The future we want

Donnell Davis Envirobusiness

Commonwealth Human Ecology Council

UNEP Foresight Project 2011/2012

Friends of South East Queensland

Sisters 4 Sustainability

The future we want

What we create

UNEP Foresight Project

Rio+20

Queensland’s profile

Sustainable Futures Formula

UNEP Foresight Project

Commissioned in preparation for Rio+20 (Achim Steiner)

Coordinated in France by Veronique Plocq Fichelet

20 specialists on panel (Joe Baker) and 400 scientists/ professionals worldwide

Qualitative surveys: participant profiles

Queensland’s Contribution: 5 feisty women to balance

Summary of results & ranking

Rio+20 Earth Summit Green Economy

Sustainable Development Governance

Queensland Rio+20 workshops • Reviewed stakeholder forum recommendations

• Considered 15 Principles and how to practice

• Considered 17 Sustainable Development Goals and argued how to implement locally given each person’s specific passion

• Supported all 7 youth recommendations

• Contributed in SDSD (Earth Institute Columbia Uni NY) WFUNA, INTOSAI (Washington), 3 days of debates in New York at UNHQ in April 2012.

• So what? Gives hope and direction

• Natural Capital Declaration for banks & insurance companies (37 voluntary) but risk systems make others follow.

7 critical issues 1. food, 2. water, 3. jobs, 4. energy, 5. cities, 6. oceans, and 7. disasters.

1. precautionary principle: Ombudspersons for Future Generations

2. a green economy: adopt alternative economic indicators to GDP ….social well-being and ecological integrity.

3. importance of shared ethical and spiritual values in making the transition to a sustainable way of life.

4. SDG on sustainable production and consumption.

5. new institutional framework….global governance reforms, a mandate of trusteeship for global common goods on behalf all peoples, the greater community of life, and future generations.

6. all have access to quality education for sustainable ways of living.

7. Climate Justice …to address global climate change….equitably… with rights of the poor, indigenous, vulnerable peoples.

8. supportive mechanisms for a Just Transition –

ensuring the right to sustainable development.

Earth Charter International Zero Draft Recommendations UNCSD (Rio+20)

Queensland’s profile sustainability performance audit

1. Population growth for more than 2 decades (33% -3% pa) 86%* people live 50km from coast on floodplains in towns & cities*

2. High Human Development Index: (healthy lifestyle, choice of quality food, most have

housing security and freedom of choice (wasteful per capita), high employment)

3. Strong report card for 4 capitals – but declining

4. Natural capital: with world heritage GBR, wet tropics, dry tropics, Ramsar sites, forests, unique

biodiversity, clean beaches, Greenspace.

5. Wealth of mineral resources – export economy

6. Strong support for preventative health & quality education

7. Crime decreasing (against person and against property)

8. Social cohesion (support, tolerance and acceptance)

9. Healthy attitude to waste and pollution and care. Attitude to be self sufficient (eg. solar systems)

10. Entrepreneurial attitude to problem solving (not dependency) Cultural capital:

capacity make a difference

11. General understanding of climate change impacts. Ranks 119 on climate

vulnerability risk report* with droughts, fires, cyclones, floods, angry summer*

Create Queensland’s future?

The future is what we create.*

Everybody has a right to sustainable development (& responsibilities)

Everybody should be allowed to have a say in their local and regional futures, object and appeal against plans for inappropriate or invasive development.

We are the only species that can make rapid value-based changes. We have the knowledge, tools and capacity for innovation but we need to work together with some ethical “glue” for the future we want.

Human Creativity is part of natures productivity*

Sust Futures = science*technology +foresight +moral courage

References

Climate Commission. (2013). Key Facts of the Angry Summer (pp. 1-4): Climate Commission. Coghill, K., Sampford, C., & Smith, T. (2012). Rulers’ Duties to Our Environment? Fiduciary Duty and the Atmospheric Trust (pp. 1-8). Surrey, England: Ashgate Publishing Limited. Davis, D. (2003). Independent report - Measuring our Progress towards Sustainability. Davis, D. (2011). Australian Cities Vulnerability : Retrofitting our cities for climate change. Catalin (Italy): European Association for Environmental and Resource Economics. Davis, D. (2012). Our Voice for Rio +20 - 31 Mar 2012 SEQ community workshop: Towards RIO+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development (pp. 1-8). Brisbane: FOSEQ, UNAA, Earth Charter, AGDF, ACUNS. England, P. (2011). Sustainable planning in Queensland: Federation Press. Jimenez, A. (2012). Integrating Earth Charter Sustainability Values in Education (pp. 1-41). Costa Rica: Earth Charter. Lowe, I. (2003). Ian Lowe's address at the launch of Doug Cocks' book: "Deep Futures" on 12 August at the National Museum, Canberra. Paper presented at the The launch of Deep Futures, Canberra. Lowe, I. (2011). The Voice of Reason. Melbourne: Scribe. Moses, M. (2012). AOSIS Statement on zero draft RIO+20. New York: AOSIS. Queensland Government. (2006). Education for Sustainable Futures: Schooling for the Smart State - Report of the Ministerial Advisory Committee for Educational Renewal. Brisbane: Queensland Government. Slaughter, R. A. (2010). Introduction by Richard Slaughter: A planetary emergency The biggest wakeup call in history (pp. 1-6). Indooroopilly Qld: Foresight International. Stakeholder Forum. (2011). Stakeholder Forum – Rio+20 Zero Draft Submission. Bonn Germany: Stakeholder Forum. UN. (2012). United Nations - The future we want (pp. 19). Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: RIO+20 UNCSD. UN Habitat. (2011). Global report on human settlements 2011 Cities and climate change: Policy directions UNCSD, & UNDPI/ NGO. (2011). 17 Draft SDGs - Sustainable Development Goals for RIO+20. Bonn: UNCSD. UNCTAD. (2011). The road to Rio 1992-2012: For a development-led green economy. Paper presented at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. UNEP. (2012). 21 Issues for the 21st Century - Results of the UNEP Foresight Process on Emerging Environmental Issues. In J. Alcamo & S. A. Leonard (Eds.). Nairobi, Kenya: UNEP. United Nations Habitat. (2009). PLANNING SUSTAINABLE CITIES: POLICY DIRECTIONS GLOBAL REPORT ON HUMAN SETTLEMENTS 2009: UN Habitat.