the earth charter and the post- 2105 agenda and sdgs

The Earth Charter and the Post-

2105 Agenda and SDGs

Equity, Environment, Economics

for a Sustainable Future

Ashok Khosla

Development Alternatives &

International Resource Panel

Mother Earth: Our ONLY Home

=> 40% fresh water deficit

by 2030

3 billion middle class consumers

by 2030

=> 3o C rise in temperature

by 2050

=> 140 billion tons of resources per yearby 2050

100 trillion dollar economy

by 2030

=> 4+ billion NOT middle class

by 2030

$15 Trillion

$30 T

$51 T

1970

1990

2010

$100 Tr

Source: Graph by WRI. Data from United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service

Global GDP 1970-2030(2005 US $)

2030

(projected)

Unsustainable Resource Management:

A Major Challenge to Our Future

Sustainable Natural Resource Management:

An Opportunity for Prosperity

Richest fifth

Poorest fifth

85%

8%

3.5%

2%

1.5%

Each horizontal band

represents an equal fifth

of the world’s people

People Income

Sharing of Today’s Global Income

UNDP, 1991

Richest fifth

Poorest fifth

85%

8%

3.5%

2%

1.5%

Each horizontal band

represents an equal fifth

of the world’s people

People Income

Sharing of Today’s Global Income

Overconsumption

UNDP, 1991

Affluence

1 Week’s Food for a Family, as in Europe: $ 342 (2005)

Peter Menzel

Richest fifth

Poorest fifth

85%

8%

3.5%

2%

1.5%

Each horizontal band

represents an equal fifth

of the world’s people

People Income

Sharing of Today’s Global Income

Affluenza!

UNDP, 1991

Chemical Intensive Agriculture

… The Countryside …

Materials

Waste Management

Richest fifth

Poorest fifth

85%

8%

3.5%

2%

1.5%

Each horizontal band

represents an equal fifth

of the world’s people

People Income

Sharing of Today’s Global Income

Underconsumption

UNDP, 1991

Poverty . . .

2000 Million Have

NO Toilets2500 Million Have

No Modern Energy

1 Week’s Food for a Family, as in Chad: $ 1.37 (2005)Peter Menzel

Development Alternatives

•In a Permanent Trap

• Family Size

•Resource Destruction

•No Income •No Markets•Poverty

Richest fifth

Poorest fifth

85%

8%

3.5%

2%

1.5%

Each horizontal band

represents an equal fifth

of the world’s people

People Income

Sharing of Today’s Global Income

Povertitis!!

S

Human wellbeing

20/80 dilemma

Ecosystems

60 % loss dilemmaClimate

550/450/350

dilemma

Surprise

99/1 dilemma

The Multi-Pronged

Squeeze on Humanity

SRC

PEAK OIL

New

Climate Change

Extinction of Species

More and More Financial Crises . . .

MANAGING AND CONSERVING THE NATURAL

RESOURCE BASE FOR SUSTAINED

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

A reflection from the IRP on the SDGs: Aimed at decoupling economic growth

from escalating resource use and environmental degradation

About the International Resource Panel

(IRP)

Established in 2007

Our first

Decoupling (2011) Report showed that

only relative decoupling is

happening. But the global

resource and climate situation

needs absolute decoupling.

Resource Metabolism Grows with Income

GhanaChina

Brazil

South Africa

USA

INDIA

Resources

+

Demographics

MANAGING AND CONSERVING THE NATURAL

RESOURCE BASE FOR SUSTAINED

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

A reflection from the IRP on the SDGs: Aimed at decoupling economic growth

from escalating resource use and environmental degradation

About the International Resource Panel

(IRP)

Established in 2007

Our first

Decoupling (2011) Report showed that

only relative decoupling is

happening. But the global

resource and climate situation

needs absolute decoupling.

Resource Metabolism Grows with Income

GhanaChina

Brazil

South Africa

USA

INDIA

Resources

+

Demographics

Material Consumption in Tons/Year

SERI

(WRI chart using World Bank data, 2012)

ARE WE RUNNING OUT?Price trends of major commodity bundles (real 2005 dollars)

Pri

ce

in

re

al 2

00

5 d

oll

ars

250

200

150

100

50

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Food

Energy

Timber

Fertilizers

Metals and Minerals

WORLD FOOD PRICES - FAO

USD

SPECULATION

WEATHER

EXP. BAN

RIOTS

Footprint

Bio-Capacity

The Ecological

Footprint of any

Economy

Ecological Footprint

2050: ~300%

2000: ~150%

1950: ~40%

1900: ~15%

Ecological Footprint: Ave per Capita (Est)

DA

1800: 3%

Source: UNEP-IRP

So We Need to Use Our Planet’s

Resources More Efficiently

25 50 75

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Contraction and Convergence

Total (Global)

Industrial

Countries

Developing

Countries

Ye

ars

>

Our first (2011)

DecouplingReport showed that only

„relative decoupling“ is

happening. But the global

resource and climate

situation needs absolute

decoupling.

Similarities Across the Proposed

Frameworks

• Grounding in MDGs

• Broader focus on human well-being and shared prosperity

• Realising the inter-linkages

• Recognition of new development challenges

• Narrative versus proposed goals and targets/Solution oriented

time

GDP

Environmental Pressure

Relative Decoupling

Absolute Decoupling

Environmental Pressure

Size

(Indexed)

100

Figure 2.2

The Global South typically wants relative decoupling,

and the North should aim at absolute decoupling.

IRP

Agreed MDGs - in 25 Years:

Halve for HALF of the Poor

SDGs to be Agreed –

in 15 Years: for ALL

Eliminate Poverty Altogether

by 2030

by 2015

Systemic Issues

Basic Needs AND Environment

Systemic Problems

Production Systems AND Consumption Patterns

Systemic Solutions

Sustainable Jobs AND Sustained Resources

Global Ramifications

Northern Concerns AND Southern Imperatives

a

Human wellbeing

20/80 dilemma

Ecosystems

60 % loss dilemmaClimate

550/450/350

dilemma

Surprise

99/1 dilemma

The Multi-Pronged

Squeeze on Humanity

SEI

“Sustainable

Development”

. . . it’s all about Human Rights . . .

. . . and Human Rights

can only be possible

if we also have

Human Responsibilities

. . . in other words,

follow the Values

and Principles of

The Earth Charter

Enough for Everyone’s Need …

. . But NOT Enough for Anyone’s

Greed!

Acknowledgements

The material and artwork used in these

slides is taken from numerous sources, to

which I owe deep gratitude. They include: UNEP and the International Resource Panel

Development Alternatives

World Resources Institute

UNDP

Peter Menzel

Stockholm Resilience Centre

Sustainable Europe Research Institute

Global Footprint Network

Earth Charter