Throughout the Johannesburg preparatory process, Greenpeace International and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, despite our well known differences, we have found ourselves frustrated by a lack of political will and decisiveness of the governments to fulfil their commitments under the Rio agreements

including Agenda 21.

We both share the view that the mixed, and often contradictory signals sent by governments on the environment, especially on greenhouse gas emission reductions, is creating a political environment which is not good for business nor, indeed, for the future of humanity.

Given the seriousness of the risks of climate change, and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we are shelving our differences on other issues on this occasion and call upon governments to be responsible and to build the international framework to tackle climate change on the basis of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol. We both agree that this is the essential first step.

In making this statement together before the Heads of State and Government are expected to arrive here in Johannesburg, we are also calling upon governments to put their own differences aside, and to co-operate more fully to make the goal of greenhouse gas reduction a reality.