Twenty years ago the 1992 Rio Earth Summit helped to form landmark conventions on climate change and biodiversity, while offering commitments on social justice and the eradication of poverty. The summit itself was seen as a key moment in the quest for environmental protection and action, providing a high level of optimism with regard to the future of our natural environment, human welfare, and the ongoing fight against poverty. However, fast-forward twenty years, and the Rio Earth Summit seems to be a shadow of its former self. This time around it seems that more was at stake - but unfortunately less was achieved. The summit was deemed a huge failure by relevant environmental and conservation groups such as Greenpeace and the WWF, with the overall document outcome [termed 'The Future We Want'] being criticised by environmentalists and poverty campaigners.
Since the 1992 summit, global greenhouse gas emissions have increased by around 48%, population has increased by about 1.5 billion, and an astonishing 300 million hectares of forest have been cleared. Meanwhile, despite a reduction in poverty, the development gap remains unchanged and approximately one in six people are malnourished. Therefore, the environmental agenda is now arguably more important than ever before. Despite these issues, leaders from around the globe have seemingly once again failed to produce resolute decisions on a variety of important topics, with sustainable development remaining a theoretical concept resigned to fill pages of the environmental textbooks standing proudly on my bookshelf.
Perhaps a more notable point emerging from much of the summit coverage is the realisation that governments and decision-makers within our political system are now being influenced more than ever by corporations, businesses, and those individuals or groups with significant economic power. This complex political dynamic threatens our capacity for future action, as essentially these actors remain focused on profit and the economic value and results of all decisions. In this setting, effective environmental protection and action just cannot break free. Thus, as ever, economic progress and exploitation takes priority over environmental issues and the protection of the natural environment. However, once again my message will be clear for all politicians and corporations to hear: Our subsistence and development as a species remains dependent on a healthy natural environment. Put more simply, there are only limited amounts of pollution, exploitation, and harmful activities that we can sweep under our global carpet - and at some point our negligence will catch-up with us.
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