Sustainable development

Economic development/activities must not take place

- at the expense of our natural environment

- at the expense of other people(s)

- at the expense of future generations

(e.g. at the expense of people in ELDCs)

no total exploitation of natural resources

functions of nature must be secured

Some definitions also include:

- the provision of labour

- the provision of adequate food and housing

- equal rights for women

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History:

18th century: sustainable forestry

yield from a forest should be in balance with re-forestation

(prescribed by law)

North-South Commision 1980 (chairman: Willy Brandt):

Report: "North-South: A Program for Survival"

Brundtland Commission

UN commission: "World Commission on Environment and Development"

Report: "Our Common Future"

laid the groundwork for the Earth Summit 1992 in Rio and the adoption of Agenda 21

recommends a massive increase in aid to developing countriesand also proposes improved environmental development

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United Nations Conference on Environment and Development 1992 (Earth Summit)

Rio de Janeiro Participants: 172 governments + 2,400 representatives of NGOs

Results:

Rio Declaration on Environment and Development

Agenda 21

Convention on Biological Diversity

Forest Principles

Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC or FCCC)

27 principles intended to guide future sustainable development

concrete action plan for governments and communities (globally, nationally, locally)

main goals:- conservation of biological diversity- sustainable use of its components

makes several recommendations for forestry

aim: reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases in order to combat global warming.

shortcoming: set no mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissionsfor individual nations and contained no enforcement provisions legally non-binding

but: it contained provisions for updates (called "protocols") that would set mandatory emission limits

principal update: Kyoto Protocol© DS

Principle 1 Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development.They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.

Principle 3 The right to development must be fulfilled so as to equitably meet developmental and environmental needs of present and future generations

Principle 5 All States and all people shall cooperate in the essential task of eradicating povertyas an indispensable requirement for sustainable development, in order to decrease the disparities in standards of living and better meet the needs of the majority of the people of the world.

Rio Declaration on Environment and Development

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There are 40 chapters in Agenda 21, divided into four sections.All together the document has over 900 pages:

Section I: Social and Economic Dimensions

including combating poverty, changing consumption patterns, population and demographic dynamics, promoting health, promoting sustainable settlement patternsand integrating environment and development into decision-making.

Section II: Conservation and Management of Resources for Development

including atmospheric protection, combating deforestation, protecting fragile environments,conservation of biological diversity, and control of pollution.

Section III: Strengthening the Role of Major Groups

including the roles of children and youth, women, NGOs, local authorities,business and workers.

Section IV: Means of Implementation

including science, technology transfer, education, international institutions and mechanisms and financial mechanisms.

Local Agenda 21: Some national and state governments have legislated or advised that local authoritiestake steps to implement the plan locally, as recommended in Chapter 28 of the document. Such programmes are often known as 'Local Agenda 21' or 'LA21'.

Agenda 21

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On June 12, 1992, 154 nations signed the UNFCCC, that committed governmentsto a voluntary "non-binding aim" to reduce atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gaseswith the goal of "preventing dangerous anthropogenic interference with Earth's climate system."

Climate Change Convention

These actions were aimed primarily at industrialized countries, with the intentionof stabilizing their emissions of greenhouse gases at 1990 levels by the year 2000.

Annex I and Annex II Countries, and Developing Countries

Signatories to the UNFCCC are split into three groups:

- Annex I countries (industrialized countries)

- Annex II countries (developed countries which pay for costs of developing countries)

- Developing countries

Annex I countries agree to reduce their emissions (particularly carbon dioxide) to target levelsbelow their 1990 emissions levels. If they cannot do so, they must buy emission credits or invest in conservation.

Developing countries have no immediate restrictions under the UNFCCC,

- this avoids restrictions on growth because pollution is strongly linked to industrial growth

because:

- they get money and technologies from the developed countries in Annex II

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