A Snapshot of Global Progress Towards Sustainable Development 1992 2004

1
A Snapshot of Global Progress Towards Sustainable
Development 1992 - 2004

• Dr. Charles I. McNeill
• Environment Programme Team Manager,
• United Nations Development Programme
• 22 May 2004

2
A Snapshot of Global Progress Towards Sustainable
Development1992 - 2004

• Introduction, Overview, and Definitions
• Global Trends in Sustainable Development
• Timeline of Key Events in Sustainable
  Development 1962-2004
• Ten Successes since 1992
• Ten Setbacks since 1992
• The Way Forward

3
Definition of Sustainable Development

• "Sustainable development is development that
  meets the needs of the present without
  compromising the ability of future generations to
  meet their own needs."
• Brundtland Report, 1987

4
Global Trends in Sustainable Development

• Considerable progress has been made
• The actual number of people living on less than
  1 a day has begun to fall since 1980s
• Illiteracy rates in the developing world has been
  cut from 47 to 25 since 1970
• Life expectancy in developing countries has
  increased by 20 years since 1960s
• Average number of children per women has dropped
  from 6 to 3 worldwide since 1960s

5
Global Trends in Sustainable Development

• Major challenges remain to
• Alleviate the poverty of the 1.2 billion people
  that live on 1 a day
• Provide clean water and sanitation to the 2
  billion people that don't have it
• Feed the 800 million people that go to bed hungry
  every night
• Provide energy for the 2 billion people without
  electricity
• Reduce the health threats of vector-borne
  diseases and water-borne diseases, and
• Assist the 54 countries, mainly in Africa, have
  grown poorer since the end of the 1990s
• Do all this while we protect our biodiversity.

6
Global Trends in Sustainable Development

• Growing imbalance in annual global spending by
  the worlds governments
• 900 billion spent on the military (U.S. alone
  spends 450 billion)
• 300 billion spent on subsidies for the worlds
  richest farmers
• Only 56 billion spent on assistance to the
  worlds poor
• 75 billion is the estimated cost of eradicating
  world poverty!

7
Global Trends Unprecedented Changes in Climate

• 1000 to 1861 N. Hemisphere, proxy data
• 1861 to 2000 Global, Instrumental
• 2000 to 2100 SRES projections

8
Global Trends in Sustainable Development

• How to begin to transform a global trend?
• First requirement for improving the state of the
  world is to establish eye contact between the
  problems and the people who can make a
  difference.
• That is why I am bringing these challenges to
  you.

9
Timeline of Key Events in Sustainable
Development (1)

• 1945 United Nations Charter signed in San
  Francisco
• 1962 World population reaches 3.1 billion people
• 1962 Silent Spring by Rachael Carson
• 1968 Apollo 8 astronauts view Earth from space
• 1969 US Environmental Protection Agency
  established
• 1970 First Earth Day and major environmental
• organizations formed
• 1972 UN Conference on Human Environment/UNEP

10
Timeline of Key Events in Sustainable
Development (2)

• 1973 U.S. enacts Endangered Species Act
• 1973 OPEC oil crisis
• 1977 The Hunger Project launched
• 1982 World population reaches 4.6 billion people
• 1982 International debt crisis
• 1984 Drought in Ethiopia
• 1985 Antarctic ozone hole discovered
• 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident
• 1987 Our Common Future Brundtland Report

11
Timeline of Key Events in Sustainable
Development (3)

• 1987 Montreal Protocol on Ozone Layer adopted
• 1989 Exxon Valdez runs aground
• 1991 Canadian east coast cod fishery collapses
• 1991 Global Environment Facility established
• 1992 Earth Summit in Rio
• 1995 World Trade Organization established
• 1997 Asian ecological and financial chaos
• 1997 Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change signed

12
Timeline of Key Events in Sustainable
Development (4)

• 2000 Increasing urbanization Half of world
  population now living in cities
• 2000 UN Millennium Summit produces Millennium
  Declaration and Goals
• 2001 Terrorists bomb World Trade Center
• 2002 World population reaches 6.2 billion people
• 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in
  Johannesburg
• 2001-2004 Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
• 2004 Power Contribution Course Weekend 5!

13
Ten Successes Since 1992

• Small is Beautiful
• The Rise of Civil Society
• An Ozone-friendly Future
• Emergence of Corporate Social Responsibility
• Leveling the Information Playing Field

• Knowledge is Power Extending the Boundaries of
  Science and Technology
• Accessing the Corridors of Power
• Promising Starts Agreements on Biological
  Chemical Risks
• Population Growth Rates Begin To Decline
• Progress Towards Ending Hunger

14
The Equator Initiative empowers Communities to
eradicate Poverty and protect Biodiversity.
Small is BeautifulEven though international
progress since Rio has been slow, thousands of
initiatives at a grassroots level have borne
fruit.
It is promoting a worldwide movement by1.
Recognizing local achievements2. Fostering
South-South learning and capacity building3.
Influencing local, national, and global policy
15
Ten Successes Since 1992

• Small is Beautiful
• The Rise of Civil Society
• An Ozone-friendly Future
• Emergence of Corporate Social Responsibility
• Leveling the Information Playing Field

• Knowledge is Power Extending the Boundaries of
  Science and Technology
• Accessing the Corridors of Power
• Promising Starts Agreements on Biological
  Chemical Risks
• Population Growth Rates Begin To Decline
• Progress Towards Ending Hunger

16
The Rise of Civil SocietyNGOs, interests groups,
local communities and ordinary people have made
inroads into the policy-making process.
17
Ten Successes Since 1992

• Small is Beautiful
• The Rise of Civil Society
• An Ozone-Friendly Future
• Emergence of Corporate Social Responsibility
• Leveling the Information Playing Field

• Knowledge is Power Extending the Boundaries of
  Science and Technology
• Accessing the Corridors of Power
• Promising Starts Agreements on Biological
  Chemical Risks
• Population Growth Rates Begin To Decline
• Progress Towards Ending Hunger

18
An Ozone-friendly FutureThe Ozone layer is
recovering. International co-operation to
eliminate ozone-depleting chemicals has been
successful.
19
Ten Successes Since 1992

• Small is Beautiful
• The Rise of Civil Society
• An Ozone-friendly Future
• Emergence of Corporate Social Responsibility
• Leveling the Information Playing Field

• Knowledge is Power Extending the Boundaries of
  Science and Technology
• Accessing the Corridors of Power
• Promising Starts Agreements on Biological
  Chemical Risks
• Population Growth Rates Begin To Decline
• Progress Towards Ending Hunger

20
Emergence of Corporate Social ResponsibilityBusin
ess is beginning to recognize its wider
responsibility towards people, communities, and
the environment.
21
Emergence of Corporate Social ResponsibilityBusin
ess is beginning to recognize its wider
responsibility towards people, communities, and
the environment.
22
Emergence of Corporate Social ResponsibilityBusin
ess is beginning to recognize its wider
responsibility towards people, communities, and
the environment.

• UNDP/Swiss Res Footprint Neutral Program
• A program that enables consumers and businesses
  to offset their adverse environmental impact by
  paying an incremental amount (e.g. GHG neutral
  gas, Biodiversity neutral furniture, Water
  friendly clothes)
• Fees paid by consumers and businesses are
  invested in offset projects in the areas of
  climate change, biodiversity and water protection

23
Ten Successes Since 1992

• Small is Beautiful
• The Rise of Civil Society
• An Ozone-friendly Future
• Emergence of Corporate Social Responsibility
• Leveling the Information Playing Field

• Knowledge is Power Extending the Boundaries of
  Science and Technology
• Accessing the Corridors of Power
• Promising Starts Agreements on Biological
  Chemical Risks
• Population Growth Rates Begin To Decline
• Progress Towards Ending Hunger

24
Leveling the Information Playing
FieldElectronic communications are making
information more widely available and
decision-making more transparent.
25
Ten Successes Since 1992

• Small is Beautiful
• The Rise of Civil Society
• An Ozone-friendly Future
• Emergence of Corporate Social Responsibility
• Leveling the Information Playing Field

• Knowledge is Power Extending the Boundaries of
  Science Technology
• Accessing the Corridors of Power
• Promising Starts Agreements on Biological
  Chemical Risks
• Population Growth Rates Begin To Decline
• Progress Towards Ending Hunger

26
Knowledge is Power Extending the Boundaries of
Science and TechnologiesMajor advances made in
the way we understand natural systems, and the
development of sustainable technologies.
27
Ten Successes Since 1992

• Small is Beautiful
• The Rise of Civil Society
• An Ozone-friendly Future
• Emergence of Corporate Social Responsibility
• Leveling the Information Playing Field

• Knowledge is Power Extending the Boundaries of
  Science and Technology
• Accessing the Corridors of Power
• Promising Starts Agreements on Biological
  Chemical Risks
• Population Growth Rates Begin To Decline
• Progress Towards Ending Hunger

28
Accessing the Corridors of PowerIn several
countries, the principles of sustainable
development have begun to influence the machinery
of governance.
29
Ten Successes Since 1992

• Small is Beautiful
• The Rise of Civil Society
• An Ozone-friendly Future
• Emergence of Corporate Social Responsibility
• Leveling the Information Playing Field

• Knowledge is Power Extending the Boundaries of
  Science and Technology
• Accessing the Corridors of Power
• Promising Starts Agreements on Biological
  Chemical Risks
• Population Growth Rates Begin To Decline
• Progress Towards Ending Hunger

30
Promising Starts Agreements on Biological
Chemical RisksEnvironmental agreements like
Biosafety Protocol and Convention on Persistent
Organic Pollutants offer new safeguards for
communities and the environment.
31
Ten Successes Since 1992

• Small is Beautiful
• The Rise of Civil Society
• An Ozone-friendly Future
• Emergence of Corporate Social Responsibility
• Leveling the Information Playing Field

• Knowledge is Power Extending the Boundaries of
  Science and Technology
• Accessing the Corridors of Power
• Promising Starts Agreements on Biological
  Chemical Risks
• Population Growth Rates Begin To Decline
• Progress Towards Ending Hunger

32
Population Growth Rates Begin to DeclineWays
found to reduce birth rates 1. Family Planning
2. Child Survival 3. Education of Females 4.
Micro-financing for Women
33
Population Growth Rates Begin to DeclineAverage
Number of Children per Women has dropped from6
to 3 worldwide in last 40 years
34
Ten Successes Since 1992

• Small is Beautiful
• The Rise of Civil Society
• An Ozone-friendly Future
• Emergence of Corporate Social Responsibility
• Leveling the Information Playing Field

• Knowledge is Power Extending the Boundaries of
  Science and Technology
• Accessing the Corridors of Power
• Promising Starts Agreements on Biological
  Chemical Risks
• Population Growth Rates Begin To Decline
• Progress Towards Ending Hunger

35
Progress Towards Ending HungerInfant Mortality
Rates (IMR) have declined. Numbers dying from
hunger have fallen from 41,000 per day to 20,000.
36
Progress Towards Ending HungerInfant Mortality
Rates (IMR) have declined. Numbers dying from
hunger have fallen from 41,000 per day to 20,000.
37
Ten Successes Since 1992

• Small is Beautiful
• The Rise of Civil Society
• An Ozone-friendly Future
• Emergence of Corporate Social Responsibility
• Leveling the Information Playing Field

• Knowledge is Power Extending the Boundaries of
  Science and Technology
• Accessing the Corridors of Power
• Promising Starts Agreements on Biological
  Chemical Risks
• Population Growth Rates Begin To Decline
• Progress Towards Ending Hunger

38
Ten Setbacks Since 1992

• Breakdown of the Rio Bargain Lack of Leadership
  from Wealthy Countries
• Pulling Up the Ladder the Widening Wealth Gap
• The Human Tragedy of AIDS
• Use It Up, Throw It Out Over-consumption and
  Waste as a Way of Life
• Whatever Happened to World Peace?

• Foreign Aid Declining When Needed the Most
• Sea Sickness Oceans and Fisheries in Peril
• Water Scarcity Threatens Human Development
• Lost Forever Species Extinctions Continue
  Unchecked
• Climate Change The Deal Breaker?

39
Breakdown of the Rio Bargain Lack of Leadership
from Wealthy CountriesThe 12 years since Rio
have been marked by the collapse of leadership
and a failure of the rich countries to deliver on
their 1992 promises.
40
Ten Setbacks Since 1992

• Breakdown of the Rio Bargain Lack of Leadership
  from Wealthy Countries
• Pulling Up the Ladder the Widening Wealth Gap
• The Human Tragedy of AIDS
• Use It Up, Throw It Out Over-consumption and
  Waste as a Way of Life
• Whatever Happened to World Peace?

• Foreign Aid Declining When Needed the Most
• Sea Sickness Oceans and Fisheries in Peril
• Water Scarcity Threatens Human Development
• Lost Forever Species Extinctions Continue
  Unchecked
• Climate Change The Deal Breaker?

41
Pulling Up the Ladder the Widening Wealth Gap

• In the 1960s, people in the top 20 of the
  worlds population were 30 times as rich as those
  in the bottom 20. Today, they are more than 70
  times as rich.
• The richest 15 people have more wealth than the
  combined GDP of all of sub-Saharan Africa.
• Richest 1 of people in the world earn the same
  as the poorest 57

42
Pulling Up the Ladder the Widening Wealth Gap
43
Ten Setbacks Since 1992

• Breakdown of the Rio Bargain Lack of Leadership
  from Wealthy Countries
• Pulling Up the Ladder the Widening Wealth Gap
• The Human Tragedy of AIDS
• Use It Up, Throw It Out Over-consumption and
  Waste as a Way of Life
• Whatever Happened to World Peace?

• Foreign Aid Declining When Needed the Most
• Sea Sickness Oceans and Fisheries in Peril
• Water Scarcity Threatens Human Development
• Lost Forever Species Extinctions Continue
  Unchecked
• Climate Change The Deal Breaker?

44
The Human Tragedy of AIDSThe AIDS virus has
wreaked havoc on developing countries, especially
in Africa the devastation continues.

• The global AIDs epidemic is more devastating
  than any terrorist attack, any conflict or any
  weapon of mass destruction (Secretary of State
  Colin Powell)
• 42 million people around the world are infected
  with HIV, and 95 of them live in the poorest
  parts of the world.
• But Uganda and Senegal have reduced their HIV
  infection rate substantially.

45
Ten Setbacks Since 1992

• Breakdown of the Rio Bargain Lack of Leadership
  from Wealthy Countries
• Pulling Up the Ladder the Widening Wealth Gap
• The Human Tragedy of AIDS
• Use It Up, Throw It Out Over-consumption and
  Waste as a Way of Life
• Whatever Happened to World Peace?

• Foreign Aid Declining When Needed the Most
• Sea Sickness Oceans and Fisheries in Peril
• Water Scarcity Threatens Human Development
• Lost Forever Species Extinctions Continue
  Unchecked
• Climate Change The Deal Breaker?

46
Use It Up, Throw It Out Over-consumption and
Waste as a Way of LifeDespite increased
awareness of the problems, developed countries
remain wedded to their pollution-intensive
lifestyles.
47
Ten Setbacks Since 1992

• Breakdown of the Rio Bargain Lack of Leadership
  from Wealthy Countries
• Pulling Up the Ladder the Widening Wealth Gap
• The Human Tragedy of AIDS
• Use It Up, Throw It Out Over-consumption and
  Waste as a Way of Life
• Whatever Happened to World Peace?

• Foreign Aid Declining When Needed the Most
• Sea Sickness Oceans and Fisheries in Peril
• Water Scarcity Threatens Human Development
• Lost Forever Species Extinctions Continue
  Unchecked
• Climate Change The Deal Breaker?

48
Whatever Happened to World Peace?Hopes for
harmony following the end of the Cold War have
been dashed by a new set of armed conflicts.
49
Ten Setbacks Since 1992

• Breakdown of the Rio Bargain Lack of Leadership
  from Wealthy Countries
• Pulling Up the Ladder the Widening Wealth Gap
• The Human Tragedy of AIDS
• Use It Up, Throw It Out Over-consumption and
  Waste as a Way of Life
• Whatever Happened to World Peace?

• Foreign Aid Declining When Needed the Most
• Sea Sickness Oceans and Fisheries in Peril
• Water Scarcity Threatens Human Development
• Lost Forever Species Extinctions Continue
  Unchecked
• Climate Change The Deal Breaker?

50
Foreign Aid Declining When Needed the Most

• In 2002, the World Health Organization's
  Commission on Macroeconomics Health concluded
• If rich countries contributed 25 billion per
  year, they could prevent 8 million deaths each
  year in poor countries throughout the world.
  U.S.s share would be around 8 billion
• Wealthiest 400 in U.S. earned 69 billion in 2000
  (more than combined incomes of the 166 million
  people living in Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda and
  Botswana)
• 250 billion were made available through tax cuts
  last year and 87 billion spent on Iraq
• If fraction of this money directed to Global Fund
  to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, we could
  save those 8 million lives each year.

51
Foreign Aid Declining When Needed the Most

• U.S. economy is 10 trillion / year
• U.S. spent 450 billion on military this year
  but only 13 billion on assisting the poorest
  countries of the world
• Wealthy countries committed themselves to
  increase foreign assistance to 0.7 of GDP.
  Several European countries have achieved this.
• But not the U.S. -- at 0.13 of GDP, U.S. is the
  lowest percentage of all the 22 industrialized
  countries
• Studies show that Americans think we are
  contributing more than we are by a factor of 10
  or 100.
• If we put our minds to it, we can do almost
  anything.
• 1/10 of one percent of our wealth would make a
  critical difference.

52
Ten Setbacks Since 1992

• Breakdown of the Rio Bargain Lack of Leadership
  from Wealthy Countries
• Pulling Up the Ladder the Widening Wealth Gap
• The Human Tragedy of AIDS
• Use It Up, Throw It Out Over-consumption and
  Waste as a Way of Life
• Whatever Happened to World Peace?

• Foreign Aid Declining When Needed the Most
• Sea Sickness Oceans and Fisheries in Peril
• Water Scarcity Threatens Human Development
• Lost Forever Species Extinctions Continue
  Unchecked
• Climate Change The Deal Breaker?

53
Sea Sickness Oceans Fisheries in PerilMarine
ecosystems have paid an enormous price for
overfishing, pollution, and coastal development.
54
Ten Setbacks Since 1992

• Breakdown of the Rio Bargain Lack of Leadership
  from Wealthy Countries
• Pulling Up the Ladder the Widening Wealth Gap
• The Human Tragedy of AIDS
• Use It Up, Throw It Out Over-consumption and
  Waste as a Way of Life
• Whatever Happened to World Peace?

• Foreign Aid Declining When Needed the Most
• Sea Sickness Oceans and Fisheries in Peril
• Water Scarcity Threatens Human Development
• Lost Forever Species Extinctions Continue
  Unchecked
• Climate Change The Deal Breaker?

55
Water Scarcity Threatens Human
DevelopmentCompetition for increasingly scarce
clean water provides a recipe for ill-health,
poverty, and conflicts.
56
Water Scarcity Threatens Human
DevelopmentCompetition for increasingly scarce
clean water provides a recipe for ill-health,
poverty, and conflicts.
Access to Safe Water Still Eludes Many
57
Ten Setbacks Since 1992

• Breakdown of the Rio Bargain Lack of Leadership
  from Wealthy Countries
• Pulling Up the Ladder the Widening Wealth Gap
• The Human Tragedy of AIDS
• Use It Up, Throw It Out Over-consumption and
  Waste as a Way of Life
• Whatever Happened to World Peace?

• Foreign Aid Declining When Needed the Most
• Sea Sickness Oceans and Fisheries in Peril
• Water Scarcity Threatens Human Development
• Lost Forever Species Extinctions Continue
  Unchecked
• Climate Change The Deal Breaker?

58
Lost Forever Species Extinctions Continue
UncheckedHuman activities have caused and are
causing a loss in biodiversity (e.g. at 1,000
times the background rate) due to

• Land cover change
• Habitat fragmentation
• Diversion of water to intensively managed
  ecosystems and urban systems
• Soil and water degradation
• Over-harvesting of species and the introduction
  of invasive species

59
Lost Forever Species Extinctions Continue
UncheckedThousands of species a year are
disappearing and ecosystems that provide
irreplaceable services to society are being
degraded.
60
Lost Forever Species Extinctions Continue
UncheckedBiodiversity underlies all ecological
goods and services.
Estimated 10-15 of the worlds species will be
committed to extinction over next 30 years
Climate change will exacerbate the loss of
biodiversity
61
Lost Forever Species Extinctions Continue
UncheckedThe benefits for people from Ecosystem
Services

• Provisioning
• Goods produced or provided by ecosystems
• Food
• Fresh water
• Fuel wood
• Fiber
• Biochemicals
• Genetic resources

• Regulating
• Benefits obtained from regulation of ecosystem
  processes
• Climate control
• Disease control
• Flood control
• Detoxification

• Cultural
• Non-material benefits obtained from ecosystems
• Spiritual
• Recreational
• Aesthetic
• Inspirational
• Educational
• Communal
• Symbolic

• Supporting
• Services that maintain the conditions for life on
  earth
• Soil formation
• Nutrient cycling
• Pollination

62
Ten Setbacks Since 1992

• Breakdown of the Rio Bargain Lack of Leadership
  from Wealthy Countries
• Pulling Up the Ladder the Widening Wealth Gap
• The Human Tragedy of AIDS
• Use It Up, Throw It Out Over-consumption and
  Waste as a Way of Life
• Whatever Happened to World Peace?

• Foreign Aid Declining When Needed the Most
• Sea Sickness Oceans and Fisheries in Peril
• Water Scarcity Threatens Human Development
• Lost Forever Species Extinctions Continue
  Unchecked
• Climate Change The Deal Breaker?

63
Climate Change The Deal Breaker?
64
Climate Change The Deal Breaker?Human
activities have changed the composition of the
atmosphere since the pre-industrial era.
Human activities include the combustion of fossil
fuels, land use, and land cover change.
65
Climate Change The Deal Breaker?
66
Climate Change The Deal Breaker?Global
Consensus International Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC)Third Assessment Report Conclusions
There is new and stronger evidence that most of
the observed warming of the past 50 years is
attributable to human activities.
67
Climate Change The Deal Breaker?Extreme Weather
Events are Projected by IPCC to Increase

• Higher maximum temperatures, hot days and heat
  waves over nearly all land areas (very likely)
• Higher minimum temperatures, fewer cold days,
  frost days and cold spells over nearly all land
  areas (very likely)
• More intense precipitation events over many areas
  (very likely)
• Increased summer drying over most mid-latitude
  continental interiors and associated risk of
  drought (likely)
• Increase in tropical cyclone peak wind intensity,
  mean and peak precipitation intensities (likely)
• Intensified floods and droughts associated with
  El Nino events in many regions (likely)

68
Climate Change The Deal Breaker?
69
Climate Change The Deal Breaker?
70
Climate Change The Deal Breaker?

• Conclusions on Climate Change
• We humans are degrading our environment at all
  scales.
• Human-induced climate change, along with loss of
  biodiversity land degradation, threatens
  poverty alleviation and sustainable development.
• Industrialized countries are the prime cause for
  human-induced climate change, but developing
  countries are the most vulnerable.
• The actions of today's generation will affect
  future generations.
• We need innovative public-private partnerships.
• We need market mechanisms.
• We need more energy Research Development.
• We need to express political will to do something
  about it.
• We need to have moral leadership.

71
New Global Consensus on the Way Forward

• "We will spare no effort to free our fellow men,
  women and children from the abject and
  dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty to
  which more than a billion of them are currently
  subjected."
• United Nations Millennium Declaration,
  September 2000

72
New Global Consensus on the Way Forward

• Millennium Development Goals
• Adopted in the 55th Session of the UN General
  Assembly, Sept. 2000
•  Goal 1 Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger by
  2015
•  Goal 2 Achieve Universal Primary Education
•  Goal 3 Promote Gender Equality And Empower
  Women
•  Goal 4 Reduce Child Mortality
•  Goal 5 Improve Maternal Health
•  Goal 6 Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and Other
  Diseases
•  Goal 7 Ensure Environmental Sustainability
•  Goal 8 Develop A Global Partnership For
  Development

73
The Way Forward Involving Key Stakeholders
Media
Private Sector

• Individual companies
• World Business Council on Sustainable Development
• Trade organizations

74
Food for Thought

• 700 years ago, Roger Bacon, in a report to the
  Pope, concluded that science lacks a moral
  compass.
• But so does the marketplace, politics,
  governments, universities, and other
  institutions.
• But that is not true of the individuals in those
  organizations.
• It is the individuals that inspire the moral
  compass, e.g. Ashoka, Mahatma Gandhi, the Dalai
  Lama, Albert Schweitzer, Martin Luther King,
  Werner Erhard.
• And when institutions get it right, it is because
  of individuals.
• Each of you is that kind of individual.

75
Key Messages Progress Made

• Number of the poorest living on less than 1 a
  day has begun to fall
• Illiteracy rates in the developing world have
  been cut
• Life expectancy in developing countries has
  increased by 20 years
• Fertility rates have dropped significantly
• Corporate social responsibility on the rise
• Local communities are finding solutions ways to
  eradicate poverty protect their environment
• Millennium Development Goals provide a powerful
  new framework for global cooperation

76
Key Messages Challenges Remain

• 1.2 billion still living on less than 1 per day
• Over-consumption by rich countries making things
  worse
• Gap between rich and poor is widening
• Biodiversity loss,water shortages, and
  overfishing jeopardize sustainable development
• HIV/AIDS a huge threat to decades of progress
• Climate Change the wild card that must be
  addressed

77
Key Messages What We Can Do

• Encourage U.S. government to play a global
  leadership role in poverty eradication and
  environmental protection
• Support the Millennium Development Goals
• Reduce personal corporate consumption of energy
  and natural resources, and recycle, support
  green markets
• Support local, national and/or global initiatives
• Think and act both globally and locally
• Create our own forms of participation... E.g.
  Your Impossible Promises!

78
Conclusion

• As physicist Richard Feynman, said
• Wisdom is knowing what to do next, virtue is
  doing it.
• The hardest part of all this is not technical --
  it is in fact political and organizational
  getting people to the table to agree to do what
  needs to be done.
• The future of the world depends on what we and
  the U.S. does now.
• We need to become refreshed by our successes and
  take on bolder visions.
• Thank you for your Impossible Promises.

79
Ideas for Impossible Promises

• Hunger Raise per capita income for all members
  of the human family to over xxx or End world
  hunger
• Biodiversity Preserve and honor all species on
  the planet or Stop the extinction of species
  (including our own)
• Water The Water Campaign Preserve that which
  preserves all life or Stop the mining of global
  water resources
• Climate Change Creating a post-carbon global
  economy or harness the renewable power of nature
  or End the fossil fuel age
• Environmental Sustainability Balance societys
  global ecological footprint for all time
• HIV/AIDS Create a future without AIDS
• Funding the MDGs Create a global funding
  partnership
• Peace Remove the military means to destroy the
  human species ending nuclear, chemical and
  biological weapons or Transform our global
  financial commitments 900 billion for
  development and 56 for the military
• Spiritual Ending Human Suffering creating
  global spiritual compassion as an idea whose time
  has come

80
Acknowledgements

• Special thanks to the International Institute for
  Environment Development (IIED) World Resources
  Institute World Bank UN Food Agriculture
  Organization United Nations Environment
  Programme UN Population Division UN Millennium
  Project Columbia Universitys Earth Institute
  and others for data, analysis and graphs