A future worth choosing
What kind of future do we want, and what kind of legacy will we leave for our children and their grandchildren? These are the questions asked and answered in the latest report from the UN’s Global Sustainability Panel. As we look towards Rio+20 and beyond, creating a world powered by sustainable energy is on our minds. Is it on yours?
Written by a 22-member panel of global leaders chaired by the Presidents of South Africa and Finland and set up by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon the report ‘Resilient People, Resilient Planet: A Future Well Worth Choosing’ is an attempt to find practical solutions to address the institutional and financial arrangements necessary to develop sustainably.
The report covers a number of critical issues, from climate change to the health of our oceans and to the challenges associated with access to safe water, energy access and food security, among others. Perhaps one of the most laudable of the more than 50 recommendations contained within the report is its call for ending fossil fuel subsidies by 2020, although more immediate action is needed. It notes, as it should, that the phase out of these subsidies should be done in a way which protects the poor. This recommendation is also a good example of the real challenge to addressing climate change and putting the world on a more sustainable development path.
Anyone serious about addressing climate change has known for many years that fossil fuel subsidies are one of the major stumbling blocks to moving toward cleaner, safer forms of energy. It is a recommendation that has been made several times by governments over the last ten years, for example at G8 and G20 summits. Now the real question is, what will governments do with these recommendations?
Read more: TckTckTck Partners Respond >>
Category: All Posts
Comments (0)
Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed
There are no comments yet. Why not be the first to speak your mind.