<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Ruggiero, Mrs. Ana Lucia (WDC)</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:ruglucia@paho.org">ruglucia@paho.org</a>></span><br><div class="gmail_quote">crossposted from : <a href="mailto:EQUIDAD@listserv.paho.org">EQUIDAD@listserv.paho.org</a><br>
<br><br>













<div lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple">

<div>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><b><font size="4" color="maroon" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:maroon;font-weight:bold">Sustainable Development: From Brundtland to Rio 2012<br>

<br>
</span></font></b><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"></span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">John Drexhage and Deborah
Murphy, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)</span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Background Paper prepared
for the High Level Panel on Global Sustainability</span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><b><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;font-weight:bold">United Nations Headquarters, New York - September 2010<br>

<br>
</span></font></b><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"></span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Available online PDF
[26p.] at: <a href="http://bit.ly/eQDZIW" target="_blank"><font color="navy"><span style="color:navy">http://bit.ly/eQDZIW</span></font></a> <br>
<br>
</span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">“…..The term,
sustainable development, was popularized in Our Common Future, a report
published by the World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987. Also
known as the Brundtland report, <i><span style="font-style:italic">Our Common Future</span></i>
included the “classic” <b><span style="font-weight:bold">definition
of sustainable development</span></b>: “<b><i><span style="font-weight:bold;font-style:italic">development which meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs.” <br>
</span></i></b>Acceptance of the report by the United Nations General Assembly
gave the term political salience; and in 1992 leaders set out the principles of
sustainable development at the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development in Rio de Janeiro,
 Brazil.<br>
<br>
</span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">It is generally accepted
that sustainable development calls for a convergence between the three pillars
of economic development, social equity, and environmental protection.
Sustainable development is a visionary development paradigm; and over the past
20 years governments, businesses, and civil society have accepted sustainable
development as a guiding principle, made progress on sustainable development
metrics, and improved business and NGO participation in the sustainable
development process. </span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> </span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Yet the concept remains elusive
and implementation has proven difficult. Unsustainable trends continue and
sustainable development has not found the political entry points to make real
progress. As a result, climate change has become the de facto proxy for
implementation of the sustainable development agenda; but the framework of the
climate change negotiations are not always the appropriate forum for broader
strategic discussions of sustainable development.</span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"><br>
While sustainable development is intended to encompass three pillars, over the
past 20 years it has often been compartmentalized as an environmental issue.
Added to this, and potentially more limiting for the sustainable development
agenda, is the reigning orientation of development as purely economic growth.
This has been the framework used by developed countries in attaining their
unprecedented levels of wealth, and major and rapidly developing countries are
following the same course. </span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> </span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">The problem with such an
approach is that natural resources are in imminent peril of being exhausted or
their quality being compromised to an extent that threatens current
biodiversity and natural environments. Addressing this challenge calls for
changes at the consumer level in developed countries. Developed countries have
the wealth and technical capacity to implement more sustainable policies and
measures, yet the required level of political leadership and citizen engagement
is still a long way off. </span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> </span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">The lack of action in
developed countries is compounded by economic growth in developing countries
that follows the resource-intensive model of developed countries. Without
change and real action to address levels of consumerism and resource use in developed
countries, one can hardly expect a receptive audience among developing
countries when attempts are made to direct attention to their economic
development practices. More sustainable development pathways are needed in both
developed and developing countries; which require a level of dialogue,
cooperation and, most importantly, trust that simply is not reflected in
today’s multilateral institutions or regimes.<br>
<br>
</span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">There is a huge gap
between the multilateral processes, with their broad goals and policies; and
national action, which reflects domestic political and economic realities. A
huge constituency around the world cares deeply and talks about sustainable
development, but has not taken serious on-the-ground action. Deep structural
changes are needed in the ways that societies manage their economic, social,
and environmental affairs; and hard choices are needed to move from talk to action….”<br>
<br>
</span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><b><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;font-weight:bold">Table of Contents</span></font></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"><br>
1. Introduction </span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">2. The Origins of
Sustainable Development </span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">3. The 20 Years since Rio </span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">3.1
Acceptance of sustainable development as a guiding principle</span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">3.2
Progress on sustainable development metrics</span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">3.3
Improvements in partnering with stakeholders </span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">3.4
Difficulties in implementing sustainable development</span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">3.5
Sustainable development has found a de facto ‘home’ in climate
change</span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">4. 20 Years Later: How
does sustainable development </span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">4.1 Some
progress on sustainable development</span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">4.2 But
unsustainable trends continue </span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">4.3 What
underlies the less than expected progress on sustainable development</span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">5. Moving Ahead</span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">References<br>
<br>
</span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:.5in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">More information at: <a href="http://bit.ly/eYFEhZ" target="_blank"><font color="navy"><span style="color:navy">http://bit.ly/eYFEhZ</span></font></a>
<br>
<br><br></span></font></p></div></div></div>