AG: What were the principle achievements that led to your 
UNEP award?
ME: (Massoumeh Ebtekar) This recognition was the result of a collective effort. Political leaders, directors, scholars, non-governmental organisations and media people from various backgrounds all united to change perceptions, policy and practice in the field of the environment. In an eight-year period, we succeeded in introducing new and effective legislation in areas such as waste management and development policy. Protected areas grew from 4.5 percent of the county’s area to 7.5 percent, 57 automotive lines were regulated for emissions for the first time, leading to 80 percent reduction of pollutants, improvement of compliance in 10 large petrochemical complexes and nine large refineries occurred. We also witnessed improvement of air quality for more than 25 million in eight major cities after implementation of air pollution abatement programmes. Due to favourable conditions during this time, more than 600 NGOs were created by different groups of people leading to a nationwide campaign for conservation and improvement in environmental standards. During this period we also played an effective role in international environmental stewardship – the lead role of Iran in the Marrakesh negotiations for the Kyoto Protocol and the successful signing of the Tehran Framework Convention for the Protection of the Caspian Sea Environment are some examples.

AG: No monetary award is attached to the prize; how did your recognition raise the profile of your work and of Iran’s international standing?
ME: This prize was well received in Iran as a recognition of our achievements. It was also important since a woman from the Islamic world had won the prize. I always use this title proudly in national and international events and I believe the ‘Champions of the Earth’ are environmental emissaries or goodwill ambassadors. I hope to be able to continue the work within civil society and with NGOs.

AG: You currently work for the Tehran city council; what problems are you tackling?
ME: Tehran is a megacity of 8.5 million inhabitants. We have many challenges including environmental issues. I have established an Environment Committee and we are dealing with air and sound pollution, waste management, trees and the natural environment, water and sewage systems, awareness and public participation. We have managed to take a very sound scientific approach on the issues and to assist the municipal authorities in providing well developed plans and budgets. The environment budget has increased significantly for next year and most of the Environment Committee’s expectations have been met. We expect to witness an improvement in waste management next year.

AG: How can major global producers of natural gas and oil – significant sources of pollution and contributors to global warming – make best use of their natural resources?
ME: When I was in the government, we worked to correct consumption patterns through nationwide education and awareness-raising schemes. Petrochemical industries have boomed in recent years. The policy has been to bring added value to gas and oil through petrochemical processes instead of burning them as fuel. I think this policy should be followed at the international level too. We need to promote energy auditing and sustainable energy management policy as well.

AG: What alternatives to fossil fuels has Iran invested in?
ME: Solar energy (we have many solar-powered lights and solar stoves), wind energy, geothermal and hydropower are all areas in which the country has invested. More than seven percent of the country’s electricity is derived from hydropower. Nuclear energy is also one of the areas in which Iran has advanced: in addition to the first nuclear power plant, which will be ready in a few months, other plants are also underway.

AG: From an environmental standpoint, do you view adding nuclear power generating capacity as a positive development?
ME: In Iran we have suffered air, water and soil pollution due to fossil fuels for decades and we will continue to face environmental challenges from that source. In that context, nuclear power is considered to be a cleaner and more efficient fuel. In any case, all nuclear power generation plants must meet all the environmental and safety requirements, and the issue of nuclear waste needs to be appropriately managed. As the authority in charge of the environment, I did my best during those years to ensure that environmental and safety standards were implemented in these projects.

AG: Iran’s scientific and engineering community is highly respected; are there efforts to find technological solutions to Iran’s environmental problems?
ME: Iran has experienced unprecedented advances in science and technology during the recent decade. Specific areas such as environmental sciences and interdisciplinary environmental studies have greatly expanded as well. Much has been done to improve and employ environmental technologies in various areas, particularly in the upstream and downstream petroleum industries. We initiated an annual international environmental technology exhibition in Tehran that continued for six years. The application of such technologies to resolve environmental challenges has been very widespread. Strict regulation of industries and stringent environmental standards have taken the government and private sector to develop and employ new technologies. Many things depend on government policy and I hope [the present] government will continue this line.

AG: In what ways are environmental NGOs active in the country?
ME: We encouraged people to engage in a nationwide campaign to protect the environment. The favourable atmosphere created by President Khatami and his reformist policies also enabled NGOs to develop and start their activities in a democratic atmosphere. By the end of my term NGOs focused on the environment had grown from a mere 20 to more than 600 across the country. They have been involved in policy and different levels of decision-making, in implementation of projects and activities and in oversight and inspection. NGOs were free to criticise the government – and they still do although their activities are limited somewhat now. NGOs have worked on awareness-raising, education, research and project implementation in fields related to natural resources protection, conservation and sustainable development. I hope the current government will continue to provide support for these activities.

AG: Climate change has been called the most pressing issue of our time. What, in your view, should nations and individuals be doing to combat it?
ME: Awareness on the various dimensions of the matter, information and [accurate] reporting are very necessary to mobilise people to change their lifestyles and to encourage them to start initiatives that will lead to social mobilisation. This awareness should also pressure policy-makers to change their unsustainable policies. New technologies can surely help to find ways that are both affordable and do not block the development of developing nations. But above all I believe the current mentality that is governing world affairs – which is a material and consumerist mentality – is the major cause of what we see today. It is very difficult to foresee any serious change unless we change our general attitudes and worldview.

AG: What are the other main environmental issues that face countries in the Middle East and the wider region?
ME: Water scarcity; loss of biodiversity due to overuse of natural resources; air, soil and water pollution; lack of proper conservation and environmental regulation; lack of serious political commitment. But in addition to all the above, decades of war and armed conflict in our region – in Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf – has led to a serious damage to natural resources and in some cases the breakdown of infrastructure. Post-conflict environmental damage has been reported and assessed by UNEP in recent years, but the recovery and cleanup process is very long and costly.

AG: Has the environmental damage caused by the 1991 Gulf War not been fully overcome?
ME: The damage had both short- and long-term consequences. Some of the long-term effects are still taking their toll. The massive oil spills have left an undeniable imprint on the coastline. In some parts the heavy oil is covered by sand but it is still there. I have experienced the scene in Kish Island in the Persian Gulf. The UNCCC Compensation Commission has received Iran’s reports and surveys on the matter but the compensation is still pending. We completed eight major surveys on the impact of the war in environmental fields at that time.

AG: Could you tell us about your efforts to protect marine life in the Gulf?
ME: When I was appointed Vice President in 1997, Iran became the revolving head of ROPME, the Regional Organisation for Protection of the Marine Environment. We worked closely during the ensuing years to upgrade the activities of the organisation and to ensure that it will take practical steps to protect and improve environmental standards in the Persian Gulf. It was a difficult task since the region provided 25 percent of the world’s energy resources, and hundreds of tankers and warships and commercial ships were constantly transporting commodities and fuel in and out of the Strait of Hormoz. We succeeded in conducting two summer research cruises in 2002 and 2003. It was the first time that scientists and experts from the region were managing the cruise themselves. It was a demonstration of self-reliance among the regional countries. Iran successfully led the operations.

AG: If you could name a person similarly deserving of the UNEP ‘Champion of the Earth’ Award, who would you choose?
ME: I would choose some of the people who have given their lives for the protection of the environment. I have given the UNEP a proposal to commemorate the “Martyrs of the Environment”, people who have defended nature to the extent that they have given their lives. We had four rangers who were martyred at the hands of illegal poachers or in accidents during their missions. Also we lost Dr. Hormoz Asadi, who was a wildlife expert and an international figure as well; he died while transferring some yellow Iranian deer from one area to their natural habitat. These people should be commemorated at the international level if we believe the environment is a global issue.