The North Sea Ministers Conference this year will focus on a number of key environmental issues including the development and use of renewable energy, radioactive waste transports, radioactive discharges and the release of hazardous substances into the environment.
Greenpeace will be attending the conference to encourage ministers to commit to action to reverse the ongoing damage to the climate through the use of fossil fuels and to protect the environment and economy of the North Sea area from radioactive and chemical pollution. The issue of renewable energy will be high on the agenda. Greenpeace believes that the North Sea ministers can be a leading light in promoting and facilitating the development of wind energy as an alternative to polluting energy sources such as the nuclear and fossil fuel industry . It is expected that a strong message will be sent from the conference, which will enable the offshore wind sector to develop in a manner which will contribute substantially to Kyoto commitments while avoiding adverse ecological impacts.
The pollution of the North Sea area from radioactive discharges and the risks from the transport of radioactive materials will also be under discussion. Greenpeace believes that ministers must take a strong stand against those countries who continue to allow radioactive discharges into the marine environment. The international environmental group also hopes that the conference will send a strong message globally about the inherent dangers of radioactive transports by sea and lack of accountability of sponsoring states and corporations.
While some progress has been made on chemical pollution since the last North Sea conference, Greenpeace hopes that Ministers will recognise the need for further efforts to ensure that existing agreements are implemented and that hazardous chemicals are substituted with progressively safer alternatives. Such actions will be essential if Ministers' previous commitments to stop releases of hazardous substances to the North Sea by 2020 are to be met..
The Greenpeace delegation, led by Greenpeace International political advisors Simon Reddy and David Santillo, will include representatives from several North Sea countries.
Further information:
Contact:
Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255
