Environmental reporting is a specialized area of reporting issues affecting the environment especially after the 1972, United Nation Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit) held in Stockholm, Sweden. The key issue of concern then was largely that of desertification, deforestation and their effects on the warming of the global environment. At that time, the concept that was used to characterize global warming was the HOT HOUSE EFFECT. The succeeding global summit on environment and development helped to further focus global attention on issues and challenges facing the environment and their consequences on development. The 1982 summit held in Nairobi, Kenya which further reminded the world and again maintained environmental issues in the public arena.

It was at this summit that global emphasis on the connection between the environment and development was deepened. This emphasis led to the establishment of the World Commission on Environment and Development (WECD) in Tokyo, Japan which examined issues affecting the global environment and come up with a report for discussion and consideration at 1992 earth summit in Rio Janeiro, Brazil. The committee was headed by Ms Gotarkem BrundHand, which later became addressed as the BrundHand Commission. The commission in it’s report drew attention on the need for all countries of the world to consider and adopt management of resources in a way that will benefit the present generation without compromising the resource needs of future generations. The concept that the commission used, to capture efficient use of global resources to meet the needs of present and future generations, was SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. From that time onwards, it became not only a catch phrase but also a useful shorthand for promoting efficient use of environmental resources to benefit mankind on a sustainable basis.

One important action that countries of the world adopted at the Rio Summit was the acceptance of a five-year review period to help access the progress that countries were making with regard to environmental sustainability. This became known as the Rio5. This is important in providing for a midterm review of the efforts of countries and also serves as a means for countries to assess themselves and be monitored globally in a formal context. The successes and challenges that countries faced became important issues for further discussions, debates and definitions of action points. After Rio, the succeeding summit took place in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2002 tagged “Sustainable Development”. It became evident after the Jo’burg Summit that it is important to extract commitments to cut back on global warning. Such a commitment did not happen until 1997 when the Kyoto Protocol 1997 in Japan was signed in which developed countries that are considered to be distributing more to the process going by their level of industrialization would take steps to address actions that are contributing to global warming. However, this introduced another dimension to the issue of addressing environmental challenges, control and management. Developed countries, seemed to have taken the position that global environmental problems cannot be blamed on any part of the world as the actions of humankind globally is contributing to it. Some scientists from the developed world argue that there is no evidence to support global warming as to warrant any action. The developed world instead tried to push forward the position that developing countries need to do more such as the preservation of forests to ensure checks against global warming and to ensure continuous supply of oxygen to the world. This can be described as the politics of the environment.

It is important to point out that the politics is useful towards maintaining global environmental issues in the public arena. As these issues are discussed and debated the public get to be sensitized and enlightened on issues affecting the environment. Any aspect of the environment that is discussed and debated either in scientific and technical sessions or in the media help to keep the environment on the global agenda. In each of these contexts, the position gives room for reporting on environmental issues. The reports tend to form the basis for discussion and action by groups and governments and help to drive the process of decision making. It can be argued therefore, that reports on significant bases for action. However, not all reports are presented and discussed by scientists for purposes of research and advancement of knowledge, among policy makers for purposes of decision making which are articulated in the form of policies, plans, programmes and projects; and in the media aimed at bringing topical environmental issues to the attention of the public for their education, mobilization and action. In all these cases, the environmental report is important. It is important to note that the character and form of the report on the environment in all cases have their own different characteristics. No matter the character and form, it is possible to come up with a working definition of environmental reporting.

Environmental reporting covers three important areas, namely: Land, Water and Air. In a broad sense, any report with environmental subject relating to land, water and air can be considered as environmental reporting. This broad definition, however, does not disclose many actions of humankind that affect the environment. In other words, environmental reporting go beyond focusing on land, water and air. It is important to factor in processes and outcomes in defining environmental reporting.

Another definition then is to say that environmental reporting is the report on natural and animal actions on the environment that could affect animals and human beings either negatively or positively that require some form of action to manage the environment.

It can also be defined as the report on a large number of issues on air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, natural disasters, industrial disasters, nuclear disasters, sanitation, water disposal, soil degradation, erosion, desertification, deforestation, etc.


BABA ALI MUSTAPHA

DEPUTY DIRECTOR,

DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING RESEARCH AD STATISTICS,

MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT,

MAIDUGURI,

BORNO STATE,

NIGERIA.