Promoting environmental accountability

The role and responsibility of nations based on the Rio Principles, as well as the role and responsibility of the main actors including Governments, the private sector and civil society, must be emphasized in addressing the environmental challenges of the twenty-first century. Governments are the primary agents in this process, whose actions are vital in implementing United Nations environment-related instruments since Stockholm, institutional capacity-building and strengthened international cooperation.

1. 1. A greater commitment by the private sector should be pursued to engender a new culture of environmental accountability through the application of the polluter-pays principle, environmental performance indicators and reporting, and the establishment of a precautionary approach in investment and technology decisions. This approach must be linked to the development of cleaner and more resource efficient technologies for a life-cycle economy and efforts to facilitate the transfer of environmentally sound technologies.

1. Recognizing environmental justice
2. Providing accountability
3. Protecting global environment
4. Promoting proactive approaches to sustainable development
5. Developing international environmental law

1. Recognizing citizen's rights in relation to the environment
2. Protecting the environment through criminal prosecution
3. Integrating biodiversity concerns into liability mechanisms
4. Increasing accountability of institutions degrading the environment
5. Determining environmental liability
6. Applying polluter-pays principle
7. Adopting community right-to-know for environmental risk reduction

1. Restoring environmental damage
2. Increasing accountability of public services
3. Ensuring national policies account for environmental effects
4. Enhancing corporate environmental responsibility
5. Empowering citizens to challenge polluters

1. Providing legal basis for accountability
2. Increasing accountability of international financial institutions
3. Increasing accountability for disaster prevention
4. Facilitating public access to justice in environmental matters
5. Establishing international environmental court of justice
6. Creating business accountability

1. Lack of environmental accountability