The prospect of long-term gains for the Australian environment was the overriding factor for the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) and the World Wide Fund for Nature(WWF), when both groups opted to remain in the Government's Ecologiallly Sustainable Development process in March. Speculation had been that the ACF would pull out, in response to proposed resource-security legislation. But the governrnent's retrograde actions would be best countered by remaining in the ESD process ACF and WWF decided. While disappointed with the decision for resource-security, both groups based their decision on the view that the greens would then be in a better position to influence the ESD process - and by implication, the making of government policy which would follow.

In announcing thc ACF decision to remain in ESD,the Executive stated, "...the resource-security decision indicates the Government's lack of commitment to their own Ecologically Sustainable Development(ESD) process. "However, the Executive believes that the Foundation's continuing involvement in the ESD process is more critical than ever while governments make such disastrous decisions." The ACF-WWF decision to remain in the proccss was based on the following considerations:

• The public want green groups to work at constructive problem-solving
• Greater leverage on the individual working groups, being in a better pob (’ESD process,integrated economic and ecoiogical policies across a range of sectors for the first time.
• The current trend away from Federal controI towards increased powers for the States.

Remaining in the ESD process at this time provides opportunity to counter this trend. The Cabinet resource-security decision also requires that account be taken of the outcome of the ESD process. A pull-out would have meant that despite the absence of any green representatives on the nine industry working groups in ESD, the 'consultation' would still have continued, with only government and industry representation.

With so much to gain, why are other national environmental groups not involved? The Wilderness Society decided last year that it preferred to work outside the Government proccess at a grass-roots level. Greenpeace, while initially choosing to participate in ESD, stated that the Government's support for resource security was a betrayal of the process and it was no longer tenable for them to participate.

Continuing with the ESD process means that green representatives continue to attend Working Group meetings till October 31, the date set for all Working Groups to have submitted their reports. In this time, green representatives will have had the opportunity to contribute to the debates in their area, and in some cases to actually draft sections of the final Working Group report.

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