FROM RIO TO JOHANNESBURG:
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GLOBALISATION OF SUSTAINABILITY

World Summit Paper #5; by Jürgen Trittin, Uschi Eid, Sascha Müller-Kraenner and Nika Greger

With this publication the foundation intends to contribute to the fruitful discussion on, and to the public awareness of the forthcoming WSSD. Sustainable Development is, after all, a matter of a good community on a limited planet. Thus, we need to take on the opportunities for progress provided by the World Summit.

From the content:

Playing an active Role
The agenda for the upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) is still open – thereby affording a great opportunity for all Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to actively participate in its design.

Being Inclusive
This is also a unique opportunity for NGOs contributions to be included in the discussions concerning sustainable development. In the past, these discussions have been exclusive to small insider groups of experts. NGOs should raise public awareness for their topics to create a broad support within the society.

Learning from Past Mistakes
Ten years have passed since the Earth Summit in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro and five years have passed since the follow-up conference in New York City in 1997. At this follow-up conference, only a vague and weak agenda was presented which clearly mirrored the unsatisfactory results that followed. This time around at the WSSD in Johannesburg, pains must be taken not to repeat past mistakes by putting together a very clear and concrete agenda.

The WSSD will deal with the direct consequences of globalization, on people and their natural environment. It will focus on elevating and promoting the concept of sustainable development.

For the conference it will be decisive, how much attention the activists will be able to gain prior to the events. The concept of sustainable development cannot be put into practice by a small group of experts and politicians even if we take into consideration the growing interest in questions concerning international finance and development. What is needed is a wide participatory approach from the society as a whole.

Sustainable development can only be truly effective when it is understood and accepted as a global concept. Then it will have an impact on all levels and things begin to change. This was already the case in Rio 1992 and it is still true today. In order to counter economic globalization, the concept of sustainable development must also be globalized.

Prior to the first preparatory workshop of the WSSD, the Washington Office of the Heinrich Böll Foundation organized a one-day conference in New York City in order to join in the efforts with others involved in the process of shaping the agenda for the WSSD in Johannesburg. The main focus of attention was on energy, development financing and institutional as well as economic reform.

Both the reports from the Federal Minister for the Environment and the Deputy Minister for Development reflect their thoughts. While Jürgen Trittin is focusing on the importance of sustainable energy and the efforts of Germany, Uschi Eid is raising some important topics on the way to Johannesburg, such as climate change, fresh water, poverty eradication, financing for development and international governance to only mention a few.

[ pdf; 35 pages ]