Stavros Dimas Bridges the Gap Between the Public and Environmental Policy
P
oliticians and environmental causes usually do not mix well. Environmental groups were concerned when Stavros Dimas was named European Commissioner for the Environment. Formerly a politician in Greece, Dimas had worked as a Wall Street lawyer and then deputy governor of the Hellenic Industrial Development Bank. He hardly seemed like a person who would champion environmental causes. But the environmental groups were wrong. In his time as Commissioner, Dimas has moved to pass legislation on such challenging and controversial topics as reducing carbon emissions, developing the carbon credit market, and regulating the transport of dangerous chemicals.
Dimas passionately shared his experiences, challenges, and goals at a luncheon lecture sponsored by the Center for International Environment and Resource Policy at The Fletcher School. One vital lesson Dimas learned in his time as a policymaker is the importance of public opinion. He emphasized that the public often has a greater role to play than officials realize. Dimas feels that governments need to be more transparent about policy drivers and really involve people in decisions regarding the environment. When people understand the benefits of small sacrifices, environmental policies will get more support.
In response to a question on how to get more countries on board with environmental initiatives, Dimas again referenced the issue of public opinion. He said, “People think morality has nothing to do with politics, but it’s not true. People pay attention to this.” But advocating what is right is not enough, particularly for people in poor countries with a low quality of life, who are aspiring to live like those in rich countries. Policymakers need to find ways to make it easier for poor countries to set higher environmental standards without hindering economic development.
China is now the largest contributor of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, having surpassed the US. Developed countries have to make both absolute and comparable reductions in emissions of gases harmful to the environment. Developing countries should have different standards, as their emissions are almost negligible to begin with. Africa, for example, emits less than 5% of the world’s greenhouse gases. Developing countries must also be treated in accordance with their capacities. It would not be fair to apply the same standards to Ivory Coast as to China. India, whose economy and greenhouse emissions have been growing rapidly, needs to couple economic development with strict environmental policy. There should be an expansion of technology transfer from developed countries to places such as India to help enforce such standards more rapidly.
Dimas reiterated that sound environmental policy is, at the end of the day, about benefit. It means cleaner air to breathe, something China would benefit from. It means fewer health problems, and clean water for irrigation, cleaning, and consumption. Drawing on wisdom from one of his former professions—politics, where verbiage is of utmost importance—Dimas remarked, “Presenting the benefits instead of the threats [of sound environmental policy] is very important.”
Looking over Dimas’ record, it seems that a former politician and businessman was in fact the perfect person to run the Environment Directorate-General. The wisdom he gained from his previous careers enabled him to successfully push an ambitious agenda. When a student asked how he overcame so many obstacles, he replied, “One passionate person is worth hundreds.”
Cybčle Cochran MALD ‘09
Photographer: Matthew Herbert F'10