The failure of the UN summit on Sustainable Development, held in Rio de Janeiro last week, to put in place an effective mechanism to protect the global environment and ensure sustainable development of the planet is a life-threatening setback to the world as we know it.
Perhaps the goals of some of the architects of the conference were too ambitious. Far-reaching targets are necessary if the environment is to be given the time it needs to recover from over-exploitation by human beings. Unfortunately, national interests once again trumped global good during the political manoeuvring that took place during the conference.
In effect, the international community was once again unable to arrive at a workable compromise between those who want to prioritise the development of nations and improve the living standards of billions of people who live in gut-wrenching poverty and those who wish to protect the environment without having to provide for the financial and other costs. In many ways, this is a false choice as technology and changes in lifestyles can lead to the cost-effective, sustainable development of the community of nations.
The summit committed countries to alleviating poverty while protecting the world for future generations. But this is little more than a repetition of old statements.
As was pointed out in the wake of the meeting, the challenge now is to get communities to hold companies and governments accountable for the survival of the world.
