NGO Documents for the Earth Summit, 1992

Non-Governmental Organization Alternative Treaties
at the '92 Global Forum

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Treaty 24. Treaty on Energy

Preamble

1. Sustainable communities are fundamental to the survival of the planet and its species, yet the negative health, social and economic impacts of large-scale energy projects are routinely discounted. The dominant undemocratic development paradigm, including supply-oriented energy policies, is unsustainable, creates unacceptable debt and imbalances of energy consumption and pollution levels and destroys cultures, local economies and nature.

2. Energy decisions have a profound effect on the development of every society and economy, on the international sharing of work, on the sovereignty of nations and even on world geography.

3. Powerful and largely unaccountable corporations and interests control energy production and distribution, as well as related goods and services, and are responsible for severe social and environmental problems. In particular, all forms of nuclear energy have dangerous environmental, health, social and military consequences and are therefore unsustainable and unacceptable.

4. Greatly increased financial and human resources must be devoted to conservation, energy efficiency and alternative renewable energy to provide ecological sustainability for present and future generations. Such a channeling of resources, along with increased appropriate education, is essential if we are to reverse current trends of ecological devastation such as deforestation, global warming, ozone depletion and radioactive pollution. This must include greater provision for transportation forms that are ecologically sustainable as well as for the reduction, reuse and recycling of wastes.

Principles

5. Decisions about the use, production and distribution of energy must be made in accordance with the following principles:

a. Ethical Principle. Energy must always be used, produced and distributed with maximum efficiency and conservation, and minimal impacts on the well-being of people and the rest of nature. Full environmental and social costs must be taken into account in calculating the final cost of energy options

b. Equity Principle. Equal access to the goods and services that energy provides is a right of all peoples, communities and nations. This implies the equitable use, production and distribution of these goods and services at all levels local, national and international and changes in wasteful lifestyles. All communities have the right to collect and produce their own energy using local sources

c. Decision-Making Principle. Energy decisions must be democratic and participatory, with balanced ethno-cultural, socio-economic, colour and gender participation. In particular, people directly affected must play a central role. All impacts on the biosphere resulting from the qualitative and quantitative transformation of material and energy must be taken into account, including the use of resources and the creation of waste. Full information about these impacts must be clearly and honestly presented and publicly discussed.

Actions and Implementations

We will:

6. Work to change wasteful energy consumption patterns in favor of energy frugality, efficiency and conservation including the rapid reduction of gas-emissions of greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants.

7. Work for renewable decentralized energy production and oppose all mega-energy projects.

8. Insist on a moratorium on the development on the development and construction of nuclear facilities and uranium mines and a phase out of existing facilities as soon as possible.

9. Work for demilitarization to stop the enormous consumption of energy by military production and activity, including war.

10. Work in solidarity with those who struggle against unjustifiable and inequitable energy rates in order to meet their basic energy needs.

11. Pledge international solidarity with all people dislocated because of mega-energy projects.

12. Insist on fully integrated environmental, ecological and economic accounting of all energy options.

13. Pressure governments for full public review of all energy decisions including consultation with and approval of the people affected.

14. Campaign to transform existing consumer behavior and agricultural, commercial, industrial, residential and transportation models in order to meet social needs and minimize the consumption of resources, including energy.

15. Work for obligatory minimum energy efficient standards and product labeling.

16. Work for the establishment of a permanent international NGO coordinating unit on energy, based on existing networks, to participate in the UNCED process and facilitate NGO input to UN bodies.

17. Work to establish mechanisms for balanced NGO representation, with voice and vote, on all international funding agencies.

18. Work for world-wide development, promotion and transfer of sustainable, efficient, decentralized, renewable energy technology such as solar, wind, biomass and small-scale hydro and mechanisms to assure local technological assimilation.

19. Work for the progressive reduction of carbon dioxide (COý) and methane emissions by industrial and energy production as well as vehicles, having as an objective a reduction of 20% by the year 2000, 50% by the year 2025, and close to 100% by the year 2050.

20. Work in cooperation in the broadest possible sense with the action and implementation programs of other NGO treaties.

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