Global Action for mitigation of environment damages –Historical timeline and

Sustainability approaches

Sustainable Development, a long-term issue

1900 21002012 2050

Based on current production & consumption patterns

Two planets needed by 2050 to meet our appetite for natural resources

Where it All Begins• Concerns about the environment and

development are not new • Strategies needed to address the inter-

related challenges of building healthy societies, economies, and environments

• Post- World War II• Many people consider 1962 as the

seminal year in which people began to understand how closely linked the environment and development truly are

The 50’s and 60’s(A Period of Awakening)

• London Smog • Minamata Disease and other Health

issues • Silent Spring by Rachel Carson• Population Bomb by John Erlich

The Great London Smog(1952)

Industrial revolution of the 19th century in Britain’s major cities gave a dramatic increase in air pollution.

Minnamata Disease

As of March 2001, 2,265 victims had been officially recognized (1,784 deaths)

• Neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning.

• First discovered in Minamata bay in Japan in 1956.

• It was caused by the release of methyl mercury in the industrial wastewater from nearby chemical factory (from 1932 to 1968).

Author of Silent Spring, Rachel Louise Carson was a writer, scientist, and ecologist

Wrote the book calling for an end to indiscriminate pesticide use.

Emphasized the importance of changing how we interact and perceive nature.

Other Books by her: Under the Sea-Wind (1941), The Sea Around Us (1952), The Edge of the Sea (1955).

Silent Spring (1962)

The Population Bomb (1968)

Best Selling Book written by Paul R. Ehrlich.

The book showed the link between population, resource exploitation and the impact on environment.

It predicted disaster for humanity due to overpopulation and the "population explosion".

"in the 1970s and 1980s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death“

Went on to say that nothing can be done to avoid mass famine greater than any in the history, and radical action is needed to limit the overpopulation.

The 70’s(Reaction)

• Starting of USEPA• World Summit on Environment &

Development (Stockholm, Sweden)• Starting of UNEP• Publication of “Limits to Growth”

US Environmental Protection Agency (1970)

• Established as a result of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) passing in July 1969

• In July of 1970, the White House and Congress worked together to establish the EPA in response to the growing public demand for cleaner water, air and land.

• Assigned the task of repairing the damage already done to the natural environment and to establish new criteria for a “cleaner environment”.

First Earth Day(April 22nd 1970)

Earth has its first official

Earth has its first official

birthday

birthday

Green Peace Movement(1971)

• Radical Environmentalist Organization initiated in Canada

• Launched an aggressive agenda to stop environmental damage through civil protests and non-violent interference.

Other Such organizations include Earth First and Friends of the Earth

United Nations Conference on Human Environment

Stockholm (1972)• 1968 - The UN General Assembly authorizes the

Human Environment Conference to be held in 1972. • Focuses on regional pollution and acid rain problems

of northern Europe and the first international recognition of environmental issues

• The concept of sustainable development discussed as a resolution to the “environmental vs. development” dilemma.

• Leads to the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

First Earth Summit

First Earth Summit

United Nations Environment Programme(1972)

UNEP established after UN Conference on the Human Environment

UNEP is an advocate, educator, catalyst and facilitator, promoting the wise use of the planet’s natural assets for sustainable development.

Policy Development and ImplementationTechnology, Industry and EconomicsRegional CooperationEnvironmental Conventions

www.unep.org

Areas of Work

• Freshwater• Gender• Governance & Law• Land Marine & Coasts• Ozone• Poverty • Sanitation• Sports• Sustainable Consumption• Technology• Tourism• Urban Issues• Waste Management

• Agriculture• Air Quality Assessments• Biodiversity• Bio safety• Business & Industry• Chemicals• Civil Society• Climate Change• Conflict & Disasters• Economics & Trade• Education & Training• Energy

1985: Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer1987: Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer1988: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) established to assess information related to human-induced climate change1989: Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes2000: Millennium Declaration: environmental sustainability listed as one of eight Millennium Development Goals2001: Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)2002: World Summit on Sustainable Development reaffirms UNEP’s central role in international efforts to achieve sustainable development2005 World Summit emphasizes key role of environment in sustainable development

Environmental Conventions

Limits to Growth (1972)

Jorgen Randers, Jay Forrester, Donella Meadows, Dennis Meadows, and William W. Behrens III in 1972

The 80’s(Action)

• World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED)

• Brundtland Report – “Our Common Future”• The coining of Word “Sustainable

Development”• Vienna Convention/Montreal protocol• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change• Basel Convention

World Commission on Environment and Development

(1983)• Convened to investigate on Development and

Environmental Issues. (lead by Gro Harlem Brundtland)

• Focused on "the accelerating deterioration of the human environment and natural resources and the consequences of that deterioration for economic and social development."

• The Commission, is best known for developing the concept of sustainable development

• Published its report “Our Common Future” in April 1987.

Our Common Future(1987)

• The report from the UN World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission) and was published in 1987.

Gro Harlem Brundtland – Former Prime Minister of Norway and Chair of the World Commission

Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer

(1987)

• International treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of a number of substances causing/leading to ozone depletion (CFCs).

• Opened for signature on September 16, 1987 and entered into force on January 1, 1989. Has undergone five revisions

• Hailed as an example of exceptional international cooperation

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

(1988)• Established by the World Meteorological

Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to overcome the problem of potential global climate change.

• The role of the IPCC is to assess technical and socio-economic information relevant to understanding the risk of human-induced climate change

Five shipments of toxic and radioactive waste that were illegally imported into Nigeria by an Italian national. Within

several months, an additional 2100 tons of Italian waste carried aboard a German ship was dumped in Nigeria.

15,000 tons of municipal fly ash, contaminated with dioxins, heavy metals and other chemicals, was shipped

from Philadelphia, USA to the Caribbean in 1996. Eventually a part of this waste is dumped in Haiti. The rest

is presumed to have been dumped into theIndian Ocean.

(Source: Illegal traffic in toxic and dangerous products and wastes, Report of the Secretary-General, United Nations General Assembly, 18 July 1989)

The Truth About Development

Basel Convention(1989)

• The most comprehensive global environmental agreement on hazardous and other wastes.

• Aimed to protect human health and the environment against the adverse effects resulting from the generation, management, transboundary movements and disposal of hazardous wastes.

• Entry into force: 5 May 1992• Ratified by several member countries and the

European Union

The 90’s

• World Summit/Rio Summit• Agenda 21• Formation of WBCSD• Stockholm Convention • UN Framework Convention on Climate

Change • Kyoto Protocol

Rio Summit(1992)

• United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED),

• Held in Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992 • 172 Participants, 108 heads of State or

Government Participated• Resulted in

– Agenda 21 – Rio Declaration on Environment and Development,– Statement of Forest Principles– United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Change

Second Earth Summit

Agenda 21

Rio Declaration• Goal

Establish an equitable global partnership to work on international agreements that respect interests of all while protecting the integrity of the global environmental and developmental systems

• 27 Principles– P1: Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development. They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature. P3: The right to development must be fulfilled so as to equitably meet developmental and environmental needs of present and future generations.

World Business Council for Sustainable Development

• Founded on the eve of the Rio Earth Summit to involve business in sustainability issues and give it a voice in the forum.

• Major Focus Areas– Energy and Climate– Development– Business Role

• Lead to a book, “Changing Course: A global business perspective on development and the environment.”

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

(1994)• International treaty to consider what can

be done to reduce global warming and to cope with inevitable temperature increases.

• Signed at Rio Summit and Came into effect on 21st March 1994.

• Ratified by 191 members

Stockholm Convention(1995)

• Global treaty to protect human health and the environment from persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

• 12 worst offenders known as the “Dirty Dozen”, identified

• Opened for signature in May 2001 in Stockholm, Sweden. Entered into force on May 17th

• Ratified by 128 parties and 151 signatories.

Kyoto Protocol (1997)

• Amendment to the international treaty on climate change.

• Opened for signature in, 1998. Came into force on February 16, 2005.

• 169 countries have ratified.

• Countries like India and China are not required to reduce emissions though being signatories.

New Millennium

• Millennium Goals• 2002 Johannesburg Summit / RIO+10• 2005 World Summit• “Inconvenient Truth”

Millennium Development Goals

Johannesburg Summit(2002)

• Held 10 years after the Rio Earth Summit (Rio + 10)

• World Summit on Sustainable Development focus the world's attention and direct action toward meeting difficult challenges in the New Millennium– improving people's lives– conserving our natural resources

• Represented by all major groups identified in Agenda 21

Third Earth Summit

World Summit(2005)

• A follow-up summit meeting to the United Nations’ Millennium Summit,

• Discussed progress on the Millennium Development Goals presented in Johannesburg

• 192 member states met in New York City• Billed as the "largest gathering of world

leaders in history"

Fourth Earth Summit

“An Inconvenient Truth”• Academy Award-winning documentary

film about climate change, specifically global warming and its repercussions

• Presented by former United States Vice President Al Gore

• The third-highest-grossing documentary in the United States to date.

• A wake up call to many people around the world

“Global warming is not only the number one environmental challenge we face today, but one of the most important issues facing all of humanity ... We all

have to do our part to raise awareness about global warming and the problems we as a people face in promoting a sustainable environmental future

for our planet.”

Multilateral Environmental Agreements

1992 Rio Summit highlighted and focused attention on the environment resulting in many conventions and conferences on various environmental issues

These have generated a number of multilateral environment agreements (MEAs).

MEAs require that countries develop specific implementation mechanisms and fulfill obligations involving reporting, training, public education, and other activities.

Over 200 conventions held all over the world

Sustainable Development"..development that meets the needs of the

present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs"

(source: Our Common Future)

The definition of sustainable development was first published in the Brundtland Report (Our Common Future)Components: Environmental sustainability

Economic sustainability Social sustainability

Political Sustainability

Quality of life (Community), Employee health and Wellbeing

Short term Profitability and long Term Viability of a business

Reduction of Resource usage

Reduced impacts on Environment

Equitable development which meets the needs of the living population and the future generations in harmony with the global resource

availability and nature’s carrying capacity

Millennium Development Goals

S.D. - Implementation• Framework for change• New ways of meeting the needs• Limiting the throughput of material &

energy in the economy• Less wasteful ways through increasing

efficiency, reusing materials & sustainable technologies

• Redistribution of opportunities

Approaches for SD

• Cleaner Production• Green Productivity• P2/P3• Eco Efficiency• Global Compact

Quality of Life

Economic Development

Resource Usage

De-link Economic Development and Resource Consumption

The Challenge

UNIDO support approach (2005)

• Eco redesign – optimization on product level – 1-3 years – factor 2

• Sustainable product innovation – optimization on functional level – 3-5 years - factor 4-8

• Sustainable society – optimization on system level – 5-10/50 years - factor 10-20

Greening the Industry and Green Economy

Earth Summit in 2012United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development 20 - 22 June 2012, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Combating Energy Poverty'Rio Environment Meeting Focuses On 'Energy For All'

Earth Summit in 2012“The Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development was the biggest United Nations conference ever, but it may be one of the biggest duds. It produced no major agreements — just a vaguely worded declaration that has been widely derided.”

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Let us move towards future…