| The way ahead is a one-way street: environment-friendly economic growth |
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| Western development programs are a trap |
February 2003 |
The fact that sustainable development is included among the main priorities of the Greek Presidency of the European Union indicates that the environmental alarm bell -which has been ringing far too long- has at last found "ears that listen". A few years ago, even the notion of sustainable development –"development that satisfies the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to satisfy theirs"- was unknown.
The European Community did not include it in its charter at its inception in 1957. The need only became apparent later, with the rapid deterioration of the natural environment in the wake of economic growth and higher living standards. Environment protection took many years to acquire significant political weight. It eventually did, through the Single European Act of 1987 and especially the 1992 Maastricht Treaty; ever since, protection of the environment has been incorporated in the Community's aims and policy.
Another landmark event in European
policy was the European Council at Gothenburg in 2001, under Sweden's presidency,
when environmental policy factors were incorporated in the ambitious economic
and social development strategy formulated at Lisbon.
The Greek presidency at the spring European Council in March, aspires to determine the main directions of this strategy, and set specific objectives that advance sustainable development, i.e. compatibility and balance between economic, environment, social, and employment policies.
Unfortunately, the growth and consumer models adopted by the so-called developed world in the last few decades have entrapped all humanity. Two-thirds of the world's population has nothing in common with, and nothing to gain from, the way of life adopted by the other one-third – a way that overexploits natural resources, over-consumes, and leads to undermining life on the planet.
In the last twenty years, household energy consumption has increased by two-thirds, the fleet of cars worldwide has doubled, and air travel has increased fourfold.
In the last fifty years, the consumption of oil has risen sevenfold, while meat production, fishing and pollution have increased at least fourfold.
In the last century, the consumption of clean water has increased by a factor of six. In the next 25 years half of the world's population will be facing considerable difficulty in obtaining drinkable water, while population growth leads to an increase in waste production. Currently, in the developed countries comprising the OECD, each person produces two tons of refuse each year. As we know, Greece is among the "champions" in refuse production.
The result of this way of life is to overexploit natural resources at a rate that is 20% faster than nature needs to replace them. In other words, we shall soon be needing 1,2 earths if we do not change our way of life. Such a change would mean that the rich countries must reduce their consumption of energy and resources by 90% by 2050.
The element that lends a unique dimension to this issue of our time is that the environmental crisis is a global phenomenon, and thus the rich and powerful can not avoid its impact. Climate changes, ultraviolet rays, carbon dioxide emissions (from industrial facilities, central heating installations, cars), acid rain, radiation, floods, all affect rich and poor alike. Even the most developed and organised countries in the world, in the very heart of Europe, were recently struck by extreme weather phenomena. Analysts estimate that 100 million people will be forced to abandon their homes because of natural disasters by 2025.
Even so, the message does not seem to reach its recipients. The super-power of our age still refuses to sign the Kyoto Agreement, and at the recent conference at Johannesburg many national delegations did not show any interest in a serious discussion concerning sustainable development. Sadly, care for the environment has often been seen as an impediment to economic growth.
New methods for prosperity
However, in recent years it has been widely acknowledged that environmental objectives may be combined to create a new dynamic in the context of a systematic growth process and social prosperity. The view that a more rational use of natural resources can guarantee mid- and long-term growth is gaining ground. Already, many new jobs have been created in the field of research and development of new, environment-friendly technologies.
A good example is the car industry, where many jobs have been created through the introduction of anti-pollution technologies. Large transportation infrastructure projects, compatible with protecting the environment and attaining the objectives of sustainable growth, have also been an impressive source of jobs and growth.
The real challenges that political leaders face today are:
1. To maintain current standards of living and prosperity while reducing consumption of natural resources and advancing the use of renewable energy sources.
2. To combine the competitiveness of industry, trade and farming with the use of technologies and materials that generate less pollution and produce environment-friendly products.
3. To formulate ways and means ensuring that protection of the environment and public health is incorporated in all aspects of political action, while strengthening employment and social cohesion.
Naturally, sustainable development does not only require a rational exploitation of means and natural resources, but also the rational use of human resources, through the meaningful contribution of producers and consumers, who are called upon to adopt sustainable production and consumption models.
The objectives of sustainable development and protection of life on the planet can not be attained without turning to account one–half of the active and productive population - without incorporating in the decisions and policies applied the peace-loving values, the creativity, the imagination, the sensitivity, the social experience, and the skills of women.
The resolution of the Conference on Development and the Environment in Rio (1992), states that "women play a vital role in environment management and growth. Therefore their full participation is vital in attaining sustainable development ".
I wonder, will there be "ears that listen" to this message during the Greek presidency?
Bibliography:
1. BBC News Online, “The Overcrowded Ark” by Alex Kirby
2. PES Group position on Sustainable Development