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Integrated Approaches to
Sustainable Development Practice
Introduction to the Challenges
of Sustainable Development
Prof. Jeffrey D. Sachs
September 8, 2009
Brundtland Commission, 1987:
Sustainable Development is:
“Development that meets the needs
of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs.”
In practical terms, Sustainable Development
entails:
•Rising material wellbeing of the poor, at a pace that narrows
the proportionate gap with the rich
•Continued scope for improved material wellbeing of the rich
•Sustainable functioning of the Earth’s ecosystems, including
Conservation of the Earth’s biodiversity
Is this feasible?!
The World is NOT Currently Achieving
Sustainable Development
•Many countries are stuck in
extreme poverty
•The Earth’s ecosystems are not
being sustained
•The situation is probably getting worse,
not better right now
FIVE DEEP PROCESSES OF GLOBALIZATION
1. Global Economic Convergence
The rise of Asia; continued stagnation in much of Africa
2. Ecosystem Pressures
Climate change; oil and gas depletion water stress; land degradation;
species extinction
3. Demographic Change
Rising global population; aging; large increases in Africa and South Asia
4. Extreme Poverty
Poverty traps; instability and violence in impoverished countries
5. Instability
Financial instability; geopolitical uncertainties; non-state violence
“The Age of Convergence”
How the regions outside of the U.S., Europe, and Japan are
narrowing the gap with the technological leaders and thereby
reshaping the global economy
Gross National Product in 2002
Gross National Product in 2025
12
10
8
6
Gross National Prouct
4
2
0
US
China
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
India
Series1
US
China
India
Gross National Product in 2100
Gross National Product in 2050
160
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
140
120
100
Series1
80
Series1
60
40
20
0
US
US
China
India
Projections of GNP in US, China, and India
China
India
Demography:
A still-rising world population, young in the poor countries
and aging in the middle-income and rich countries
Will the world population stabilize in the 21st Century and if so at what level?
ECOSYSTEM STRESSES
The rise in global population and world output is putting
unprecedented stresses on the physical environment, and in
countless ways: climate change, land-use change, ecosystem
degradation, emerging diseases, invasive species, and more
Major Adverse Human Effects on the Environment
include:
Climate Change
Resource Depletion (fossil fuels, water, soils, habitat, biodiversity)
Species Extinction
Loss of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (e.g. protection from flooding)
Invasive species
Emerging Diseases (e.g. SARS, AIDS)
EXTREME POVERTY
IN AN
INTERCONNECTED WORLD
Why are some parts of the world still trapped in poverty
despite overall global convergence, and what can be done
about it?
Headcount Poverty Rate as calculated by the World Bank (2008)
Chen and Revallion, 2008
Other dimensions of poverty
Some Instruments of Sustainable Development
Global Cooperation: MDGs and UNFCCC
Targeted Research and Development: Renewable Energy
Social Entrepreneurship: Microfinance
Global Public Investments: Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria
Development of Global Ethics
The Four Components of
Sustainable Development Practice:
Natural Sciences
Policy Sciences
Management
Leadership