MOVI NG TOWAR DSUSTAI NAB LEPROSPE R ITY

State of the World 2012

Other Worldwatch Books

State of the World 1984 through 2011(an annual report on progress toward a sustainable society)

Vital Signs 1992 through 2003 and 2005 through 2011(a report on the trends that are shaping our future)

Saving the PlanetLester R. BrownChristopher FlavinSandra Postel

How Much Is Enough?Alan Thein Durning

Last OasisSandra Postel

Full HouseLester R. BrownHal Kane

Power SurgeChristopher FlavinNicholas Lenssen

Who Will Feed China?Lester R. Brown

Tough ChoicesLester R. Brown

Fighting for SurvivalMichael Renner

The Natural Wealth of NationsDavid Malin Roodman

Life Out of BoundsChris Bright

Beyond MalthusLester R. BrownGary GardnerBrian Halweil

Pillar of SandSandra Postel

Vanishing BordersHilary French

Eat HereBrian Halweil

Inspiring ProgressGary T. Gardner

Erik Assadourian and Michael Renner, Project Directors

Washington | Covelo | London

A Worldwatch Institute Report onProgress Toward a Sustainable Society

Linda Starke, Editor

Jorge AbrahãoMonica BaraldiEric S. BelskyEugenie L. BirchRobert CostanzaRobert EngelmanJoseph Foti

Colin HughesPaulo ItacarambiMaria IvanovaIda KubiszewskiHenrique LianDiana LindAmy Lynch

Mia MacDonaldHelio MattarMonique MikhailBo NormanderMichael ReplogleKaarin TaipaleAllen L. White

MOVING TOWARDSUSTAINABLEPROSPER ITY

State of the World 2012

Copyright © 2012 by Worldwatch Institute1776 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.Suite 800Washington, DC 20036www.worldwatch.org

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Worldwatch Institute Board of Directors

Ed GroarkChairmanUNITED STATES

Robert Charles FrieseVice-ChairmanUNITED STATES

L. Russell Bennett, Esq.TreasurerUNITED STATES

Nancy HitzSecretaryUNITED STATES

Robert EngelmanPresidentUNITED STATES

Geeta B. AiyerUNITED STATES

Cathy CrainUNITED STATES

Tom CrainUNITED STATES

James DehlsenUNITED STATES

Christopher FlavinUNITED STATES

Satu HassiFINLAND

Jerre HitzUNITED STATES

Izaak van MelleTHE NETHERLANDS

Richard SwansonUNITED STATES

Emeritus:

Øystein DahleNORWAY

Abderrahman KheneALGERIA

Staff Members

Chelsea AmaioDevelopment Associate

Adam DolezalResearch Associate, Climateand Energy Program

Robert EngelmanPresident

Barbara FallinDirector of Financeand Administration

Christopher FlavinPresident Emeritus

Xing Fu-BertauxResearch Associate, Climateand Energy Program

Saya KitaseiSustainable Energy Fellow

Mark KonoldManager, Caribbean EnergyProgram

Supriya KumarResearch Associate,Nourishingthe Planet Program

Matt LuckySustainable Energy Fellow

Haibing MaManager of China Program

Shakuntala MakhijaniResearch Associate, Climateand Energy Program

Lisa MastnySenior Editor

Danielle NierenbergDirector, Nourishing thePlanet Program

Alexander OchsDirector of Climate andEnergy Program

Fellows, Advisors, and Consultants

Erik AssadourianSenior Fellow

Hilary FrenchSenior Fellow

Gary GardnerSenior Fellow

Brian HalweilSenior Fellow

Mia MacDonaldSenior Fellow

Eric MartinotSenior Fellow

Bo NormanderDirector, WorldwatchInstitute Europe

Corey PerkinsInformation TechnologyManager

Bernard PollackInterim Director ofCommunications

Sandra PostelSenior Fellow

Lyle RosbothamArt and Design Consultant

Janet SawinSenior Fellow

Linda StarkeState of the World Editor

Grant PotterDevelopment Associate/Executive Assistant

Mary RedfernDirector of InstitutionalRelations

Michael RennerSenior Researcher

Cameron SchererMarketing andCommunications Associate

Patricia ShyneDirector of Publicationsand Marketing

Katherine WilliamsDevelopment Associate

Every year, Worldwatch Institute draws onthe talents of hundreds of individuals and insti-tutions from across the globe to assess thecurrent state of the world. This year is no dif-ferent. We want to express our deep gratitudeto all those who helped State of the World2012 provide a fresh, new vision of sustainableprosperity as the world prepares to discuss thistopic—and, indeed, humanity’s survival—atthe Rio 2012 summit this summer.

First and foremost, very special thanks to theFord Foundation for supporting this year’sreport. We especially want to thank Don Chen,who proved to be a true champion of State ofthe World and connected us with leadingexperts whose ideas and prose fill many of thepages of the report. We also want to extend awarm thank you to Ford Foundation PresidentLuis Ubiñas, who contributed an insightfulForeword for this year’s report.Early in the process of this year’s project, a

series of meetings by the Rio+20 Earth Sum-mit Sustainable Cities Working Group helpeda great deal in informing and shaping thereport. A special thanks goes to all involvedwith those gatherings, especially Jacob Scherrof the Natural Resources Defense Council,who played a pivotal role in convening them.Also, our gratitude to our Worldwatch col-

leagues Christopher Flavin and Gary Gardnerfor laying the foundations of this report and itsunderlying theme. Their initial vision carriedthis report even as the project evolved.

We offer a sincere thank you to our pub-lishing partner Eduardo Athayde of World-watch Brazil. It was Eduardo’s energy andcommitment that connected us to many fineauthors and partnership opportunities, whichhave been greatly appreciated.Worldwatch Institute Europe, under the

energetic leadership of Bo Normander, alsoplayed an important role in this year’s report,contributing a chapter and several Boxes andadding to its online presence and the outreachof the findings. Worldwatch Europe’s workwas supported by the Velux Foundation ofDenmark, for which all of us are grateful.Every year our publishing partners play an

important role in sharing the report far andwide, for which we are indebted. We in par-ticular want to thank Gianfranco Bologna,who celebrates his twenty-fifth year as editorof the Italian edition. Gianfranco has played animportant role in ensuring a strong publication,organizing presentations in Italy, and addinghis vast knowledge of sustainability to State ofthe World for two and a half decades.Thanks also to these many publishers: Uni-

versidade Livre da Mata Atlântica in Brazil;China Environment Science Press in China;Gaudeamus Helsinki University Press in Fin-land; Good Planet and Editions de La Mar-tiniere in France; Germanwatch, Heinrich BöllFoundation, and OEKOM Verlag GmbH inGermany; Organization Earth in Greece; EarthDay Foundation in Hungary; Centre for Envi-

Acknowledgments

SUSTAINABLEPROSPERITY.ORG ix

ronment Education in India; World WildlifeFund and Edizioni Ambiente in Italy; World-watch Japan; Africam Safari, Fundación Tele-visa, SEMARNAT, SSAOT (Secretaria deSustentabilidad Ambiental del Estado dePuebla), and UDLAP in Mexico; EdituraTehnica in Romania; Center for TheoreticalAnalysis of Environmental Problems and Inter-national Independent University of Environ-mental and Political Sciences in Russia; KoreaGreen Foundation Doyosae in South Korea;Centre UNESCO de Catalunya for the Cata-lan version and CIP Ecosocial and Icaria Edi-torial for the Castilian version in Spain; TaiwanWatch Institute; Turkiye Erozyonla Mucadele,Agaclandima ve Dogal Varliklari Koruma Vakfi(TEMA), and Kultur Yayinlari Is-Turk LimitedSirketi in Turkey.In 2012, Worldwatch is pleased to partner

with Island Press as the publisher of the Eng-lish-language version of State of the World.Since 1984, Island Press has been a trustedsource of environmental information and solu-tions. We are delighted that State of the Worldwill benefit from Island’s network of digital andprint distribution channels to ensure wide-spread availability of the ideas and provenstrategies included in this edition. Thanks totheir team—particularly David Miller, BrianWeese, Maureen Gately, Jaime Jennings, andSharis Simonian.Our readers are ably served by the customer

service team at Direct Answer, Inc. We aregrateful to Katie Rogers, Marta Augustyn,Colleen Curtis, Lolita Guzman, Cheryl Mar-shall, Ronnie Hergett, and Valerie Proctor forproviding first-rate customer service and ful-filling our customers’ orders in a timely fashion.

Thanks especially goes to our board, whoguided us through challenging times this springand helped us become a stronger organization.Many thanks also to the Institute’s many indi-vidual and foundation funders, including RayC. Anderson Family Foundation, Inc., TheBill &Melinda Gates Foundation, Barilla Cen-

ter for Food & Nutrition, Climate Develop-ment and Knowledge Network (CDKN),Compton Foundation, Inc., Del Mar GlobalTrust, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Gov-ernment of Finland, International Climate Ini-tiative and the Transatlantic Climate Bridge ofthe German Federal Ministry for the Envi-ronment, Nature Protection and Nuclear Safety(BMU), Renewable Energy Policy Network forthe 21st Century (REN21), The David B.Gold Foundation, Richard and Rhoda Gold-man Fund and the Goldman EnvironmentalPrize, Greenaccord International Secretariat,Energy and Environment Partnership withCentral America (EEP), Hitz Foundation,Institute of International Education, Inc.,Steven C. Leuthold Family Foundation, MAPRoyalty, Inc. Sustainable Energy EducationFellowship Program, The Shared Earth Foun-dation, Shenandoah Foundation, Small PlanetFund of RSF Social Finance, V. Kann Ras-mussen Foundation, United Nations Popula-tion Fund, Wallace Global Fund, WeedenFoundation, and the Winslow Foundation.We also want to extend our gratitude to the

Ethos Institute in Brazil, which generouslysupported this year’s report and Brazilian out-reach efforts in addition to contributing achapter. The Ethos Institute works with com-panies to help them become more responsibleand sustainable. Its involvement in this projectwas made possible by support to the EthosInstitute from several of the corporations—including Alcoa, CPFL Energia, Natura,Suzano, Vale, and Walmart Brazil—with whichit developed a platform for an inclusive, green,and responsible economy. The platform,designed to govern corporate behavior in Braziland beyond, will be an important step towardsustainable prosperity if it leads to a moreresponsible business sector.Thanks to the entire Worldwatch Institute

staff, who day in and day out make countlesscontributions to furthering the Institute’s mis-sion of a vision for a sustainable world. Thanks

Acknowledgments STATE OF THE WORLD 2012

x WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG

especially to Patricia Skopal Shyne, who isretiring after managing marketing and publi-cation efforts for eight years. Patricia, whomakes it look so easy to juggle infinite tasks,will be truly missed.And every year the continuing patience and

editorial sixth sense of State of the Worldesteemed elder and independent editor LindaStarke makes this whole process much easier.Designer Lyle Rosbotham also played a criti-cal role in making this year’s report engagingand readable. Artist Wesley Bedrosian, whoseart is displayed on the report’s cover, distilledthe essence of the move toward sustainableprosperity perfectly.We want to express our gratitude to the

authors who contributed their expertise inchapters and in the many Boxes that expandthe breadth and depth of the report. Thanksalso to State of theWorld internMatt Richmondwho in the final months of the project helpedus finish up the report.We want to acknowledge the dozens of

experts who helped strengthen the chapters thisyear and provided insights, data, and examplesthat help paint a fuller picture of the state of

the world. While the names are too long to listhere, we greatly appreciate their help.The final thank you goes to all those who are

working diligently to ensure that the upcom-ing Rio summit, and all opportunities in 2012and beyond, will seek to ensure sustainableprosperity for all. Many have worked fordecades—some even since the first global envi-ronment conference in Stockholm in 1972—to move humanity down a sustainable path. Weoffer our deepest thanks to these individuals.And thanks, too, to those brave individualswho pick up the reins as other advocates,reformers, and revolutionaries fall. To the nextgeneration of activists, we give our thanksnow—for if there is success in building a sus-tainable world, it will be due to your continu-ing energy and commitment.

Erik Assadourian and Michael RennerProject Directors

Worldwatch Institute1776 Massachusetts Ave, N.W.Washington, DC 20036www.worldwatch.orgwww.sustainableprosperity.org

SUSTAINABLE PROSPERITY Acknowledgments

SUSTAINABLEPROSPERITY.ORG xi

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xviiLuis A. Ubiñas, President, Ford Foundation

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xixRobert Engelman, President, Worldwatch Institute

State of the World: A Year in Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxiMatt Richmond

1 Making the Green Economy Work for Everybody . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Michael Renner

2 The Path to Degrowth in Overdeveloped Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Erik Assadourian

3 Planning for Inclusive and Sustainable Urban Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Eric S. Belsky

4 Moving Toward Sustainable Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53Michael Replogle and Colin Hughes

5 Information and Communications Technologies Creating Livable,Equitable, Sustainable Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66Diana Lind

6 Measuring U.S. Sustainable Urban Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77Eugenie L. Birch and Amy Lynch

7 Reinventing the Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87Allen L. White and Monica Baraldi

8 A New Global Architecture for Sustainability Governance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104Maria Ivanova

Contents

SUSTAINABLEPROSPERITY.ORG xiii

Contents STATE OF THE WORLD 2012

xiv WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG

POLICY TOOLBOX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

9 Nine Population Strategies to Stop Short of 9 Billion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121Robert Engelman

10 From Light Green to Sustainable Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129Kaarin Taipale

11 Public Policies on More-Sustainable Consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137Helio Mattar

12 Mobilizing the Business Community in Brazil and Beyond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145Jorge Abrahão, Paulo Itacarambi, and Henrique Lian

13 Growing a Sustainable Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153Monique Mikhail

14 Food Security and Equity in a Climate-Constrained World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161Mia MacDonald

15 Biodiversity: Combating the Sixth Mass Extinction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169Bo Normander

16 Ecosystem Services for Sustainable Prosperity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177Ida Kubiszewski and Robert Costanza

17 Getting Local Government Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183Joseph Foti

Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

BOXES

1–1 The Role of Decoupling in a Green Economy, by José Eli da Veiga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

1–2 Renewable Energy and Trade Disputes, by Miki Kobayshi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

2–1 Defining Degrowth, by Erik Assadourian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

2–2 Sacrifice and a New Politics of Sustainability, by John M. Meyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

3–1 The Rapid Growth of Megacities, by Alexandra Hayles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

3–2 Elements of a Charge to National Urban Sustainable Planning andDevelopment Commissions, by Eric S. Belsky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

4–1 Examples of Best Practices in Avoid-Shift-Improve Approach,by Michael Replogle and Colin Hughes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

4–2 Principles for Transport in Urban Life, by Michael Replogle and Colin Hughes . . . . . 62

5–1 Principles of New Urbanism, by Diana Lind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

6–1 Partnership for Sustainable Communities Livability Principles,by Eugenie L. Birch and Amy Lynch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

6–2 Policy Roadmap for the Partnership for Sustainable Communities,by Eugenie L. Birch and Amy Lynch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

7–1 The Roots of the Modern Corporation, by Allen L. White and Monica Baraldi . . . . 89

7–2 Envisioning Sustainable Futures, by Nicole-Anne Boyer and Vanessa Timmer . . . . . . 94

8–1 The Nairobi-Helsinki Outcome, by Maria Ivanova . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

8–2 Maurice Strong’s Original Vision for UNEP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

8–3 Internal UNEP Actions to Enhance Authority, Financing, and Connectivity,by Maria Ivanova . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

8–4 Government Actions to Enhance UNEP, by Maria Ivanova . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

9–1 Environmental Impact of Pets, by Erik Assadourian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

10–1 Examples of Corruption in Construction, by Kaarin Taipale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

10–2 Searching for Core Indicators of the Sustainability of a Building,by Kaarin Taipale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

10–3 European Union Directives on Energy Performance of Buildings,by Kaarin Taipale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

11–1 Consumption, Communities, and Well-being, by Dagny Tucker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

11–2 Japanese Efforts to Build a Sound Material-Cycle Society, by Yuichi Moriguchi . . . 142

11–3 Setting Global Goals, by Erik Assadourian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

12–1 The Roots of the Ethos Institute, by Jorge Abrahão, Paulo Itacarambi,and Henrique Lian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

14–1 Aquaculture’s Costs and Benefits, by Trine S. Jensen and Eirini Glyki . . . . . . . . . . . 164

14–2 The Changing Nature of Agriculture in Brazil, by Mia MacDonald . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

15–1 Urban Farmers Can Reduce Biodiversity Loss, by Bo Normander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

15–2 Coral Reefs Under Threat, by Eirini Glyki and Bo Normander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

17–1 The Elements of Principle 10 at the Local Level, by Joseph Foti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

17–2 The Access Initiative, by Joseph Foti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

SUSTAINABLE PROSPERITY Contents

SUSTAINABLEPROSPERITY.ORG xv

TABLES

3–1 World Urban Population Shares by Major Area and Region, 2000 to 2030 . . . . . . 39

4–1 Characteristics of Unmanaged Motorization and Sustainable Transport . . . . . . . . . 54

4–2 Transport Components in the Clean Technology Fund, March 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . 63

6–1 Livability Principles and Related Indicator Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

10–1 Layperson’s Checklist of Issues to Be Considered in Sustainable Buildingsand Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

10–2 Examples of Policy Tools on Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

17–1 Summary of Case Studies in Urban Governance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188

FIGURES

1–1 Ownership of Economic Assets Worldwide, 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

1–2 Human Development Index and Ecological Footprint of Nations, 2006 . . . . . . . . . 9

1–3 Leading Countries in Renewable Energy, by Type, 2009/2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

4–1 Global Transport Energy Use, 1971–2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

4–2 Reported Deaths by Type of Road User, by Region and Income Group . . . . . . . . . 59

4–3 Well-to-Wheel GHG Emissions for Baseline Scenario and IEA Goals . . . . . . . . . . . 60

5–1 Estimated Mobile-Cellular Subscriptions per 100 Inhabitants, 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

5–2 Internet Users, Industrial and Developing Countries, 2006 and 2011 . . . . . . . . . . 67

6–1 Sustainable Development Indicator System Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

7–1 Proportion of Corporate Functions Undertaken Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

7–2 Countries and Regions with Most Global Compact Company Headquarters . . . . . 91

7–3 Growth in Global Reporting Initiative Reports, 2000–10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

8–1 Annual Budgets of Selected International Institutions for 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

9–1 World Population, by Region, 1970–2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

9–2 Population Growth Rates, by Region, 1970–2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

15–1 Red List Status of Species by Major Groups, 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

15–2 The Living Planet Index, 1970–2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Units of measure throughout this book are metric unless common usage dictates otherwise.

Contents STATE OF THE WORLD 2012

xvi WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG

Nearly a generation has passed since the RioEarth Summit in 1992, and the world is nowa vastly different place. An additional 1.5 bil-lion people call our planet home. A majority ofus now live in urban areas. A rapidly globaliz-ing economy, massive waves of emigration andimmigration, and revolutions in informationtechnology mean we are all connected nowmore than ever.But what, exactly, does all this mean for

sustainable development? Rio+20 is a momentto answer that question—exploring how theserapid changes can be harnessed to advancesustainability and improve the lives of as manypeople as possible.This edition of State of the World begins to

do just that, and the Ford Foundation is proudto support it. This collection of fresh thinking,new tools, and provocative ideas shows usonce again that a sustainable planet dependsnot only on the crucial decisions made at inter-national conferences but also on innovation,energy, and commitment in our countless,ever-changing communities.The following pages also make clear that the

challenges before us are great if we are to fos-ter a truly sustainable economy that advanceshuman development today without sacrific-ing the human environment tomorrow. We’veseen incredible progress—including greaterformal recognition of the value of ecosystem

services, the rise of renewable forms of energyproduction, the development of market-basedenvironmental management tools, and theadoption of sustainability practices in key sec-tors such as manufacturing and transport. Butnone of those actions have yet diminished thedegradation of our shared environment. Noneof those actions have reduced the damage weare doing to our futures or the futures of ourchildren and grandchildren.Major questions remain about how a tran-

sition to a sustainable economy will take shapeand whether such a shift will yield progresstoward addressing a second scourge: the livesof poverty led by too many on this earth. Forexample, will green technologies offer oppor-tunities for quality jobs and an improved stan-dard of living in poor countries? Or will theeconomic benefits of such technologies becaptured primarily by the wealthy and furtherwiden the gap between rich and poor? Willrecognition of the economic value of forestsmake it easier for rural and indigenous peoplesto gain access to natural resources and pursuesustainable livelihoods? Or will it lead to newrestrictions on land use by local communities?Will we take advantage of the rich culturaldiversity of the world’s traditional peoples?Or will their valuable heritage get washed awayby globalization?These are complex questions for which

Foreword

Luis A. UbiñasPresident, Ford Foundation

SUSTAINABLEPROSPERITY.ORG xvii

Foreword STATE OF THE WORLD 2012

there are no easy answers. But the ideas inthis volume go a long way toward helping usmap a path forward. They also reflect funda-mental lessons that our partners across theworld have again and again shown to be true—and that we believe are central to the sustain-ability agenda at Rio+20 and beyond.First, it is abundantly clear that the active

engagement of civil society is essential to thesuccessful pursuit of the sustainability agenda.To fulfill the Rio+20 goal of poverty eradica-tion through a green economy, civil societygroups must be fully engaged. To that end, theFord Foundation is supporting a wide range oforganizations to voice their aspirations andconcerns in the lead-up to the conference. Wehave also provided grants to international net-works of advocacy groups, civil society insti-tutions, and scholars working in key sectorssuch as housing, transport, and forest man-agement. These stakeholders recognize thatmajor economic transitions can present bothopportunities and challenges for the workingpoor and for other marginalized people. Weneed their voices. Their active participation inthe decisionmaking process will lend credibil-ity to the next set of agreements to ensurethat benefits are shared broadly and that neg-ative consequences are carefully managed.Second, we have seen time and again that

empowering rural populations to act as stew-ards over natural resources holds tremendousvalue in the fight against climate change. Theworld’s forests are not only home to hundredsof millions of people, they also are a key sourceof community livelihoods. For these individ-uals (many of whom are indigenous, tribalpeoples), forests are a source of food, energy,medicine, housing, and income. Giving thesecommunities the ability to own and manage the

forests where they live provides perhaps thegreatest incentive to protect and preserve theseresources. Expanding community rights toforests—and other natural resources—is aworking and successful model that many coun-tries can and must follow.Finally, it is clear that urban development

and the tremendous growth of the world’scities must be central to any discussion of a sus-tainable future. The state of our cities is a piv-otal issue that already touches the lives of halfthe world’s population. And virtually all ofthe world’s projected population growth overthe next four decades—some 2.3 billion peo-ple—will take place in urban areas. Yet whilesome fret about rapid urbanization, we seetremendous possibility. The growth of cities canbe an incredible opportunity for our collectiveefforts to expand economic opportunity, pro-vide access to jobs and services that generatean income and build savings, gain social inclu-sion, and protect the environment. But toachieve these results, we need a fundamentalmind-set shift: a new way of thinking aboutcities and urban development that embracesdensity, diversity, smart land use planning, andregularization. The way we collectively addressurbanization will define the fate of billions ofpeople and the sustainability of the planet.The generations that follow ours—those of

our children and our grandchildren—expectand need us to lead with wisdom and convic-tion today. They expect us to think not only ofour time but of theirs, not only of ourselves butof them. As we mark the twentieth anniversaryof the Rio Earth Summit with a new vision ofa sustainable future, we have a chance to live upto our profound responsibility as stewards of thenatural and man-made environments that sus-tain us. Let’s make the most of this moment.

xviii WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG

Preface

At times it seems that the only people whothink United Nations environmental confer-ences have impact are those who distrust theUnited Nations and most things governmen-tal. In the United States, at least, the newsgenerated these days byAgenda 21—the agree-ment that emerged from the U.N. Conferenceon Environment and Development in Rio deJaneiro in 1992—is the conviction of someactivists that the document represents a dan-gerous conspiracy to confiscate property andredistribute wealth. If you search YouTube forthe phrase today you’re more likely toencounter this incendiary thought than any-thing hopeful about the human future. As onewho joined thousands of people from aroundthe world in Rio to imagine an equitable andenvironmentally sustainable twenty-first century,I would find this amusing if it weren’t so sad.

Go back even farther in time—twice as far,to 1972 and the first U.N. environmental con-ference in Stockholm—and the sense of wastedyears is even more acute. Almost exactly 40years before this book was published, envi-ronmental scientist Donella Meadows arguedin Newsweek that the ethic of prosperitythrough endless economic and demographicgrowth would lead to a tragic reckoning on afinite planet. In 1972 there was no hint of theimminence of human-induced climate changeor the end of cheap fossil fuels. Four decades

later, with the evidence of these all around us,the growth ethic still reigns.And so in the weeks that followed the failed

climate change conference in Copenhagen in2009, when Worldwatch president Christo-pher Flavin suggested that we make theupcoming U.N. Conference on SustainableDevelopment (also known as Rio+20) thefocus of State of the World 2012, I was dubious.Certainly the conference themes—jobs, energy,and food among them—were important andgermane to the Institute’s mission and work.But what do these meetings accomplish, Iwondered, and how relevant are they even toreaders interested in the environment?One approach that helped convince me to

forge ahead with Chris’s idea, after I took overthe leadership of Worldwatch in mid-2011,was to focus not so much on the conferenceitself as on the epic questions with which it willgrapple. A dozen years into the twenty-firstcentury we have little time left to bring theworld’s population—now 7 billion and count-ing—to a shared prosperity without bequeath-ing future humanity an overheated,resource-scarce, biologically impoverishedplanet. Yet even with the scientific evidence ofour predicament now powerfully before us,governments have failed to develop policiesthat significantly limit environmental risk andspur equitable human development.

Robert EngelmanPresident, Worldwatch Institute

SUSTAINABLEPROSPERITY.ORG xix

xx WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG

That distressing imbalance is reason enoughto go—despite the cost in money, time, and(yes) carbon emissions—once more into thebreach of environmental summitry. As I write,there has been little news media attention onthe upcoming Rio gathering and no certaintythat national leaders will attend. Even theactivity among nongovernmental organiza-tions is a fraction of the months-long whir ofcreativity I recall building up to the Rio EarthSummit of 1992. Yet as Jacob Scherr of theNatural Resources Defense Council pointsout, the conference will indeed take place. Itwill gather not just government delegates,development experts, and U.N. officials butthousands of citizen activists and other civilsociety representatives to ponder how a finiteworld can sustainably provide enough for all.And therein lies an opportunity—and much ofthe reason for this book’s theme. With veteranState of the World project leaders Michael Ren-ner and Erik Assadourian at the helm and newpublisher Island Press behind the effort, wehave aimed this year’s book not so much at acity and a conference as at the fulcrum in his-tory in which both feature.At some point, greenhouse gas emissions

will need to peak and begin falling. At somepoint, human fertility will need to fall below thelevel that spurs ongoing population growth. Atsome point, human development will need toreach thresholds at which all people can expectreasonable access to safe water, nutritious food,low-carbon energy, and decent health care,schools, and housing. After bold attempts inU.N. conferences to push governments towardstrong action on the global environment anddevelopment in 1972 and 1992 (and at severalpoints since), we can hope that the ideas forbuilding sustainability have proliferated andripened to the point where time and oppor-tunity at last coalesce. We can hope that despite

the many distractions and the pull of politicsas usual, many in and out of government thisyear feel what Martin Luther King Jr. called,in a different but related context, “the fierceurgency of now” and can contemplate chang-ing directions dramatically and fast.The reports and ideas in the pages that fol-

low are designed not as a blueprint for Rio’sdiscussions but as proposals for that change,proposals to be considered and worked onbefore and after the conference ends. Thisbook is the centerpiece of a wider Worldwatchproject that will continue at least through2012 to draw expanded attention and freshideas to the need for measurable action ongreen jobs, nutritious food, sustainable energy,safe water, healthy oceans, thriving cities, andfewer and less disruptive disasters—in short, tothe need for shared prosperity worldwide thatcan be sustained for centuries to come. Keepan eye on our website, www.worldwatch.org,for more information, further articles, andword of upcoming conversations and relatedevents, including launches of State of the World2012 in at least 20 languages by our manypublishing partners around the world.Most important, contribute your own

energy and ideas to Rio+20 and the actions thatfollow after the delegates return home. What-ever presidents, parliaments, and parleys accom-plish or do not accomplish, it is often socialmovements and citizen activists that spark themost momentous changes. This has been astrue of the conservation and environmentmovements as it has been to the revolutions ofcivil and women’s rights. Whatever the hour onthe state of the world’s environment andhuman development, there is hope and a longfuture ahead we will need to manage. We hopethis book will take its place among a chorus ofvoices pointing the way.

Preface STATE OF THE WORLD 2012

SUSTAINABLEPROSPERITY.ORG xxi

State of the World:A Year in Review

Compiled by Matt Richmond

This timeline covers some significant announce-ments and reports from October 2010 throughNovember 2011. It is a mix of progress, setbacks,and missed steps around the world that are affect-ing environmental quality and social welfare.Timeline events were selected to increase aware-

ness of the connections between people and theenvironmental systems on which they depend.

xxii WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG

O C T O B E R

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28

N O V E M B E R

2 0 10 S T A T E O F T H E W O R L D : A Y E A R I N R E V I E W

AndrewJameson

SandervanderMolen

State of the World: A Year in Review STATE OF THE WORLD 2012

Derelict GM Fisher body plant

California oil refinery

CONSUMPTIONWWF report finds that humans

currently use 1.5 Earths, suggestingthe world would need 50 percentmore ecological capacity forcurrent consumption patterns

to be sustainable.

MININGIn the Lima Declaration,

Latin Americanindigenous tribes demandthe end of large-scale

mining in their territories.

Biswarup

Ganguly

Pearson Scott Foresman

CLIMATEScientists discovermicrobes capable ofeating hydrocarbonsand natural gas, withpotential to “fix”greenhouse gases

deep in theocean’s crust.

ENDANGERED SPECIESIndia declares the elephant

a “National HeritageAnimal” in order to

increase protection of its29,000 elephants.

NATURALDISASTERS

A state of nationalcatastrophe is

declared in Colom-bia as intense rainsaffect at least 1.4million people

within the country’sborders, killingmore than 160.

CLIMATEOvercoming a well-funded opposition

campaign, Californiansvote to keep the

strongest greenhousegas emissions standardsin the United States.

GOVERNANCEAfter 18 yearsof debate, 193countries agreeto a treaty

defining how tocooperate in

commercializinggenetic resources.

HAZARDOUS WASTESGeneral Motors agrees to setup a $773 million trust to cleanup properties left behind afterits bankruptcy, two thirds ofwhich are contaminated with

hazardous waste.

SUSTAINABLEPROSPERITY.ORG xxiii

SUSTAINABLE PROSPERITY State of the World: A Year in Review

D E C E M B E R J A N U A R Y

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30

2 0 11

ShacharLA

CanwestN

ewsService

MathewBrooks

Martin

How

ard

Decommisioned Titan II

Dropping fire retardant

NATURAL DISASTERSIsraeli firefighters finally gaincontrol of the worst wildfirein the nation’s history, whichburned over 10,000 acresand killed at least 42 people.

TOXICSThe Archuar of Peru winan appeal to bring suitagainst Occidental

Petroleum Corp. for 30years of toxic wastewater

dumping on theirrainforested lands.

TOXICSStudy finds that 99–100percent of expectantmothers have multiplehighly toxic chemicals intheir bodies, including

mercury, PCBs,and flame retardants.

ENERGYNew York becomesthe first state to puta moratorium onhydraulic fracturing,a contentious formof natural gas

drilling that can poserisks to drinkingwater supplies.

ENDANGERED SPECIESThe populations of four bumble-bee species in the US drop 96percent, joining widespreadlosses in Europe and Asia ofthis important pollinator.

NATIONAL SECURITYUS Senate approves a new strategicnuclear arms treaty with Russia,which would restart inspections ofboth nations’ nuclear arsenals.

CLIMATEAustralia cuts environmentalprograms in order to pay formassive flooding recovery,despite environmentalists’claims that climate changeis behind the flooding.

CLIMATENASA analysis finds2010 ties 2005 as thewarmest year on record.

CLIMATEJapan announces thatit will not support theextension of the KyotoProtocol past 2012,no matter how muchpressure it faces.

CLIMATEScientists find a

“drastic” change innorthern ocean currentsthat have a strong effect

on weather andclimate in the

northern hemisphere.

F E B R U A R Y

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30

M A R C H

2 0 11 S T A T E O F T H E W O R L D : A Y E A R I N R E V I E W

BIODIVERSITYSvalbard Global

Seed Vault celebratesits third anniversary,with over 600,000seed samples as agenetic-resourcebackup in the

event of disaster.

TOXICSSome 40,000scientists and

clinicians urge USfederal agencies togo beyond currentstandards inassessing the

safety of chemicals.

HEALTHInternational LivestockResearch Institute detailsthe dangers of livestockdiseases crossing over tohumans in the developingworld, where new diseasesemerge every four months.

NATURAL DISASTERSA magnitude 9.0

earthquake and 10-metertsunami waves devastateJapan, and the FukushimaDaiichi power plant suffersthe worst nuclear disaster

since Chernobyl.

Meena

Kadri

BernardPollack

GeoEye

Goats in a Nairobi slum

TRANSPORTATIONThe European

Commission passesa long-term transportstrategy that includeselimination of gas-powered cars incities by 2050.

FORESTSNASA mapping data showsover 1.3 million acres of the

Amazon browned byrecord-breaking drought.

CULTUREThe Green Sports Alliancebrings together teamsin eight of the highest

grossing US professionalleagues to coordinate

environmental initiatives.

ECONOMYUN Environment

Programme estimatesthat only 2 percent ofworld GDP is neededto transition theglobal economy

toward sustainability.

POLLUTIONIn an unprecedentedruling, Indian courts

allow individuals to sueCoca-Cola for restitutionbased on environmentaldamage caused by their

bottling plants.

NASA

State of the World: A Year in Review STATE OF THE WORLD 2012

xxiv WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG

A P R I L M A Y

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30

HEALTHNearly half of US meat

and poultry is found to becontaminated with Staphbacteria, with 50 percentof it resistant to at leastthree known antibiotics.

CLIMATEThe Prince of Waleswarns that ignoringclimate change givesrise to the potentialfor a crash far moresevere than the recentfinancial collapse.

NATURAL RESOURCESThrough the Law of MotherEarth, Bolivia grants to allof nature rights that are

equal to humans.

ShaunMerritt

Isofoton.es

Solar panels as highway noise barrier, Freising

USD

ANRCS

NASA

ENERGYScientists at LosAlamos labs

discover a cheapalternative toplatinum inhydrogen fuelcells, a hugestep toward

reducing costs.

GOVERNANCEGreen Party wins its firstseat in the CanadianHouse of Commons

when its leader, ElizabethMay, is elected fromBritish Columbia.

OZONE LAYEROzone loss over the Arcticreaches record levels, dueto an especially cold

winter in the stratosphereand the ozone-depleting

substances still inthe atmosphere.

CLIMATEInternational EnergyAgency finds that

emissions of energy-related CO2 in 2010were the highest

in history.

NATURALRESOURCES

Wikileaks cables exposea “cold peace” amongArctic nations, all vyingfor the potential richeslying beneath themelting Arctic ice.

ENERGYGerman governmentannounces that it will

replace all 17 nuclear powerplants with renewableenergy sources by 2022.

SUSTAINABLE PROSPERITY State of the World: A Year in Review

SUSTAINABLEPROSPERITY.ORG xxv

J U N E

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30

J U L Y

2 0 11 S T A T E O F T H E W O R L D : A Y E A R I N R E V I E W

BIODIVERSITYLake Niassa, one ofthe world’s largest

and most biologicallydiverse lakes, is

approved as a reserveby the governmentof Mozambique.

TOXICSExperts warn that

the sharp increase inautism is likely duein part to pregnantwomen, fetuses,and children beingexposed to a cocktailof toxic chemicals.

NATURALDISASTERS

Somalia and EasternAfrica see their worstdrought in 60 years,as tens of thousandsdie of malnourishmentand 10 million moreneed help to survive.

HEALTHFour months after theFukushima nuclearmeltdown, radiationlevels are up to 30

times above safe limitsfor Japanese beef,

produce, and seafood.

TOXICSNewfoundland joins Quebec,Ontario, and New Brunswick inbanning all cosmetic pesticidesfor residential lawns due to healthand environmental concerns.

ECONOMYEconomists with theEconomics for Equityand the EnvironmentNetwork find that eachton of CO2 emittedcauses up to $900 ofenvironmental harm.

Cylonka

GrayWatson

John

L.Alexandrowicz/EPA

Michelle

Tribe

HEALTHAn EU law banning the saleof baby bottles containing

Bisphenol A—a potential endocrine

disruptor—goes into effect.

ENERGYGoogle announces a $280-million solar fund to helphomeowners buy solarpanels for residential use.

State of the World: A Year in Review STATE OF THE WORLD 2012

xxvi WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG

A U G U S T S E P T E M B E R

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28

ENERGYExxon Mobil wins accessto drill in Arctic watersoff the Russian coastthat are newly openedto exploration for oil.

ENERGYUS National Centerfor Atmospheric

Research finds thatmoving from coal tonatural gas will actu-ally increase the rateof global warming,calling into questionthis “bridge fuel.”

©Bugwood.org

USArm

y

DOE

EarlMcGehee

BurmaDem

ocratic

Concern

Blanco River, Texas

National Guard solar carpark

LED torture testing

ENERGYThe US Army launches aninitiative to generate 2.1million megawatt hoursof electricity through

renewable energy sources.

wooly adelgid

BIODIVERSITYResearch finds that threeinvasive species—the

emerald ash borer, gypsymoth, and hemlockwoolly adelgid—cause$3.5 billion of damageannually in the US.

NATURALDISASTERS

US drought monitorreports that 73.5

percent of Texas is in“exceptional drought,”

the most severecategory possible.

ENERGYChina begins allow-ing domestic solarpower producersto sell their excesssupply, hoping tobuild a domesticmarket for solartechnologies.

POLLUTIONRoyal Dutch Shellmanages to closea valve leaking oilinto the North Sea,from which about1,300 barrels hadleaked in one week.

WATERAfter months of

protests and violence,the government ofMyanmar cancels

construction of a damon the Irrawaddy, thecountry’s largest river.

ENERGYPhilips, the consumer

electronics giant, wins the$10-million L-Prize fromUS Energy Department fora 9.7-watt LED light bulb,

the equivalent of a60-watt incandescent.

SUSTAINABLE PROSPERITY State of the World: A Year in Review

SUSTAINABLEPROSPERITY.ORG xxvii

O C T O B E R

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N O V E M B E R

2 0 11 S T A T E O F T H E W O R L D : A Y E A R I N R E V I E W

See page 191 for sources.

FOODInternational Food Policy

Research Institute claims thatUS corn ethanol subsidiesare a major cause of the

year’s global food shortages.

CLIMATETwo hundred eighty-five of the world’slargest investorsurge governmentsto create a legallybinding agreementon CO2 emissionreductions.

POPULATIONCelebration in the Philippinesas Danica May Camacho isborn—one of a number ofchildren chosen by the UNto be the world’s symbolic7 billionth inhabitant.

MARINE ECOSYSTEMSReport on massive

die-offs of oyster larvaein the northwest USprovides a glimpseinto future effects ofocean acidificationon marine life.

SteveVaughn

Utenriksdepartementet

WalterSiegmund

Eileen

Beredo

Corn ethanol plant, Iowa

Oyster farm, Washington State

MARINEECOSYSTEMS

Infectious salmonanemia, a virusdeadly for salmonthat evolved in

Atlantic fish farms,is found for thefirst time in thePacific Ocean.

GOVERNANCEUS Bureau of LaborStatistics data showthat only 0.3 percentof layoffs in 2010 weredue to governmentregulations, despitereports of “job-killing”regulatory regimes.

CLIMATEThe Durban climate

negotiations open with SouthAfrican President Jacob Zumaappealing to delegates to lookbeyond “national interests” for

the good of humanity.

BIODIVERSITYAn article inNatureClimate Changenotes that global

warming is shrinkingnot just the numberbut the actual sizeof many animal and

plant species.

ENDANGEREDSPECIES

Scientists warn thatthe Pacific yew tree,the main source ofthe chemotherapydrug Taxol, couldsoon be extinct dueto overharvesting formedical purposes.

State of the World: A Year in Review STATE OF THE WORLD 2012

xxviii WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG