The World Summit on Sustainable Development

The Johannesburg Earth Summit, which took place in the summer of 2002, confirmed the irreversible nature of the process that is founded upon the concept of Sustainable Development initially given form at Rio de Janeiro ten years earlier. This process is to be welcomed, while at the same time recognising the tremendous work that has taken place in converting this concept into a more concrete vision. The Sustainable Development concept relates to every human activity, covering the social, economic and ecological dimensions, which are often in conflict. Consequently, it is most important to include in research programmes some thought of the way people behave. In theory, the general elements of this inclusion are relatively easily defined. However, assessing the effects of one or another decision on all the interactions between the social, economic and ecological dimensions involves significant difficulties. All the more since we have to recognise, in all modesty, that humanity has not always excelled in the art of forward studies. In fact, the Precautionary Principle was introduced partly as a reaction to the sometimes blind confidence in technology and logic (even if it is sometimes invoked in an exaggerated manner). Nevertheless, the duty to act for the sake of present and future generations is pressing. Throughout history mankind has had to adapt and to innovate. Now, at st the beginning of the 21 century the urgent need for such adaptations is obvious.

The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), held in Johannesburg, South Africa, was the fourth major conference on the environment and sustainable development in a period of thirty years.The conference came at a moment when most of the indicators of sustainable development in industrialised countries reached historical depths, in particular, biodiversity indicators and sustainable patterns of production and consumption. A credible and objective evaluation of globalisation’s costs and benefits is proving to be difficult. Poverty remains the world’s most serious problem in attaining sustainable development.

This book provides an overview of the most important issues as they are dealt with in the WSSD’s Plan of Implementation. It addresses the science behind the discussions on poverty, production and consumption patterns, water, energy, Small Island Developing States, sustainability issues in Central/Eastern Europe and Latin America, and the role of the financial world in the sustainable development of education, science and research.

The book offers a unique framework to follow up and evaluate the progressing international discussion on sustainable development. It is essential background reading for all those interested and involved in this discussion: policy-makers, researchers, students and experts.