GREENPEACE WELCOMES QUEEN'S STATEMENT ON ENVIRONMENT

GREENPEACE WELCOMES QUEEN'S STATEMENT ON ENVIRONMENT 24 October 1997 Greenpeace welcomes the intervention on the debate about global climate change made by the Queen at the opening session of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Edinburgh today. The Queen's expression of concern on behalf of the small island states of the Commonwealth is timely as it highlights the pressure that Bill Clinton, the US President is under to go further than the existing US climate proposal. The spotlight is also on Australia, one of the biggest Commonwealth nations, which is refusing to accept the need for an international target for cuts in emissions from fossil fuels. It was recently accused by the President of Nauru, a Commonwealth island, of openly scorning the threats to the survival of his nation from climate change. Small island states of the Commonwealth will be first in line to feel the effects of climate change. Rising sea levels mean that these countries literally face extinction if urgent action to cut carbon dioxide emissions is not agreed at Kyoto. In her speech HRH the Queen referred to the environmental challenges affecting small states - the most powerful of which are known at present to be those associated with global climate change - and spoke about the responsibilities of Commonwealth leaders to address these issues, she said: "One of the reasons for the Commonwealth's unique position in the world is the disparity in size between its larger and smaller members. The majority are small states, with populations of a million or less. For them, the Commonwealth is of particular value as a network of alliances and partnerships. But for all the diversity of it's members, the commonwealth can act globally, transcending natural boundaries in the same way that they are transcended by the problems we are to address - political, economic, social or environmental. It is not a selfish organisation, and self-interest has no part to play in its policies. The developed and developing worlds meet here on equal terms...................'And there are constantly new challenges appearing for us to meet from the environmental, which especially affect the smaller states, to those posed by a global economy in which we can and do successfully compete". Matthew Spencer, a Greenpeace Climate Spokesperson stated: "The Queen's comments today are admirable and timely. I hope President Clinton and Prime Minister Howard listen & respond. It is an implicit criticism of the selfish behaviour of the US and Australia in the climate negotiations. Entire Commonwealth countries will be wiped off the map if these two nations fail to commit to real cuts in emissions from fossil fuels." FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Greenpeace Press Office on 0171 865 8255/6/7/8 or Matthew Spencer on 0411 037 161