Eric Block On Responsible Branding

The UN High-Level Panel Global Sustainability released its report in Addis Ababa yesterday entitled “Resilient People, Resilient Planet: A Future Worth Choosing.” The panel’s 99-page report, which will serve as an input to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in June, (otherwise known as the Rio+20 Summit) is a call to action, “to address the sustainable development challenge in a fresh and operational way.”

The executive secretary of the panel, Janos Pasztor said:

“We cannot go into sustainable development without making a radical transformation of the economy.”

The long-term vision of the Panel is to eradicate poverty, reduce inequality and make growth inclusive, and production and consumption more sustainable, while combating climate change and respecting a range of other planetary boundaries. In light of this, the report makes a range of recommendations to take forward the Panel’s vision for a sustainable planet, a just society and a growing economy.

• 27 per cent of the world’s population lives in absolute poverty (down from 46 per cent in 1990)
• Global economic growth is up 75 per cent since 1992 but inequality is still high
• An increase of 20 million undernourished people since 2000
• 5.2 million hectares net forest loss per year
• Ozone layer will recover to pre-1980 levels in 50 years plus
• Two thirds of the services provided by nature to humankind are in decline
• 85 per cent of all fish stocks are over-exploited, depleted, recovering or fully exploited
• 38 per cent increase in annual global carbon dioxide emissions between 1990 and 2009
• 20 per cent of the world’s population lack access to electricity
• 884 million people lack access to clean water
• 2.6 billion people are without access to basic sanitation
• 67 million children of primary school age are out of school
• 3.5-year increase in life expectancy between 1990 and 2010

The report says:

“The signposts are clear: We need to change dramatically, beginning with how we think about our relationship to each other, to future generations, and to the eco-systems that support us. Our mission as a Panel was to reflect on and formulate a new vision for sustainable growth and prosperity, along with mechanisms for achieving it.

With seven billion of us now inhabiting our planet, it is time to reflect on our current path. Today we stand at a crossroads. Continuing on the same path will put people and our planet at greatly heightened risk.”

Article originally posted on Triplepundit.com