Berlin 2004 - WG10 Conclusions

Berlin 2004 - WG10 Conclusions

EIN Summer University and European Ideas Fair
9 - 11 September 2004

Working Group 10: Environmental and Ecological Challenges

Environmental policies should be rebalanced towards individual and community responsibility through private ownership, market instruments and away from central planning.
Risk and impact assessments must be and be seen to be independent although there are questions about the reality of independence. They should be extended to policy and regulatory fields.
Precautionary principle has been damaging because it has too often ignored the principle of proportionality.
Public education is essential if the public has to be given greater responsibility through consumer choice. They need to understand the terminology of labelling and the meaning of targets and standards.
The Kyoto targets are worthy as is the concept of emission trading. In reality however it could cost a lot to European countries for a small environmental gain. China and India will, anyway, rely on fossil fuels.
The nuclear option may be inevitable since fossil fuels are undesirable and the alternatives unrealistic. However, it requires long-term political stability and public acceptance.
Centre-right political tradition has produced more action to protect our environment than socialist and green parties. We need to change public perception with rigorous public relation. Similarly industry needs to put over its positive case (pharmaceutical chemicals...) and not apologise for largely overestimated risks.
European Centre-right think-tanks must be encouraged to network closely in order to maximise their impact on policy makers of their present and future publications and videos.
Coining a new concept of environmentalism and discarding some of the green/socialist terminology is of paramount importance. Symbolic of this is the need to find a better generic term than US "Free Market Environmentalism".

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