Ryden intro

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Sustainable Development as a value system Lars Rydén Prof. Director Baltic University Programme

Sustainable Development as a value system: 

Sustainable Development as a value system We will follow four tracks 1. The natural world with all its life forms has an intrinsic value, an existential ethics 2. Fellow humans, now and in the future, should be respected and be given equal opportunities, an ethics of justice. 3. Societies should be governed using democratic methods, with participation, cooperation and rule of law, Kantian peace 4. Life and society as such should be developed and as good as possible, an “hedonistic” ethics In many ways the practical consequences of the four approaches coincide

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The roots of Sustainable development – Track 1 1950s Society is over-using Nature 1972 Limits of Growth 1972 Stockholm Conference 1980 World Conservation Strategy 1990 Caring for the Earth 2000 Earth Charter Track 1 - Man and Nature From Limits of Growth to the Earth Charter

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The roots of Sustainable development – Track 1 The Limits to Growth report 1972, studies the consequences of continued unabated resource use, modelling the “World System” up to 2100. It maintains that if pollution is not controlled, the reproductive capacity of the planet will be destroyed. Many other authors (Georg Borgström) also pointed to the over-use of natural resources and pollution (Rachel Carson, Silent Spring).

Limits to growth curves: 

Limits to growth curves Standard run Unlimited resources run

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The roots of Sustainable development – Track 1 The Stockholm Conference – The UN Conference on the Human Environment in 1972, for the first time gathered leaders from the whole world to coordinate efforts to protect the environment. The motto of the Conference was Only One World

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The roots of Sustainable development – Track 1 The World Council of Churches when meeting in Nairobi in 1974 brought up the conclusions from the Stockholm Conference and the Limits to Growth. They were concerned about the “threats towards the creation of God”. One result was the formation of the Ethics Working Group of International Union for the Conservation of Nature, IUCN.

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The roots of Sustainable development – Track 1 The World Conservation Strategy, IUCN, 1980, promoted 3 objectives for conservation: maintenance of essential ecological processes; preservation of genetic resources; sustainable development of species and ecosystems.

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The defenceless Dronte was made extinct by humans without concern for other life forms.

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The roots of Sustainable development – Track 1 The Caring for the Earth, IUCN,1990, promoted a World ethics for living sustainably. It included: Every human being is part of the community of life; Every life form warrants respect independently of its worth to people; The protection of human rights and those of the rest of nature is a worldwide responsibility.

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The roots of Sustainable development – Track 1 The Earth Charter (Green Cross and other organisations, 2001) can be seen as A development of the Declaration of Human Rights to include also the rest of the living world and the planet itself. www.earthcharter.org

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www. Earthcharter. org

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The roots of Sustainable development – Track 1 The “Track 1” ethics focuses on respect for Nature and ecosystems. It is a bio-centric or eco-centric ethics. Nature, life forms, and even the landscape should be respected in its own right, having existential value. It has been promoted by many through the years. Albert Schweizer (1949) “.. A man is ethical only when life as such is sacred to him, that of plants and animals as that of his fellow men and when he devotes himself helpfully to all life in need of help..” Aldo Leopold (1949): “.. Land ethics simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soil, water, plants and animals or collectively: the land …” Henryk Skolimowski (1964-) “A new humanism, harmony between people and the biosphere”

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The roots of Sustainable development – Track 1 What is the situation today? Decrease of biodiversity is faster than ever Especially marine systems are badly damaged The Limits to Growth curves are terribly validated Mikael Stenmark, 2002: It does not matter if we protect nature for its own sake or for humankind, as long as Nature is protected.

Something New Under the SunJohn McNeill, 2000: 

Something New Under the Sun John McNeill, 2000 Development 1900 – 2000 global population 4 x global economy 14 x industrial production 40 x energy use 16 x carbon dioxide emissions 17 x sulphur dioxide emissions 13 x ocean fishing catches 35 x number of pigs 9 x forests 0.8 x agricultural fields 2 x blue whale 0.0025 x

The Limits to Growth: “A Terrible Validation”: 

The Limits to Growth: “A Terrible Validation” Original “Club of Rome Report” alerted world to the dangers of continued exponential growth of resource use and waste against natural and social limits Unfairly attacked at the time (1972), especially by economists Core argument now validated ... unfortunately

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The roots of Sustainable development – Track 2 1972 Stockholm Conference 1987 Brundtland Commission 1992 Rio Declaration 2000 The Millennium goals 2002 Johannesburg Track 2 - Man and Man From Stockholm to Johannesburg

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The roots of Sustainable development – Track 2 The Stockholm Conference – The UN Conference on the Human Environment in 1972, for the first time gathered leaders from the whole world to coordinate efforts to protect the environment. The social causes of environmental destruction was recognised and emphasized by e.g. Indira Gandhi, India, and Olof Palme, Sweden.

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The roots of Sustainable development – track 2 The Brundtland Commission (The World Commission on Environment & Development -‘Our Common Future) 1987 The goal of SD: “SD is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” Integrated and holistic nature of SD: Poverty, health, economic growth and equity is as important as a clean environment This is an anthropocentric (human centered) ethics. It is an inter-generational ethics.

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The Brundtland Commission The World Commission on Environment & Development -‘Our Common Future 1987

 The Earth Summit, Rio de Janeiro 1992: 

The Earth Summit, Rio de Janeiro 1992 • The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, defining the rights & responsibilities of nations as they pursue human development & well-being according to 27 principles. • Agenda 21, a blueprint on how to make development socially, economically & environmentally sustainable. • The Forest Principles – a statement on how to guide the management, conservation & sustainable development of all types of forest, which are essential to economic development & the maintenance of all forms of life. • The Convention on Climate Change to stabilize greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at levels that will not dangerously upset the global climate system. This will require a reduction in our emissions of such gases as carbon oxide, a by-product of the burning of fuels for energy. • The Convention on Biological Diversity requiring countries to adopt ways & means to conserve the variety of living species & ensure that the benefits from using biological diversity are equitably shared.

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The roots of Sustainable development – track 2 The Rio declaration in 1992 widens the anthropocentric ethics to include fellow humans. The climate convention assumes that emission rights are distributed justly This is an intra-generational anthropo-centric ethics Wuppertal Institute and Factor X is also based on a just distribution of resources.

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1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Reduce by half the proportion of people living on < a dollar a day Reduce by half the proportion of people who suffer from hunger 2. Achieve universal primary education Ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling 3. Promote gender equality and empower women Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005, and at all levels by 2015 4. Reduce child mortality Reduce by two thirds the mortality rate among children under five 5. Improve maternal health Reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases Halt & begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS Halt & begin to reverse malaria & other major diseases

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Sept. 2002 UN General Assembly: Progress in implementing sustainable development has been extremely disappointing since the 1992 Earth Summit, with poverty deepening and environmental degradation worsening. Needed a summit of actions and results.

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The roots of Sustainable development – Track 3 1992 Rio Declaration 2002 Johannesburg Track 3 - Democracy From Rio to Johannesburg

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The Rio Declaration - The Global Agenda 21 adopted in 1992 at UNCED, outlined a comprehensive action plan for the global transition to SD. describes in detail in 40 chapters how SD should be implemented in the member nations. negotiated document 5 documents; 2 international agreements, 2 statements of principles & a major action agenda on world-wide sustainable development:

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The roots of Sustainable development – Track 3 The Global Agenda 21 emphasizes the role of participatory democracy and the local level, local A21. Agenda 21

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The roots of Sustainable development – Track 3 Emphasizes the role of the institutions Institutional sustainability Governance for sustainability Commission for Sustainable Development, CSD, 1995

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“Will Johannesburg make a genuine difference?" Summit Secretary-General Nitin Desai The Summit resulted in the launch of more than 300 voluntary partnerships, each will bring additional resources to support efforts to implement SD. These partnerships, tied to the government commitments, provide a built-in mechanism to ensure implementation. New level of dialogue between the stakeholders, e.g. governments, civil society & the private sector - Truly interactive dialogue. 100 world leaders addressed the Summit & > 22,000 people participated, including > 10,000 delegates, 8,000 NGOs & representatives of civil society, & 4,000 press.

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The roots of Sustainable development – Track 3 Johannesburg 2002 emphasizes the role of stakeholder cooperation, not the least between business and local authorities, and regional cooperation. The Baltic Sea region is a good example. Johannesburg 2002

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The roots of Sustainable development – Track 3 Democracy is increasing in the world The local level becomes stronger Regional cooperation increases Track 3 - Democracy Where are we today?

The ‘waves’ of democratization(Source: Gleditsch, Ward & Ward, 2004): 

The ‘waves’ of democratization (Source: Gleditsch, Ward & Ward, 2004)

Armed conflicts, 1946–2003(Source: Eriksson & Wallensteen, 2003): 

Armed conflicts, 1946–2003 (Source: Eriksson & Wallensteen, 2003) Intrastate War Interstate war Internationalized

Towards a global liberal peace? (Source: Gleditsch): 

Towards a global liberal peace? (Source: Gleditsch) The three waves of democracy The third reversal has not occurred yet ‘No other game in town’ Democracy more resilient than autocracy The wider liberal (or Kantian) peace Regional security communities Zones of peace and zones of turmoil? No great power rivalry to escalate local conflict

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The roots of Sustainable development – Track 4 - Many students - Participants in the Göteborg Consultation in May 2004 - Often Nature is thought of as providing rest and spiritual fulfilment A hedonistic ethics ? Track 4 - Sustainability as the Good Life

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Paradise

Sustainability is ... (Source: Alan AtKisson, 2004): 

Sustainability is ... (Source: Alan AtKisson, 2004) A set of conditions and trends in a given system that can continue indefinitely

Sustainable Development is ... (Source: Alan AtKisson, 2004): 

Sustainable Development is ... (Source: Alan AtKisson, 2004) A strategic process of continuous change in the direction of sustainability

The Natural Step Foundation “Four System Conditions”:: 

The Natural Step Foundation “Four System Conditions”: In a sustainable society, nature is not subject to systematically increasing: 1. concentrations of substances extracted from the earth's crust; 2. concentrations of substances produced by society; 3. degradation by physical means; and, in that society. . . 4. human needs are met worldwide.

Bogotá, Colombia: 

Bogotá, Colombia During one three-year term, 1998-2001, Mayor Enrique Penalosa transformed the city with ... New bus system Car-free days, and a decision to eliminate cars from downtown during rush hour starting in 2015 Creating development corridors built around bikes, water, and pedestrian areas Massive new school enrollment and internet connections ... and much more. See: http://www.chautauqua-inst.org/Lectures/penalosa.html

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The roots of Sustainable development Sustainability is a concept that each one has to conquer and understand. This is both a weakness and strength that sustainable development shares with other concepts basic for human existence, such as peace, health and happiness.