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Sustainability
and
Globalization
International approaches to
solving Global problems
Sustainability:
“meet the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs.”
-from the United Nations General Assembly (1987) Report of
the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our
Common Future.
A Brief History of the United
Nations involvement in
Sustainability
Early actions:
1949: UN Scientific Conference:
on the conservation of
resources
1968: UN Economic and Social
Council:
decided to hold the first
“Earth Summit” in 1972
The First “Earth Summit” 1972
•UN Scientific Conference on the
Human Environment
•1972 in Stockholm
•Recommendations for international
environmental action.
•Established the Governing Council
of the UN Environment
Programme (UNEP)
Post Earth Summit:
•1987 Environmental Perspective to
the Year 2000 and Beyond.
•1988 The Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change.
•1989 Montreal Protocol
•1992 The UN Conference on
Environment and Development (aka
The Earth Summit)
The UN Conference on Environment
and Development:
1992 Rio de Janeiro
AKA The “Earth Summit”
Agenda 21
UN Framework Convention
on Climate Change
Treaties to protect the
environment:
Usually two types:
 Ones that deal with specific
locations, entities (i.e., a particular
river), or a species.
 And ones that are global.
Treaties to protect the
environment:
Each treaty may result in:
 Regular meetings of the members
 A secretariat – a small office to
facilitate the meetings.
 A group of scientific advisees.
Difficulties in implementing
the treaties
 Secretariat may not have power to
verify reports from members.
 Secretariat may not have funding to
enforce treaties.
 Lack of central locations for all of
these treaties means that there is
overlap and redundancy.
Difficulties in implementing
the treaties
 Trade agreements sometimes
conflict with Environmental treaties.
 Members may lack the funds or
technology to implement treaties.
United Nations work
 Commission on Sustainable
Development (CSD)
 The Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC)
 UN Framework Convention on
Climate Change
Commission on Sustainable
Development (CSD)
 Created at 1992 Earth Summit.
 Forum for reviewing progress of
Agenda 21.
 Monitors activities of governments,
private sector, etc.
 The UN Division of Sustainable
Development is its secretariat.
The Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC)
 To study greenhouse warming and
climate change
 To study the global effect of climate
change on sea level, food production,
water resources, etc.
 Has established itself as the state of
the art interpretation of data.
UN Framework Convention on
Climate Change
 Signing of this treaty began at the
Rio Earth Summit in 1992.
 Recognized that the climate system
is a shared resource.
 Kyoto Protocol is an addition to the
treaty.
UN Framework Convention on
Climate Change
 Climate Change Secretariat is
located in Bonn, Germany
 Coordinates with the IPCC and the
GEF.
 Major agreement on Carbon Equity:
 per capita emissions should be more equitable across
the world
Action within countries
 Climate change – need to change
over to Carbon-neutral sources.
 Cap and trade of Carbon dioxide
 Building codes
 Transportation