”The Financial and Climate Crises have the same roots.”

- comments by Anders Wijkman, member of the European Parliament and vice Precident of the Club of Rome, at

Unesco Future Forum in Paris, march 2nd 2009.

Financial and Environment Crises have the same roots

Yet, great risk that action on climate and environment will be given lower prio:

1.Perception we cannot afford to address climate and environment challenges because of the economic crisis

2. Financial crisis make finance scarce for new technologies

3. Oil prize reduced and investments in alternatives looked upon as insecure

What is needed?• Use stimulus packages for green investments• Rethink the Policy Framework over the long term• Looking at stimulus packages so far the the

message is mixed• Positive is that there are more than 250 new

pieces of legislation world-wide recently in support of renewables and mitigation

• But overall much more could be done; conventional growth is not the answer!

Short-term measures• Multiply green elements of stimulus packages!• Not focus only on energy and climate• Support for renewables and efficiency is critical• Renewable energy, such as solar energy, geothermal etc crucial in developing countries – where is the funding?!• Also crucial: Resource efficiency as important as energy• Protection and regeneration of ecosystems • Avoided deforestation and stop forest degradation• Reforestation• Soil conservation, e g by applying biochar• Water management, esp rainwater harvesting • Marine protection

Long-term measures I

• Rethink our world view, in favour of ”systems approach”

• Requires rethinking of organisation of science and education in the interest of the Whole

• Specialisation is important but so is to understand how things are interconnected

• Greater importance to trans- and interdisciplinarity

• Crucial: Rethink education of economists

Long-term measures II

• Rethink Economic Policy-framework• Beyond GDP• Give a value to Natural Capital and Ecosystem services• Implement Polluter Pays Principle• Rethink trad cost-benefit analysis (discounting)• Rethink Business Models ( revenues can not depend only on

increase in volume!)• Learn from Nature ( Biomimicry )• Address population ( live up to Cairo Programme )• Reform Global Governance