ABSTRACT
I became Environment Minister in Germany in 1987; before that I was Environment Minister for two years in one of our states, the Länder Rheinlandpfalz. At that time there was no risk at all in organising a conference on the environment; unlike today, when it is clearly not an easy task. Back then we automatically generated huge audiences talking about very simple topics such as waste management, air pollution, water and so on. So, looking back, I think things have changed a little, especially in Europe and perhaps in other parts of the world, because this is unfortunately no longer the case.
