Prime Minister Anibal Cavaco Silva said some of the money was new but EC officials were unable to say how much.
They said the cash would probably be spread over three to five years.
The Netherlands’ Prime Minister, Mr Ruud Lubbers, restated that his country was prepared to contribute 0.1 per cent of its GNP to an "Earth increment" to fund environmental projects provided other rich nations did the same.
This would come on top of general aid spending of 0.7 per cent of GNP.
Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney said his government would write off C$145 million (S$193 million) worth of debt owed by less developed Latin American nations and channel the money into environment schemes in those countries.
Canada would also give developing nations aid worth C$115 million this year for forest management.
Total aid to developing countries over the next five years would be higher than the C$1.3 billion spent over the last five. — AP, Reuter, AFP.
Source : The Straits Times, June 14, 1992
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