Opening Remarks: Agenda Item 5.4: Environment and Sustainable Development

• Energy Cooperation: Joint studies and workshops for the development of alternative, renewable and clean energy sources.
• Cooperation in Environmental Management: An expansion of our cooperation on sustainable development, including further development of the ongoing "Model Sustainable Cities" project.

Energy-based environmental initiatives

Regarding energy cooperation, clean energy will be addressed this summer in two regional fora:

• The Asia Clean Energy Forum: Regional Policy and Finance Solutions, sponsored by USAID and the Asia Development Bank, in Manila June 26-28. We anticipate that the ASEAN Center on Energy will participate fully.
•  Building a Common Vision: Dialogue on Best Practices for Clean Coal and Energy-Efficient Lighting in ASEAN, in Singapore August 22.  This forum will be sponsored through USAID’s Environmental Cooperation-Asia Clean Development and Climate Program, or ECO-Asia.

ECO-Asia has just released the comprehensive report entitled From Ideas to Action: Clean Energy Solutions for Asia to Address Climate Change.  In addition, ECO-Asia is just beginning to work with the specialized ASEAN groups to increase policy and market incentives, mobilize and facilitate finance, and share knowledge and results to accelerate deployment of clean energy technologies and practices.

Throughout June, newly formed National Advisory Committees from Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand are meeting to advise the ECO-Asia program on how it can help developing Asian countries address climate change.

As with all U.S. international engagement on climate change, these efforts are rooted in sustainable development and are fully consistent with President Bush’s support for a new post-2012 framework on climate change.

This framework recognizes the need to include both major developed and developing economies that generate the majority of greenhouse gases.It also recognizes that climate change must be addressed in a way that enhances energy security and promotes economic growth.

Environmental management

Regarding environmental management, the United States is working with ASEAN on a few important initiatives One, the ASEAN-Wildlife Enforcement Network (WEN), is the only multi-national wildlife crime network in the world. The United States Government was a leading supporter in the development of this groundbreaking network and supports it in three critical areas:

• capacity building for national wildlife crime task forces;
• regional cooperation and interaction among these task forces; and
• collaboration with the global law-enforcement community.

To date, ASEAN-WEN has a string of impressive successes that include cracking three international smuggling rings of wildlife and wildlife products and the repatriation of 48 trafficked orangutans from Thailand to Indonesia. Earlier this month, officials representing ASEAN-WEN joined the U.S. and UK delegations to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) Conference in the Hague.

This event centered on the importance of organizational and political aspects of partnerships and the need for high-level government support in raising the profile of the illegal trade in wildlife. The event highlighted the work of ASEAN-WEN as an example for other regional efforts.

Another project in which the United States is a partner is the Heart of Borneo Initiative. Although not a formal ASEAN activity, the Heart of Borneo Initiative is an excellent example of regional cooperation with some ASEAN member countries. Non-governmental organizations concerned with Responsible Asia Forestry and Trade also support the Heart of Borneo initiative. Heart of Borneo is transforming the market for tropical timber to achieve sustainability by: fostering collaborative development plans that incorporate sensitive areas, and; directly engaging timber operations.

The initiative was signed at the conclusion of the East Asia Growth Area meeting, and in it the participating countries agreed to establish a network of protected areas and productive forests that both conserve forests and ensure sustainable land use practices in the area.Yet another example of collaboration between the United States and ASEAN is the ASEAN Environmentally Sustainable Cities Initiative.

As a partner in this initiative, the United States Government currently: supports 12 pilot projects in 5 countries; pairs two regional water utilities with American counterparts to share expertise and experience; shares practical approaches to problems of the urban poor, effective sanitation policy, and leadership in utility management

At a meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Environmentally Sustainable Cities in Phnom Penh on June 14 and 15, the ECO-Asia Clean Development and Climate Program presented plans for new activities to strengthen the capability of working group member cities to address issues related to water supply and sanitation. Those new activities include:

• Initial partner cities will be Hanoi and Ha Long in Vietnam and Phnom Penh in Cambodia.
• ECO-Asia and ASEAN will develop a regional strategy for water and sanitation with all member cities in September 2007.
• The ASEAN Environment Secretariat, Working Group Chairmen, and ASEAN country delegates formally endorsed the USAID plan for cooperation in the meeting proceedings.

And then, finally, the Technical Assistance and Training Facility at the Secretariat is assisting with the first ASEAN Non-Governmental Organization Consultative Forum on Environmental Issues. This is just a summary of the many important projects on which the U.S. and ASEAN are cooperating. We look forward to continuing to build our partnership with ASEAN to solve environmental and sustainable development issues that affect not only ASEAN nations, but, increasingly, the entire globe. Thank you.