1. Environmental Compliance and Enforcement: Access to Information
Asia Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Forum
Beijing, People’s Republic of China
December 14, 2007

2. Benefits of Access to Information
Raises public awareness of environmental risks and non-risks
Creates incentives for compliance and increases accountability for non-compliance
Creates political will for making difficult decisions
Leads to environmental actions and improved performance

3. Principles for Access to Information
Open access promotes open government (e.g. establish public trust)
Maximize disclosure and limit exceptions (e.g. propriety information)
Minimize impediments to access (e.g. cost, venue, and timing)

4. Principles for Access to Information
Need to know means need to understand (e.g. make information easy for public to understand)
Need to know applies to regulators (e.g. provide training on rules and procedures)

5. Forms of Access to Information
Public Disclosure Programs
Right to Know Legislation
Self Monitoring, Reporting & Record Keeping
Power of the Media

6. Regional Models of Access to Information
PROPER Program (Indonesia)
Government Information Disclosure Regulations (China)
Quantitative Risk Assessment (Singapore)
Right to Information Act (India)

7. India Right to Information Act
Covers any public authority – national and state governments, or institutions established or financed by government
Applies to almost all information, including contracts, receipts, and samples of materials
Includes right to inspect any work carried out by a public authority
Imposes penalty for failure to meet specified timelines

8. Access to Information Maxim
“The new source of power is not money in the hands of the few, but information in the hands of many.”
W.W. Rostow