The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) welcomed the release of the final reports of the Prime Minister's Ecologically Sustainable Development Working Groups, but expressed disappointment that more common ground had not been achieved in the year long exercise.

ACTU President, Martin Ferguson, said, "The Working Groups process has been very useful as an agenda-setting exercise, but not in terms of developing solutions to Australia's economic and environmental problems." ... "The process has brought to the negotiating table people who have never been there before," Mr Ferguson noted.

"Getting unions, business groups, consumer organisations and environmentalists to sit down and discuss the issues has been vastly more productive than the public confrontations that have characterised the environment debate in recent times."

"Australia faces both substantial economic problems and growing environmental problems. Solutions must be developed that accommodate both; that's what sustainable development means to trade unions."

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