As the dust settles after UNCED, the achievements of the conference become more visible. Apart from the headline news, the conference produced a number of documents and declarations. most significantly the 800 page Agenda 2 1 which covers a vast array of areas but neglects any discussion of northern consumption or southern population. The UN General Assembly has been asked to set up a commission to review the progress of Agenda 21. and the developing countries pledged an extra Sl billion (someway short of the S40 billion suggested by the Summit's Secretariat) to aid the Agenda's implementation in the developing world.

UNCED also produced two notable treaties. Firstly, a treaty on climate change which asks, but does not bind, developed nations to stabillse their emissions of greenhouse gases at 1990 levels by 2000. And secondly, it offered a treaty on bio-diversity asking, again not binding, nations to conseme the diversity of plant and anlmal species within their borders. The US did not sign the treaty due to concerns surrounding its potential effect on the US biotechnology industry. UNCED also of€ered the 'Rio Declaration' which set out 27 principles for encouraging sustainable development.

While the conference firmly established the environment and sustainable development on the world political agenda, all documents were criticised by the conference organisers. environmentalists and the world's press for their lack of concrete commitments and the vagueness of their termlnology. The real bendts of the conference will be seen over the coming years, although the absence of binding agreements suggests that Rio will not be seen as the turning- point between rhetoric and reality that many hoped for.

UNCED in conjunction with the EC carbon tax proposal did encourage the OPEC counMes to make clear their views and plans for global environmental protection. OPEC secured the removal or dilution of references to energy &ciency in UNCED documents and threatened to b s t i c a l l y restrict oil production and hence increase prices if any kind of carbon tax were adopted. The threat that such action poses to the world economy is well understood by world leaders; it now remains to be seen if a transition to more sustainable energy and transport policies as advocated by UNCED can be made without the OPEC countries scuppering all significant efforts to stem global warming.

Meanwhile, the weight of European public opinion continues to mount in favour of environmental protection. A recent EC study found that 85Oh of those questioned consider action against pollution an urgent priority, an 11% increase on the last survey 5 years ago.

Along similar lines. a study from the HPI Research Group has found that 94% of consumers believe that products are overpackaged and favour government action to encourage the use of recycled materials in packaging. There i s growing concern. however, that consumers are becoming disillusioned with collecting recyclables as they begin to rumble that the supply of recyclable material outstrips demand, a problem soluble only be increased manufacturing facilities and demand for recycled products.

New German packaging legislation attempts to provide strong incentives for manufacturing, distributive and retail sectors to get together and run systems for the retrieval and environment- friendly disposal of packaging waste. ThIs is done by assigning responsibilities (effective from January 1st 19931 right back through the supply chain to accept back used packaging and arrange for its re-use or recycling. For a fee, firms, particularly exporters to Germany, can become members of a so-called 'Green-Dot' system, giving guaranteed recycling facilities for their packaging waste provided it carries the Green D o t The scheme has added to the signtflcant variation in approaches to recycling around the EC, variations which are central in delaying the advancement of an EC draft Directive on recycling.

Meanwhile, industry keeps up the pace at which it raises its environmental performance. Among the many examples, the UK supermarket chain Tesco has introduced its 'Green Goods' range of low-environmental-impact clothing; recycled PET bottles are being introduced in Britain thls year, and the designer VaI Dare-Bryan has development plans for an environmentally-frfendly juggernaut.

The growth of environmental consciousness in industry seems to continue at a rapid pace. If forecasts from the International Finance Corporation predicting a doubling of the global market in environmental goods and services to around $600 billion per m u m by the end of the century are correct. the money spent on environmental performance is clearly set to grow. But will the results be even remotely equal to the task?

David Fleming and Andy Gouldson

European Environment 1