Tackling global inequality between 'rich' and 'poor' is key

Tackling global inequalities that split the world into "rich" and "poor" segments is essential to long-term peace and security, Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett said today.

Holding the Presidency of both the G8 and the European Union in 2005 provides the UK with a "unique opportunity" to influence international action, Mrs Beckett told 'Environment 2003', a two-day conference organised by the Environment Agency at the Novotel West, in London.

Setting out the key environmental challenges, both in the UK and internationally, she highlighted major gains in environmental quality at UK and international level and said that these "pale into insignificance beside the sheer scale and urgency of the environmental challenges we face both at home and - still more - internationally".

Mrs Beckett said: "Over a billion people currently lack safe drinking water; almost 2.5 billion lack sanitation; more than two billion lack access to modern energy services, and that causes much illness and death to women, particularly in the developing word.

"The 1990's saw the loss of around 16 million hectares of forest - two-thirds the area of the UK annually! We've lost around 30% of our coral reefs, and will lose another 30% in the next 30 years if we don't take urgent action. So we need to do far more if we are to meet these challenges and to make development sustainable."

Mrs Beckett said that the priority must be international action on tackling climate change. Action on the technologies that will enable us to move beyond Kyoto to the long-term goal of 60% emissions reduction by 2050, was also necessary.

"If we do not reverse current trends in global warming emissions, 90 million more people every year are likely to be affected by flooding alone by the end of this century, mostly in developing countries," she said.

"Yes, it's a lot - it's a huge agenda - but future generations will not thank us for complacency, and current generations will no doubt hold us to account against our promises."

(gmcg)