Latest News
Environmental expectations - Most people immediately think of climate change, but there’s a lot more to developing environmental stability.
Our future planet assesses the steps needed to safeguard tomorrow.
Virtually everyone knows and understands the basics of rising temperatures, but the true range of environmental issues and solutions affecting the planet is much wider. And all of them play a role in how sustainable and able to support life our future world will be.
One example is Greenpeace’s Defending Our Oceans campaign. It points to a number of issues threatening the marine ecosystem, including industrial fishing and fundamentally unsustainable aquaculture. This is vital, but far less well publicised than climate change.
‘Shrimp aquaculture industry is perhaps the most destructive, unsustainable and unjust fisheries industry in the world. Mangrove clearances, fishery destruction, murder and community land clearances have all been widely reported.’ explains Greenpeace.
Part of a route forward will depend on the best mix of activism and legislation: top ways of incentivising and motivating businesses and individuals to act more responsibly on the environment. The European Parliament is about to start its second reading of the Industrial Pollutions (IPPC) directive. This will determine how Europe challenges air pollution.
And on 22 February, the EU proposed ‘a ban on international trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna to enter into force within the next year.’ European Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik said: “We have a responsibility to future generations to take decisive action when faced with the likelihood that a species will disappear forever.”
Where profit making and the environment collide, such law making can be the only way to protect ecosystems and livelihoods. “Since there is a high risk that Atlantic bluefin tuna will soon be gone forever, we have no other choice than to act now and propose a ban on international trade,” continues Potočnik.
Maria Damanaki, Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, added: “Our aim is to ensure a viable future for the fishermen. This requires healthy bluefin tuna stocks, and it is clear to everyone that overfishing is definitely not the way to go.”
The trouble is that while individual countries and organisations like the EU can develop regulations, only global law making can have the potential effects needed to slow planetary impacts. And as Copenhagen has proven, this kind of consensus is much tougher to achieve.
But reaching agreement is possible. ‘Signed by 150 government leaders at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, the Convention on Biological Diversity is dedicated to promoting sustainable development,’ explains the CBD website. However, even this can’t always guarantee results.
‘Despite the significant progress achieved, we have failed to fulfil the promise to substantially reduce the rate of loss of biodiversity adopted eight years ago by the 110 Heads of State and Government attending the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development.’ said Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the CBD, speaking in January on updating CBD plans post 2010.
So what more is needed to really deliver positive action?
Green generations
Most people agree education and knowledge sharing will be crucial to directing a more sustainable future. Earthwatch is an international charity promoting understanding and action for exactly this.
“Loss of biodiversity, the destruction of fisheries, habitat loss, growing human populations, these are all big issues,” says Earthwatch’s International Director of Partnerships, Dave Hillyard.
“Can the planet cope with 9 billion of us by 2050? There were EU targets to halt the decline in biodiversity by March this year but under current scenarios this isn’t happening.”
“The fact is that we don’t attach importance to the value of nature in social and economic terms. There’s a lack of political will, and we need systemic change, new accounting systems, we take from the environment for free. People are disconnected from it, half the world’s population now lives in cities.”
“We need longer term policies which look beyond the next election and create a sense of leadership, setting and sending clear signals for business. There needs to be a level playing field for business, a few companies are doing great stuff and their power is significant.”
“It’s also down to us as individuals,” he continues. “Nothing changes without the individual, we need to reach out with powerful messages. If you look at what has happened with cutting plastic bags, that was down to individuals, so it can be done. Everyone has to change and move away from the sense of powerlessness.”
“We all need to become motivated and inspired to change behaviours, and that’s about empowerment and taking steps ourselves.”
Years down the line
In terms of how the planet will look in 25 years, it’s such change in behaviour or lack of it that will determine the reality. Hillyard remains uncertain, but he thinks it’s clear we are moving into unknown territory, and that the future planet will necessarily look a very different place.
“The past can’t indicate the future,” he explains. “There is a huge challenge ahead of us. I really think we need to alter this perception of not valuing that which is ultimately most valuable. Fresh water, soil, its role in climate regulation.”
“The environment does all these things for us for free, and we don’t pay for them, perhaps it is about a predisposition to take what we can now and not look to the future. So how can we value things more effectively?”
One way may be through better global study and collaboration. ‘At the meeting of the environment ministers of the G8 countries and the five major newly industrialising countries that took place in Potsdam in March 2007, the German government proposed a study on ‘The economic significance of the global loss of biological diversity,’ reveals the EU’s environment portal.
The planetary study, named The Economics of Ecosystems & Biodiversity (TEEB) is ‘Evaluating the costs of the loss of biodiversity and the associated decline in ecosystem services worldwide, and comparing them with the costs of effective conservation and sustainable use.’ Its final results ‘will be presented at CBD COP-10 in 2010.’
Ultimately, the TEEB project seeks to ‘facilitate the development of cost effective policy responses and better informed decisions.’ This would be good news for everyone. But to really work the programme must achieve concrete results that the Convention on Biological Diversity couldn’t manage.
The challenge now is not just about delivering global consensus and programmes, it’s about making sure they actually achieve something. There’s little time remaining for anything less.
What are your views? Not sure? Read the resources below for more information. Add your comment below. We welcome your thoughts and proposals. Not a Planetary Citizen? Sign up to Our Future Planet today!
Resources:
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity an Interim Report
Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity How the Convention on Biological Diversity promotes nature and human well-being
Convention on Biological Diversity Statement By Mr. Ahmed Djoghlaf
Video’s:
