The Global Thematic Consultation on Environmental Sustainability in the Post-2015
Development Agenda
Summary Report of Submitted Discussion Notes
Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2
I.
What we have learnt............................................................................................................................. 4
I.1 Learning from the MDGs ...................................................................................................................... 4
I.2 Successes from around the world........................................................................................................ 5
II.
Why a Post-2015 development framework should look differently .................................................... 6
II.1 Drivers of change ................................................................................................................................ 6
Population dynamics ............................................................................................................................. 6
Production and consumption patterns ................................................................................................. 7
II.2 Challenges not to shy away from ........................................................................................................ 8
Clean energy for all ............................................................................................................................... 8
Biodiversity (including agriculture, oceans, forests, and more) ........................................................... 8
Climate change...................................................................................................................................... 9
III.
Setting the scene: Environmental sustainability in a Post-2015 development framework ............. 9
III.1 Cross-cutting – mainstreaming inclusive environmental sustainability ............................................ 9
Integrated policies and plans .............................................................................................................. 10
Integrated levels of action: the local within the global ...................................................................... 11
Education for empowerment and participation ................................................................................. 12
III.2 Universality – all countries need to take action .............................................................................. 13
III.3 Equality within and between countries/Human rights-based approach – equal rights and
equitable wellbeing................................................................................................................................. 13
Equality ............................................................................................................................................... 13
Beyond GDP ........................................................................................................................................ 13
Resilient societies ................................................................................................................................ 14
And the right of nature? ..................................................................................................................... 14
III.4 Integration – one process leading to one set of goals for sustainable development ..................... 15
IV.
Conclusion and way forward .......................................................................................................... 16
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Introduction
The World We Want initiative aims to gather the priorities of people from every corner of the world and help build
a collective vision that will be used directly by the United Nations and World Leaders to plan a new development
agenda launching in 2015, one that is based on the aspirations of all citizens.
Leading up to the year 2015, the United Nations is planning a series of consultations to help shape the post-2015
agenda with support from Civil Society coalitions including the Global Call to Action Against Poverty, World Alliance
for Citizen Participation (CIVICUS) and the Beyond 2015 Campaign. This process includes the creation of a High
Level Panel, up to 100 national consultations, 11 thematic consultations, and a Global Online Conversation - all of
which will contribute to a vision for The World We Want beyond 2015. One of the eleven major global thematic
consultations is on environmental sustainability. This consultation is being co-led by the United Nations
Development Programme and the United Nations Environment Programme and co-hosted by the Governments of
France and Costa Rica, and runs from November 2012 through June 2013.
The Environmental Sustainability thematic consultation is designed to ensure that the process is truly owned by
people from around the world. It applies an innovative process that allows for the various stakeholders engaged in
the discussion to not only participate in a dialogue but also to help frame the dialogue and the issues that need to
be discussed. Therefore, the Consultation has been organized into two phases. During the first phase a call for
Discussion Notes and an e-discussion were launched on the World We Want platform. This phase will culminate in
the Leadership Meeting in Costa Rica to review the results of the first phase and identify the key areas of
consensus as well as areas where further dialogue is needed. The outcome of the meeting will thus frame the
second phase of the Consultation. The outcomes of the consultation will also provide a key contribution to help
shape the conceptual foundation for environmental sustainability in the post 2015 agenda.
This summary report captures the views, ideas, questions and suggestions that were made in the over 90
submissions made in response to the open call for discussion notes during the first phase of the environmental
sustainability thematic consultation.
In the call, participants (groups and individuals) were asked to submit a short paper in which they aim to stimulate
creative thinking and dialogue around the role environmental sustainability should play within both the broad
post-2015 development framework as well as the specific development goals that will be developed to support
this. Therefore, papers’ topics either built on MDG7 experiences and lessons, or brought forward new and
emerging thinking and experiences related to integrated approaches that link economic, social and environmental
sustainability and touch on cross-cutting issues such as gender equality, human rights, young people, inequalities
and the partnerships necessary to make progress. Participants were also explicitly asked to propose a set of
questions that could frame an online discussion on the topic during Phase 2 of the consultation.
90 discussion notes were submitted through the World We Want platform during the period November 2012 –
mid-January 2013. The environmental sustainability thematic consultation on this platform attracted over 2,500
members during that same period, from all over the world. Contributors represented a wide variety of technical
backgrounds, and stakeholder groups, ranging from academia, to NGOs, CSOs, UN agencies, programmes, think
tanks, local Governments, women’s organisations, and more.
This report is a summary of all the inputs received through this call for discussion notes. The content is therefore
solely reflecting contributors’ thoughts, and it is not the result of a desk-review of existing thinking on the subject.
The purpose of this summary is to provide an input to the Leadership Meeting, during which posed questions will
be further analyzed and any upcoming discussion will further build upon.
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The report is organized into three sections, namely ‘What we have learnt’, ‘Why a post-2015 development
framework should look differently’ and ‘Setting the scene: Environmental sustainability in a Post-2015
development framework’.
The first section focuses on the lessons learnt from the MDGs, MDG7 in particular. It reflects on the achievements
of the pre-2015 development agenda and how and to what extent we can build future development on it.
The second section looks into the changes the world has undergone since the design of the MDGs. The drivers of
change are mentioned and reasons for taking these into account in the design of a post-2015 agenda are
motivated. It also looks into issues we can no longer shy away from.
The last section tries to make a suggestion on what should be included in the post-2015 development framework
in order to make it successfully address environmental sustainability, linking it to social and economic aspects that
are deeply intertwined and interconnected with environmental issues, and reflecting the new and emerging
challenges the world faces.
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I.
What we have learnt
As a premise, it can be noted, that sustainable development does not articulate the definition of environmental
sustainability per se, and indeed, depending on how the three pillars (social, economic and environmental) are
converged, this paradigm could actually lead to further environment degradation. However, it is increasingly the
case that the terms of sustainable development and environmental sustainability are being used interchangeably
and are taken to have the same meaning. (Hui-Chi Goh)
How should environmental sustainability be defined? It is more than the maintenance of natural capital, and it is
broader than meeting the resource and service needs of current and future generations without compromising the
health of ecosystems that provide them. Some would define it from a people-centered perspective, while others
refer to the right of nature and therefore define environmental sustainability differently. There is no consensus
about the definition of environmental sustainability as of yet, but key principles for a development framework that
is environmentally sustainable have been identified and will be presented hereinafter. Much of the insights for the
identification of these key principles come from the lessons learnt from MDGs, MDG7 in particular, achievements
and shortfalls. A number of conclusions can also be drawn from success stories, successful initiatives at the local
and global levels.
I.1 Learning from the MDGs
An often-cited strength of the MDGs has been their simplicity. A straightforward, measurable approach to meeting
global goals suggested a unified vision, but it has also been responsible for uneven success. Women’s issues, like
environmental issues, continue to be addressed in silos, not recognizing the multi-directional links between gender
and environment, resource use, poverty and rights. (WEDO)
Millennium Development Goal 7 has served as a critical method of reducing environment degradation across the
world and setting common global benchmarks or standards for environment protection. It has been adopted by
national governments and while there are flaws in the way the indicators and targets have been designed, some
significant achievements have been made, for instance the phasing out of the production and consumption of
controlled ozone-depleting substances, increasing the proportion of people with access to safe drinking water, and
increasing the proportion of terrestrial and marine protected areas. This experience shows that global consensus
around environment goals can be achieved, and that goal-setting can be a powerful way of motivating, shaping
and driving actors to achieve positive outcomes. (Hui-Chi Goh)
MDG 7 encourages states to consider environmental sustainability. However, some of the resulting efforts do not
benefit the most impoverished and socially excluded people. Often, a lack of genuine participation in both framing
and implementing environmental sustainability objectives leads to badly planned out or ill-adapted projects.
(Brendan Coyne)
Target 7C of MDG 7 is to reduce the number of people without access to clean water and good sanitation. Such
statistically-led targets have been criticized by UNHCHR Special Rapporteurs as they encourage development
actors to focus on those easiest to provide for, and risk leaving behind those hardest to reach. (Brendan Coyne)
Target 7D of MDG 7 aims to achieve an improvement in the lives of 100 million slum dwellers by 2020. However,
there were around 760 million slum dwellers when the goal was set. It also fails to address the motors driving
impoverished populations from the countryside into cities. (Brendan Coyne)
What can be concluded for a fact is that “business as usual” is no longer an option. For example, climate change
and sustainable development were not adequately integrated in the MDG framework but are essential to the post4|P a g e
2015 development agenda. Similarly, biodiversity was not adequately addressed in the MDGs and "neither did the
MDG framework account for vulnerability to natural hazards and other external shocks". It was also a "lost
opportunity" that the MDGs did not provide guidance on how to address the root causes of poverty and
environmental degradation, such as inequality within and between countries. (CAN-I)
I.2 Successes from around the world
In a post-2015 era, development will need to look differently. The “how” has been central to the discussions. A
number of successful initiatives, from global to local, were shared and are featured here, providing further insight
into key drivers and enablers for a successful post-2015 development agenda.
UNIDO-UNEP’s Green Industry Platform: There is an increasing consensus on the importance of the overall
objectives of Green Economy and Green Growth as a vehicle for sustainable development in the post-2015 agenda.
What is, however, now of crucial importance is the identification of models and methods by which these goals can
be achieved. Green Industry is the clear solution for the manufacturing and related sectors and as UNIDO
emphasizes, strategies need to be developed and implemented at the sectoral level to really deliver multiple
benefits, while best practice needs to be disseminated and promoted globally through such mechanisms as the
Green Industry Platform. (UNIDO)
Caring for Climate: There is growing recognition within the private sector that while climate change poses
significant risks to operations and value chains, it also brings new opportunities to create business value while
helping people adapt. Well-designed business responses to climate change can help build strong and healthy
communities in which people and companies can thrive. Led by the UN Global Compact and the UN Environment
Programme in cooperation with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Caring for
Climate initiative shows these signs of progress. Beyond recognising the risks and opportunities of climate change,
signatories of the initiative commit to set goals, develop and expand strategies and practices, and publicly disclose
emissions….These private sector investments that help vulnerable people and communities adapt to climate
change impacts are becoming important drivers of the green economy. Climate change issues are also helping to
drive overall corporate sustainability, including through underlying linkages with energy, food and water
sustainability. (UN Global Compact)
"However, we conclude that, despite good intentions, the various voluntary initiatives which claim to contribute to
sustainable development do not have the capacity to achieve critical mass at the pace likely to be required. The
problems, in short, are likely to race ahead of the current generation of responses." Gearing Up, UN Global
Compact report
EcoVillages: It has been shown in thousands of EcoVillages around the world that this approach can add
substantially to the ability to eradicate poverty and invest wisely in capacity development. Ecovillages provide one
of the best examples of how we can meet all people's basic human rights and needs; restore the natural
environment; and ensure environmental sustainability. …It is now commonly understood that accessing public
goods and providing basic services are dependent upon the sustainable well-being of the natural environment. The
ecovillage model demonstrates how we can invest in human development and protect and restore the natural
environment at the same time. (Global Ecovillage Network and the EcoEarth Alliance UN Partnership Initiative)
Solar thermal cookers: With international support for targeted investments in design, marketing and
infrastructure, the widespread introduction of solar thermal cooking technology could dramatically reduce the
need for biomass fueled cooking devices. …The widespread use of solar cookers supports all of the UN Millennium
Development goals. The European Commission and solar cooker experts estimate that 165 to 200 million
households could benefit from solar cookers. (Patricia McArdle)
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II.
Why a Post-2015 development framework should look
differently
Our current development pathway is unsustainable and inequitable, we are living beyond earths ecological limits
and have impacted on the planets ability to self-regulate. Resource use is unsustainable and is heavily linked to
consumption and production practices, these practices are not universally applicable. The wealthiest 20% of
people account for 80% of global consumption of natural resources. (BirdLife International) A sustainable path is
impossible in the context of the current growth-driven economic development model – which continues to
overshadow efforts and thwart progress on social justice and environmental sustainability issues. It is the reverse –
a focus on equality and sustainability, as well as the realization of rights, as the UN Task Team’s report proposes –
that will be more effective and could improve the livelihoods and well-being of the global community. (WEDO)
The world is increasingly interconnected, the economic crisis and the impact of climate change and biodiversity
loss are being felt by many. Climate change is a great threat, amplifying existing social, political and resource
stresses. Any development must be climate resilient. No MDG goal was achieved within a fragile or vulnerable
state and the post-2015 agenda must address this issue. (BirdLife International)
In elaborating a post-2015 development framework, the global community has the opportunity to do better: reorient its priorities, address causes rather than symptoms of global inequities and inequalities, and pursue a
transformative shift toward a more peaceful, equitable and truly sustainable world. In other words: the post-2015
development agenda offers the opportunity to pursue sustainable development in its fullest sense. (WEDO)
“WWF’s vision for 2050 is a deceptively simple one: Humans living with nature. In the world we
want, poverty has been eradicated permanently and nature thrives; every women, man and child
can equally realize their rights and have sustainable, resilient lives and livelihoods within
planetary bounderies. Healthy natural systems are the foundation for human well-being and
prosperity.” (WWF)
II.1 Drivers of change
Population dynamics
Population dynamics and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are critical, cross-cutting issues for
sustainable development and the post-2015 development agenda. A focus on these issues that respects and
protects rights has the potential to drive progress towards a range of development priorities, including poverty
alleviation, equity, health, education, food and water security, gender equality, climate change and environmental
sustainability, and to reduce the costs of achieving associated development goals. (Population and Sustainability
Network)
Between now and 2100 the world population is projected to increase from 7 to 10 billion, with the vast majority of
this growth expected in developing countries. Whether it is closer to seven or ten billion will significantly affect the
world’s potential to reach its development goals. Population dynamics and particularly population size, but also
urbanization, migration, ageing, determine the scale and shape of the development challenges we face. While
development prospects are dependent on governments’ capacities to increase access to health, education and
other basic services, high population growth rates in many developing countries threaten to outpace these
investments and undermine economic prosperity, job creation, poverty alleviation and food security. (Population
and Sustainability Network)
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More than half the global population now lives in towns and cities. By the year 2050, UN-Habitat research projects
show that figure will rise to two-thirds. This rapid, large-scale concentration of humanity in the world’s cities
represents new challenges for ingenuity, and numerous opportunities to improve the way in which human habitats
are shaped. Most of this population growth will be in the cities of developing countries, which are expected to
grow by an additional 1.3 billion people by 2030, compared to 100 million in the cities of the developed world over
the same period. Most urbanization is likely to occur in cities relatively unprepared to accommodate these
numbers, with potential negative repercussions for quality of life, economic development and the natural
environment. (Blake Robinson)
Although the percentage of the urban population living in slums worldwide has decreased, the absolute number of
people living in slums continues to grow. If these growing cities are to be socially sustainable, new approaches will
be required to integrate the poor so that the urbanization process improves inter-generational equity rather than
entrenching socio-spatial fragmentation. (Blake Robinson)
Well-managed cities can lead innovation, generate wealth, enhance quality of life and accommodate more people
within a smaller footprint at a lower per capita resource use than any other settlement pattern. (Robert McInnes)
Developing green economies at the city scale requires supportive city planning and strategic infrastructure
investments that allow for optimal use of resources whilst improving living standards for all. Through them they
identified four modalities through which cities may regain their sustainability advantages in pursuit of a green
economy: working with nature, leveraging density, optimizing infrastructure and clustering for
competitiveness. (Blake Robinson)
Production and consumption patterns
The consumption-driven global economy already uses natural resources equivalent to almost 1.5 earths, with the
world’s richest 1.4 billion consuming almost 85% of global output—over 60-fold the consumption of the poorest
1.4 billion. The consumption by the rich is not only ecologically unsustainable, but also crowds out the prospects of
the poor and exacerbates inequalities that increase the risk of conflict and global breakdown. (Mohan
Munasinghe)
The ability of ecosystems to continue providing biotic resources like wood, fish and food, and to absorb manmade
wastes - commonly referred to as the earth’s “bio-capacity” - is diminishing. Comparing global ecological footprints
to the earth’s available capacity shows that, at current rates of resource use, we are exceeding bio-capacity by 30%
and approximately 60% of the ecosystems we depend on for goods and services are being degraded or used in an
unsustainable manner. We are living off the planet’s natural capital instead of the interest from this capital, and
there are already signs of the devastating effect this will have on our societies and economies in depleting fish
stocks, loss of fertile soil, shrinking forests and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. (Blake Robinson)
Furthermore, due to use of toxic chemicals in our production systems, livelihoods and homes are harmful to
human and environmental health. International POPs Elimination Network and Women International for a
Common Future work towards a future where exposure to toxic and hazardous chemicals is eradicted and where
people have the right to enjoy healthy and sustainable green livelihoods. Green livelihoods encompass the right to
safe and secure communities and workplaces that are free from toxic threats to people, surrounding environments
and to future generations. Therefore, fundamental changes are needed in the unsustainable patterns of
consumption, production, resource extraction and disposal that dominate the world economic system. Also,
fundamental changes are needed in the way that societies manage chemicals, including their design, use and
disposal. (International POPs Elimination Network and Women International for a Common Future)
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II.2 Challenges not to shy away from
We are all familiar with the stark trends in ecosystem services and planetary boundary conditions including climate
change, land use, freshwater and biodiversity. The future will include the growing likelihood of accelerating or
abrupt changes of major significance for human wellbeing, including disease emergence, unpredictable water
availability, the collapse of fisheries, and shifts in regional climate. (WWF)
At the same time, economic imbalances and growing inequality across and within countries risk reversing the
development gains made over the last decades. The World Economic Forum places water and food shortages at
the pinnacle of societal risks over the next ten years. Failing to address these trends will affect people across the
globe. But the largest impact by far will be on the rural and urban poor, manifested in unstable, inequitable access
to food, energy, and safe water; insecure livelihoods; greater marginalisation of women; and competition and
conflict across sectors and political borders over land, water, and other limited resources. These are also the
people most vulnerable to shocks and disasters, health impacts from pollution, “environmental migration” and lost
development opportunities in communities directly reliant on natural resources. (WWF)
Clean energy for all
“Access to clean, safe, affordable, and reliable energy services is vital for eradicating poverty and has often been
described as the ‘missing’ Millennium Development Goal. Environmental sustainability and poverty eradication
should not be seen as contradictory but rather as two sides of the same coin: delivering access to clean, low-carbon
energy services to the poor.” (CAN-I)
A crucial challenge is to transforming our system of producing and consuming energy from one that is largely
based on a few non-renewable resources that contribute to climate change and that is not reaching many of the
poor of society, into a sustainable system with low or no-carbon intensity and that at the same time ensure
availability of affordable energy sources for those currently deprived of modern energy services and for future
generations. … The change in mindset is needed, from one of looking at energy as a national security issue for
which countries are in competition with each other to one of looking at a global sustainable energy system as a
global public good. This change in mindset would in turn enable a change in approach towards global collaboration
for sustainable energy. (International Environment Forum)
Promoting energy access for the poorest requires holistic and integrated development planning, including
financing, capacity building and a framework of enabling policies, and recognition of the synergies energy shares
with different dimensions of development. (CAN-I)
“However, as above, decentralized, small-scale renewable energy sources and end-use energy efficiency could
provide the majority of electricity required for universal access, and support the “greening” of economies in ways
that results in “improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and
ecological scarcities”. Such an approach to delivering energy access can contribute to leapfrogging high carbon
development pathways and building resilience to climate shocks in poorer countries.” (CAN-I)
Biodiversity (including agriculture, oceans, forests, and more)
Biological diversity underpins ecosystem functioning and the provision of ecosystem services essential for human
well-being. It provides for food security, human health, the provision of clean air and water; it contributes to local
livelihoods, and economic development, and is essential for the achievement of the Millennium Development
Goals, including poverty reduction. (CBD)
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Biodiversity and ecosystem services are not ‘accounted’ for in the markets, meaning that the benefits we derive
from these goods (often public in nature) are usually neglected or undervalued in decision-making. This leads to
ecosystem degradation, destruction or pollution. (CAN-I)
The 2010 biodiversity target has inspired action at many levels. However, such actions have not been on a scale
sufficient to address the pressures on biodiversity. Moreover there has been insufficient integration of biodiversity
issues into broader policies, strategies, programmes and actions, and therefore the underlying drivers of
biodiversity loss have not been significantly reduced. While there is now some understanding of the linkages
between biodiversity, ecosystem services and human well-being, the value of biodiversity is still not reflected in
broader policies and incentive structures. (CBD)
The Post-2015 framework must recognize and support the CBD Strategic Plan and the 20 Aichi biodiversity targets
to help halt biodiversity loss. In particular, working in partnership with national institutions, local organizations and
the private sector, prioritisation must be given to reducing and reversing the destructive impacts of human
activities that are the drivers of biodiversity loss. At the same time, measures to increase the resilience of
ecosystems (such as protected areas and marine reserves) must be implemented without delay. (CAN-I)
Climate change
Climate change is the greatest threat to poverty reduction. It is also symptomatic of a fundamental developmental
and economic crisis. It is a ‘threat multiplier’, amplifying existing social, political, and resource stresses. The
impacts of crossing 'planetary boundaries', especially climate change, hit people living in poverty first and hardest,
as they often depend directly on natural resources for their livelihoods and have the least resources available to
undertake adaptive action. (CAN-I)
It is the world’s poorest people who are hardest hit by devastating droughts, floods and other extreme weather
events. Climate change provides a new threat as well as compounds existing threats and vulnerabilities, for
example, affecting food security and health. Opportunities provided by adaptation could enable technological
leap-frogging and transformative change in societies; such pro-poor and sustainable choices must be
promoted. (CAN-I)
The post-2015 development framework must enable outcomes which are both low-carbon and climate resilient
and also deal with the situation of ‘loss and damage’. (CAN-I)
III.
Setting the scene: Environmental sustainability in a Post-2015
development framework
“In the world we want, poverty has been eradicated and nature thrives; every woman, man, boy and
girl, now and in the future can equally fulfill their rights and have sustainable, resilient, livelihoods
that operate within planetary boundaries.” (CAN-I)
III.1 Cross-cutting – mainstreaming inclusive environmental sustainability
Environmental sustainability should be one of the core elements embedded across the post-2015 framework. The
siloes of the MDG era have undermined the ability to address environmental sustainability in an integrated way.
Moreover, the underlying drivers of poverty were not addressed. Therefore, the significance of environmental
sustainability demands specific attention so it is fully recognized and effectively addressed. (WWF and CAN-I)
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As some would argue, human being is at the center of concerns for sustainable development. Therefore, the
ultimate goal of any policies and reforms being implemented is to ensure the improved human well-being on a
persistent and sustainable basis. (Center for Economic Research Uzbekistan)
Within this conceptual framework environmental sustainability could not be considered separately from economic
and social factors. The main difference from the current approach would be that the goals are not oriented at one
area (just environmental factors), but are cross-sectoral and related to a number of areas simultaneously, thus
ensuring the achievement of the overall development objectives. (Center for Economic Research Uzbekistan)
What is important at both global and national levels within the post-2015 agenda is that the new system of
development goals for the future needs to be oriented at seeking the effective balance between environmental,
economic and social effects while implementing the green development pattern to put in better use the national
resources of each country and ensure sustainable human development in the long term, taking into account the
processes, related to economic, social and other transformations within the economies. (Center for Economic
Research Uzbekistan)
Integrated policies and plans
Building on the sustainable development aspirations outlined in the “Future We Want” and the opportunities to
shape the content of the post-2015 agenda, there is increasing need to strengthen and apply integrated crosssectoral assessment, planning, implementation and monitoring approaches and tools to achieve equitable human
development that is within ecological limits and based on inclusive, green economic growth. (UNDP)
This not only requires reforms to national development policies and plans to include pro-poor environmental
sustainability as a cross-cutting issue across key sectors (e.g. agriculture, water, lands, mining, etc.), and across
anticipated post-2015 development goals, but also reforms to governance structures to enable truly effective
cross-sectoral implementation by a range of coordinated public, private and civil society institutions. (UNDP)
For instance, with the right policy mix, a green economy can create more and better jobs, lift people out of poverty
and promote social inclusion. For this to happen, employment and social inclusion must be an integral part of any
sustainable development strategy. (ILO)
The shift to a green economy is increasing the pace of change in labour markets and skill needs. A recent ILO
report shows that economies moving towards greener production can seize the potential for job creation if they
deal effectively with the coming structural change and transformation of existing jobs. (ILO)
Multi-stakeholder governance can be put through a horizontal integration in the interest of integrated policy
approaches. (Ingrid Vives) At the same time, a next-generation development framework must recognize and foster
the viability of community-based management of local ecosystem assets as a source of employment, social
empowerment, good governance and inclusion, and cultural preservation. Local ecosystem-based initiatives help
national governments advance people-centered development solutions, add tremendous value to the rural
development model, and have proven to be highly scalable. (GEF-Small Grants Programme)
Some of the strongest arguments for a focus on empowering local community organizations include:
1.
2.
3.
Cost-effectiveness, adaptation and resilience: The local scale is a low-cost laboratory for getting
development right.
Delivery of integrated development benefits: Local civil society groups working on ecosystems and natural
resource management tend to deliver development benefits well beyond environment and conservation.
Scalable solutions: When properly empowered and enabled, local best practice can lead to the kind of
scaling that creates landscape-level change and transforms economies.
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4.
5.
Strengthened institutions for local good governance: Working through local civil society groups can
catalyze gains in governance at the margins, providing a platform for the empowerment and participation
of traditionally marginalized populations, the uptake of democratic principles, and the embedding of
decision-making in local institutions.
Good governance at the grassroots: Local civil society institutions provide entry points for development
interventions to reach typically marginalized constituents, including women, indigenous peoples, youth,
and those prejudiced against on the basis of geography, caste, or ethnicity. Programming at the local scale
can encourage closer linkages between civil society and local government authorities. (GEF-Small Grants
Programme)
Together, these arguments amount to a new paradigm for local development based on inclusion, resilience, good
governance, equity, and accountability. It is predicated on the belief that local civil society groups and communitybased organizations are the real drivers of sustainable development, and that empowering these groups to build
economies and institutions that are equitable, inclusive, and sustainable is one way to catalyze transformative
change in rural landscapes and make progress in advancing a post-2015 framework. (GEF-Small Grants
Programme)
Integrated levels of action: the local within the global
This (defining a post-2015 development framework) is a great opportunity to take advantage of the
complementarities and synergies of multilevel and multistakeholder policies. Actors should well understand the
global interconnected challenges and stress on its different dimensions, seeking synergetic solutions. (Ingrid Vives)
The Earth’s environmental, social and economic systems are highly interconnected. Environmental sustainability
must be addressed at all levels, including internationally through environmental agreements and mechanisms,
monitoring and benchmarking. (UNESCO)
Governments are the key stakeholders in collaboration with global organisations to reduce poverty and
environmental degradation. However, in many instances they fail to engage with the large populations living in
remote areas in vulnerable ecosystems. Global development organisations that aim to fight poverty and address
environment or biodiversity conservation work on development model based on economic growth followed by
environment realisation. However, local people in remote and biodiversity rich areas often have different needs,
priorities, cultural requirements, attachment to the land and ecosystems. The welfare schemes may not be aligned
with their needs as they are often not at the dialogue table with the policy makers. They do not often have
resources or means to argue their case for equitable and sustainable development. (Harpinder Sandhu)
Rio's outcome document acknowledges the efforts and progress made at the local and subnational level, and
recognizes the important role that such authorities and communities can play in defining and implementing
sustainable development, by assuming commitments, engaging citizens and stakeholders and providing them with
relevant information, and promoting shared responsibility among all stakeholders (the Future We Want paragraph
22 and 42). (Ingrid Vives)
Furthermore, working through local civil society groups allows for the adapting of modern technologies and
processes to rural settings, ensuring that the transfer of new approaches for development has relevance where
they are needed most. Local institutions are also best-placed to tap existing reserves of traditional knowledge that
can be applied to solving emerging challenges and to communicate messages on sustainable development in
culturally appropriate ways. (GEF-Small Grants Programme)
At the different levels, a variety of stakeholder groups should be addressed and involved in the post-2015
development agenda, including women and men, businesses, youth, trade unions, and many more.
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In recent years, gender equality and women’s empowerment concepts have steadily gained more recognition as
being critical links in addressing environmental conservation and achieving sustainable development. Moreover, it
has been recognized that the impact of environmental shocks is gendered. …These gendered vulnerabilities are
often the result of the different roles men and women are ascribed to within the communities they operate. They
are likely to have differentiated needs, priorities, and power over resources compared to men when it comes to
the environment and environmental protection.Women, especially those living in deepest levels of poverty and
situations of marginalization, discrimination and violence in its many forms, must be a target population in the
post-2015 development framework. (WEDO)
Also businesses have an important role to play in effectively managing biodiversity and ecosystem services, both to
prevent their activities from generating negative environmental impacts, and also to ensure that their direct and
indirect impacts do not negatively affect their own business operations or investments. Around the globe,
companies are increasingly integrating sustainability as part of their business agendas, seeking opportunities and
innovations that contribute to corporate and investor success, while at the same time delivering societal value and
developing transformative solutions. (UN Global Compact)
“HDR projects a disturbing slowing down and even reversal of human development in developing countries by
2050, if deepening environmental risks and social inequalities are not addressed together. The 2011 HDR shows
how promoting gender equality can advance environmental outcomes by improving access to clean water and
sanitation, combating land degradation and reducing deaths due to disasters, indoor and outdoor air pollution. The
2011 HDR finds that greater involvement of women in decision-making is of instrumental importance in addressing
environmental degradation, including evidence that women show more concern for the environment and support
pro-environmental policies. It is important to recognize women’s reproductive rights and universal access to quality
reproductive health services, because in the long run environmental sustainability cannot be achieved without the
stabilization of population growth. (International Alliance of Women)
Education for empowerment and participation
Decisions and actions taken today have a decisive impact on the future. In order to take responsible decisions and
actions, people need to have the relevant skills and knowledge, skills and values. Environmental sustainability
cannot be achieved by scientific, engineering or technological solutions alone. It is education that enables learners
to acquire the values, skills and knowledge that allow equitable economic progress without depleting our natural
resources. This requires fostering environmental awareness as well as teaching about sustainability issues and
promoting participatory teaching and learning methods that support critical thinking and collaborative learning.
(UNESCO)
Education for sustainable development (ESD) plays a key role in raising and transforming public awareness, and
empowering individuals to become change agents and exercise leadership in their local communities to address
the environmental issues that need to be resolved. (Nobuyuki Asai)
Education must not be restricted to classroom education: non-formal education for all can inspire a wide range of
people throughout the world. (Nobuyuki Asai)
We call on the UN to establish such a global network of grassroots support organizations, resource and service
centers, and training programs to develop local capacity building and assist villages and rural communities
in eradicating poverty and meeting basic human needs. There is a great need to stem the flow of rural to urban
migration, while investing in environmental sustainability. (Global Ecovillage Network and the EcoEarth Alliance UN
Partnership Initiative)
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III.2 Universality – all countries need to take action
To address the global challenges we face, all countries need to have responsibilities and ownership. Inspired by the
principle of common but differentiated responsibility and respective capability, every country needs to take action
but not necessarily the same precise action. This global action needs to improve the lives of people most affected
by poverty and injustice, including the most vulnerable groups, while respecting environmental limitations and
boundaries. (WWF and CAN-I)
Focusing on the rich worldwide has a big potential payoff. Since the affluent account for over 80% of consumption
and pollution, even modest shifts in their consumption can effectively reduce the environmental burden and free
up resources to raise poorer peoples’ living standards. (Mohan Munasinghe)
III.3 Equality within and between countries/Human rights-based approach – equal rights and
equitable wellbeing
States need to acknowledge universal human rights as the basis for sustainable development, move towards
greater equity in access to natural resources, and foster an inclusive, transparent, equitable and environmentally
sustainable ‘economy’; for example, by developing metrics beyond GDP to measure wellbeing.
Equality
Equality and inclusion need to be a central concern when addressing environmental sustainability since this can
only be achieved by including marginalized groups in decision making through a rights-based approach. Gender
equality is an important dimension to take into account. …Creating adaptive, evidence and research-based social
protection mechanisms, which look more directly at the levels of needs satisfaction and wellbeing of every
individual, can strengthen people’s resilience to shocks, and in particular the resilience of women and girls.
(UNESCO)
“Gender equality is a matter of fundamental human rights and social justice, as well as a pre-condition for
sustainable development and environmental sustainability. …it is important to consider the effects of gender
inequality on the success of environmental sustainability goals, ways to address potential gender constrains in this
context, the effect of envisioned environmental sustainability results on gender relations, as well as promoting
gender equality in the design of environmental sustainability goals, related policy and institutional capacity for
implementation.”(International Alliance of Women)
Beyond GDP
How can we ensure that all of the world’s people can have resilient livelihoods which enable them to be selfsufficient and satisfy their needs. Economic growth is not necessarily the only method for achieving this, indeed, as
has been demonstrated by the global and regional economic crises over the last few years, it may very well be that
smaller-scale, locally-based, decentralized, controlled, and slow-burning economies are a more viable way to
ensure the well-being of humans and the environment, and to maintain the viability of their symbiotic relationship.
(Hui-Chi Goh)
Only once accounting systems go “beyond GDP” to properly reflect the environmental costs and benefits of natural
resource use and services, will we understand the true costs of natural capital losses, as well as gain a much better
understanding of the huge social and economic return in investing in biodiversity protection. (CAN-I )
Human health is a fundamental precondition, indicator and outcome of all three dimensions of sustainable
development – economic, environmental and social. Current trends of inequitable development and unsustainable
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lifestyles which are largely responsible for many of the environmental threats now confronting us, are related
directly or indirectly to many risk factors responsible for major causes of ill-health, particularly the noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). These now account for over half of the world’s disease burden. (Andy Haines)
The Rio Declaration adopted in 1992 stated that “human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable
development – they are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature” (International Diabetes
Federations)
Resilient societies
A resilient society is above all an equitable society. Profound inequalities and inequitable power structures cannot
support environmental sustainability. (WEDO) Furthermore, the measure of sustainable development at the local
level is not just the achievement of development goals today, but resilience in the face of tomorrow’s stresses.
Evidence from the UNDP knowledge base suggests that local ecosystem-based initiatives foster innovation and
build resilience in the three dimensions of social capacity, economic potential, and ecosystem stability. (GEF-Small
Grants Programme)
We need resilient development that enables us all, particularly the poorest, to live well in spite of unavoidable
environmental degradation but we need a model of development that does not exacerbate further degradation.
We also need to be planning for a possible 3 degrees+ of global warming, with parts of the tropics and poles
warming more than the global average. A future inclusive development framework needs to be able to deliver
long-term poverty reduction in a world with more people, weak environmental governance, dwindling natural
resources, and increasing impacts of climate change. (CAN-I)
Natural resources and ecosystems have a vital role to play in building resilience; natural environments are best
able to support the poor when they are healthy, and have functioning ecosystem services, and species diversity
and abundance. Secure land tenure, adaptive capacity, and healthy ecosystems reduce the vulnerability of people
living in poverty to the effects of climate change and other resource shocks. (CAN-I)
Indicators for resilience and the sustainability of services and infrastructure created in the face of climate
variability and climate change need to be integrated in the post-2015 framework. A renewed Hyogo Framework
will also need to consider the importance of social considerations such as gender equality and child protection.
(CAN-I )
“The World We Want is a world free of hunger, a world in which people do not fight for food with eachother and people do not fight for food and habitat with other Species. Is a world in which every being and
every baby -human and non-human- breaths fresh air, drinks clean water, enjoys the grass, flowers and
trees, a world in which every living being is loved, cherished and protected. … The world we want is an
world in which the Man steps in forest with note-pad and camera, not with gun and saw; he is there to
help, not to kill, he is loved, not feared, the little child is petting the wild animals, not shooting them.”
(Benson Keya)
And the right of nature?
We treat the natural world as property to be exploited, rather than as an integral ecological partner. The result is
ongoing environmental destruction, with impacts spreading globally. … We must reform our overarching laws and
governance systems – including economic systems – to reflect the fundamental rights of nature to exist, thrive and
evolve, and to reject destructive governance models that degrade the natural world. The Post-2015 debate must
include consideration of objectives that will formally implement the rights of nature, in order to ensure true
sustainability between people and the natural world. (Linda Sheehan)
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III.4 Integration – one process leading to one set of goals for sustainable development
The essence of sustainable development is to bring the social, economic, and environment spheres
together. Therefore, the processes to develop Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) should be wholly merged
with post-2015 processes to agree on ‘development goals’ after September 2013. (WWF and CAN-I)
The creation of new sustainable development goals (SDGs) offers a critical opportunity to ensure that global
development goals are “embedded into the broader framework of sustainable development”. The indicators for
such goals post-2015 will provide an important foundation for taking into account of the value of natural capital
and using economic, ecological and social metrics to evaluate the success of particular activities toward
development. The process for creating a new development agenda post-2015, which builds upon the MDGs,
therefore also needs to take into account the process for developing new SDGs; there should be “one unified
development agenda at the end of these processes”. (Alejandra Bowles)
One suggestion is to have Millennium Development Goal 7 evolve into a more refined set of result-based,
outcome-oriented goals, targets and indicators for ensuring the resilience, integrity, and security of ecosystems. It
should address the sum of ecological factors which make up ecosystems, such as the climate, water resources,
vegetation, pollution levels and biodiversity. Much in line with the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015, the
refined goals, targets and indicators can then be used as benchmarks against which countries can measure their
environmental performance and identify what their priority areas of action should be. (Hui-Chi Goh)
Also the Millennium Consumption Goals (MCGs) were proposed in this context. They could be a key building block
of a comprehensive framework for sustainable development. They can complement the MDGs and serve as one
essential brick that supports all of the larger frameworks discussed at Rio+20, including Green Economy and
Sustainable Development Goals. The MCGs would aim to curb consumption by the affluent evenhandedly in all
countries, thereby freeing up resources to meet the basic needs of the poor. Instead of viewing the affluent as a
problem, the novel approach of the MCGs would persuade them to contribute to the solution without having to
reduce their quality of life. This will require both top-down and bottom-up processes to set global targets and then
allocate consumption equitably among countries, sectors, cities, communities, and firms. (Mohan Munasinghe)
ACT Alliance recommends a number of issues to be taken into account in the future development agenda:
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A commitment to low carbon development that guides the industrialized countries to a zero- and the
developing countries to a low carbon economy by 2050, with time frames for 2020, 2030 and 2040.
Clear commitments for climate resilience, adaptation and disaster risk reduction to be prioritized and
mainstreamed as part and parcel of the framework.
A commitment to sustainable energy for all. This means addressing energy poverty while establishing
low-carbon trajectories for developing countries.
Support to key elements of the comprehensive climate agreement under the UNFCCC, including the
increase of ambition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provision of means to support
adaptation and mitigation action in developing countries.
Preservation of equity as a guiding principle, as enshrined in the principle of common but
differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.
Civil society actors in sharing experiences and building understanding of sustainability, based on their
long standing work in communities.
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IV.
Conclusion and way forward
Environmental sustainability, like gender equality, must be integrated meaningfully throughout a post-2015
development agenda, which in turn must be integrated with the Post-Rio+20 processes. A deliberate connection
between inequality, poverty and natural resources can avoid further marginalizing the poorest in pursuit of a
development agenda that ignores or separates the environment from people. Any environment-related goals must
go beyond Multilateral Environmental Agreements; they must build on areas of progress and strength, identify
gaps, and harness both toward reorienting the global agenda around sustainable development. Without a
peaceful, stable planet to live on, no other issues matter. (WEDO)
For a successful continuation of the thematic consultation, it has been recommended to usefully focus on the core
factors underpinning the lack of progress to date. In particular, the second phase of the consultation should focus
on several fundamental issues relating to environmental sustainability that have not been resolved. Multilateral
agreements on environmental sustainability are perceived as a restriction on economic growth and freedom.
(WaterAid)
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