in this Chapter IV subject area IV and of most of those recommendations envisaged within the other four substantive subject areas of the Conference agenda. Response: 129–137. The Advisory Committee strongly concurs with the recommendations relating to the development of various means for the exchange of environmental information between nations. On the national level, the Advisory Committee agrees with the recommendation of the Conference Secretariat paper and includes under the section on United States Participation in International Programs on the Human Environment additional recommendations of its own. On the international level, the Committee supports the establishment of an International Referral Service to identify sources of environmental information.

Subcommittee 4

Educational, Social, and Cultural Aspects of Environmental Issues

Mr. John Nellor, Chairman

Chairman, Environmental Commission Association of State University and Land Grant Colleges

Assistant Vice President for Research, Michigan State University

5. Development

Development and the Environment

INTRODUCTION

The area of Development and the Environment is of critical importance, not only to the deliberations at Stockholm, but to all subsequent discussions about international economic, trade, and environmental policies for years to come. The concept of environmental quality injects a new variable into an already complex world market. The international community is not entirely prepared to deal with this new factor; thus, in the near future it may occasion more conflict than cooperation.

The United States and other developed countries, must support and encourage the efforts of the developing world to integrate the concepts of development and the environment by assuming a fair share of the additional costs incurred. This is not to say that the developed countries should independently assume the responsibility of environmental protection for the developing world; but rather, that we should collectively assume costs which might unduly retard the growth of the developing world.

In addition to sharing the costs of universal improvement of environmental quality, we should take bold initiatives in the area of international investments. Such initiatives will reflect the best interests of the environment abroad as well as the best interests of the economic environment at home. The positions we recommend attempt to reconcile these conflicting interests.

RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE

1. The United States and other developed countries should support the establishment of international environmental guidelines, criteria, and comprehensive impact statements, with the following requirements:

1

A. Specific products and processes should be tested for their potential effects on the environment, with the results published before production.

B. Environmental programs should be assessed for their impact on the national and international economy.

C. The effects of industrialization on the social and cultural structures of developing countries should be studied.

D. The full range of the anticipated impact of proposed projects should be assessed in the preplanning stage.

E. Improved methods for the adaptation to new technology must be utilized in the developing countries.

2. The United States and other developed countries should support steps in the field of international trade that lead to environmental protection and trade fairness as follows:

A. Government financing should be conditioned upon the filing of an adequate environmental impact statement.

B. Systems of patents and copyrights should be examined to determine whether these rights constitute bars to environmental actions and, if so, how they should be changed. In particular we propose that patentable environmental or pollution control devices should be subject to mandatory cross-licensing, with appropriate compensations, where environmental actions so require.

C. To encourage environmentally sound practices, developed countries should utilize education and persuasion.

D. Developed countries should be willing to assume the major costs of compliance by the developing countries with minimum environmental standards.

E. Multinational accords with respect to a particular industry should involve all supplier and consumer nations.

F. Provisions for temporary governmental assistance should be considered as a response to alternative patterns of trade which may develop as a result of the application of increasingly stringent environmental standards to domestic industries.

G. The United States and other developed countries should export only products which meet the standards imposed on goods sold domes

1 See Chapter VI, Advisory Committee Recommendation 6. See Chapter V, Response to UN Report 24.-27; Chapter II. Advisory Committee Recommendation 1.B.

tically and we should import only those products which meet domestic health, safety and pollution standards.

3. The developed countries should adopt the principle opposing exploitation of "pollution havens" and requiring corporate responsibility in meeting at least the best practicable standard of environmental protection.

4. The developed countries should give special attention to the subject of environmental degradation due to lack of development by moving toward the aid target of one percent of Gross National Product and should provide the further aid required for environmental protection.2

DISCUSSION OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS

1. International Guidelines, Criteria, and Comprehensive Impact Statements

It has become evident that there is now a need for a world environmental plan for action which considers global concerns and the relative stages of development of the various participants.

The United States and other developed countries should support standardized environmental appraisals of all bilateral and multilateral development assistance projects, following internationally agreed procedures and standards. Such appraisals will be disseminated for general public consideration prior to implementation of the project. While the appraisals will not be binding on development decisions initially, they will provide greater official and public awareness of possible negative environmental effects and suggest alternative actions to forestall or minimize such effects. Citizens of nations receiving assistance should be involved fully in such appraisals at all stages.

Specifically, we call for an international agreement pertaining to comprehensive environmental impact appraisals which would require:

A. Each nation to test specific products and processes, particularly those involving non-degradable, non-recyclable, or toxic compounds, for their potential effects on the environment, and to publish the results of these tests before introducing the products on the market.

B. A method for assessing environmental programs, which would consider the impact of programs on all facets of the national and international economy.

C. The study of the effects of industrialization on the social and cultural structures of developing countries.

2 See Response to United Nations Report 21.-23.

D. Assessment of the anticipated impact of proposed products in the preplanning stage. All aspects-economic, social, cultural, and political as well as physical impact-should be included.

E. Improved methods for the adaptation to new technology must be utilized in the developing countries. The United States and other developed countries have in a particular sense, set a social value system or international guideline for the world: that a nation's success is measured by its ability to produce and consume an endless array of commodities.

In this country, people in government and industry who are responsible for international development must be aware of the major differences of cultural and social values in developed and developing countries. Past and present development patterns of the developed countries might not be the best patterns for the developing countries and, indeed, may be inappropriate. Therefore, it is vital that the latter take the initiative and leadership in decisions that affect their growth.3 2. Environmental Protection and Trade Fairness in International Trade

The United States and other developed countries should require multinational corporations to trade internationally according to sound environmental principles.

A. The filing of an adequate environmental impact statement should be a condition for government loans, investment guarantees, export credits, tax credits, and technical assistance. The National Environmental Policy Act, as enacted, covers these activities and should be implemented accordingly.

B. A full United Nations study of patents, copyrights and other potential barriers to international environmental protection should be conducted. As an early step to ease such barriers, we propose mandatory cross-licensing of patentable environmental or pollution control devices where needed to meet environmental standards, subject to payment of equitable compensation for use of the patent right. This is modeled on a provision in the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1970. Since industry in some countries will be slower to adopt pollution standards or control devices than in others. The following approaches are warranted to deal fairly with the economic consequences of steps toward environmental protection.

C. Education and persuasion should be utilized by developed countries rather than using economic coercion to encourage environmentally sound practices. Environmental concern should not be used as a pretext for developed nations to erect either tariff or non-tariff barriers.

3 See Chapter VI Advisory Committee Recommendation 6; Chapter II, Advisory Committee Recommendation 1.B. Chapter V., Response to UN Report 24-27.