Summit Bulletin 7 February 2004
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Saturday Summit Bulletin 7 February 2004 . Delhi Sustainable Development Summit 2004 Partnerships for Sustainable Development Addressing the WEHAB agenda Organized by TERI, New Delhi, 4–7 February 2004 Online at http://www.teriin.org/dsds In brief . KEYNOTE ADDRESS 3 PLENARY SESSION 4 The Anthropocene: Human Public Education in a Knowledge Society: Creativity, Activity as a Geologic Force. Content, and Delivery Mechanisms Where are we Heading? Chairperson Dr Suman K Bery Co-chairs Speaker Nobel Laureate Mr Paul Iredale • Ms Aban Marker Kabraji Prof. Paul Crutzen Members of the panel Dr Roger Baud • Prof. Gilberto M Jannuzzi • Ms Tiahoga Ruge • Prof. Jeffrey I Steinfeld Prof. Crutzen recapitulated global development trends over the past three centuries – encompassing increases in human and livestock populations, urbanization, industrialization, energy and water use – and highlighted how human activities acceler- ate climate change. Atmospheric concentrations of several climatologically important GHGs (green- house gases) have grown substantially: methane by 100% and carbon dioxide by 30%. Climate models estimate the resultant average global surface warming to be in the range of 1.4–5.8 °C. The transcontinental nature of climate change renders it a global problem Sustainability is a social concept dealing with rather than a regional or national one. attitude change and adaptation of behavioural Aerosols absorb solar radiation and prevent it patterns. Sustainable education includes basic from reaching the ocean, thus reducing both knowledge of the natural sciences and the develop- evaporation and precipitation. However, cleaning of ment of appropriate technologies. Basic knowledge aerosols may intensify temperature rise, as they should be linked to real-life situations, which neutralize 50% of the greenhouse effect. At the essentially require an ideal environment that allows current level of emissions, the biosphere alone may for the generation of community feeling and not be able to fix carbon dioxide concentrations. To concern. The best knowledge, though available, stabilize the earth’s climate, we need to effect a does not reach the right target groups. The real reduction in human-led emissions of carbon dioxide challenge is to bring forth issues that people can by more than 60%, of nitrous oxide by 70%–80%, conceive, grasp, and understand. Knowledge effects and of methane by 5%. Tremendous technical positive changes in the lives of the people, leading developments are required for achieving these to greater sustainability. We should ensure that substantial goals. knowledge is available to the public at all levels. Adaptation strategies are equally important to Today, the dilemma of adopting long-term mitigate the impacts of climate change. There is initiatives is reflected in all levels of our education insufficient knowledge about the many positive and system. The primary goal of education is to prepare negative feedback processes in the complex young people for taking on leading roles in socially physical–chemical–biological climate system. There responsible sustainable development. are also knowledge gaps about future developments We are aware of situation but not willing to in the energy and agricultural sectors and resultant change our ways of acting, thinking, and living. We GHG emissions. A new research network is being need to harness global strategies, and develop a launched by the United Nations Environment master plan for environment education, capacity Programme to generate scientific data on climate building, and communication. Education is an change in Asia. essential tool to realize environmental democracy. ‘Asia’s economy is developing very fast and standards of living are rising but we have to be careful that we do not overload the environment.’ Nobel Laureate Prof. Paul Crutzen Director Emeritus, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Germany Public policies with special budgets for environ- ment education are imperative. Partnerships are KEYNOTE ADDRESS 4 essential to achieve this objective. In India, the The Millennium Development media can become an important partner in this Goals. Can we Afford Failure? context. Can we Avoid Failure? The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has called for a ‘decade for Chairperson Dr R K Pachauri education for sustainable development’, beginning Speaker Dr Jan P Pronk 2005. This initiative will provide the whole world with an opportunity to work towards sustainability. Though the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) aim to halve global poverty by 2015, many more suffer from hunger today than ever before. PLENARY SESSION 5 Using a figure of ‘one dollar a day’ as the bench- Defining the Stakes, Engaging the Stakeholders: mark of poverty is to fool oneself—life with one Inclusive Approaches for Coordinated Action dollar is simply not possible! Chairperson Dr Prodipto Ghosh Gaps in access to education, sanitation, health, Members of the panel Dr Stephen Bass water, etc. are widening while, ironically, economic • Ms Preety Bhandari • Mr Warren Evans growth is rising. We cannot assume that economic • Dr Charles McNeill • Mr Vikram S Mehta growth would banish poverty through a trickle- • Ms Cornelia Richter down effect. World leaders must display the will and build strategies to eliminate poverty, assigning the highest priority to ensuring necessary monetary flows. Achieving the MDGs is possible only with financial resources and political commitment. The current world order holds economic oppor- tunities for the middle class but not for the underclass. That is why we must accept the ‘non- discriminatory’ paradigm of sustainable develop- ment as the best insurance of security for all. Global economic and political systems should be reorganized to reflect the demands of the poor. Economic growth necessarily brings with it environ- The last decade-and-a-half witnessed the evolution mental deterioration, which victimizes the poor the of ‘partnership’ as an effective and appropriate most, indeed makes them pay the most. Poverty can method to achieve sustainability goals. be very frustrating when it engenders a feeling of Sustainability is a comprehensive concept, encom- exclusion. However, if the poor accept that they passing a diversity of issues and disciplines. Multi- have better lives than their parents’ and that even stakeholder processes are facilitated not only by the better lives await their children, they will contribute establishment of new supportive institutions but within the system. also the openness of actors involved. For example, environmental stewards are now more receptive to industry participation in environmental causes. PLENARY SESSION 6 It is beneficial for all actors to engage in partner- Bridging the Science and Technology Gap: ships for sustainable development because different Institutional Innovations and Effective Financing stakeholders have different – but complementary – Co-chairs • Ambassador Walter Fust core competencies. The expertise of each enhances • Prof. V Ramanathan the efficacy of the collective effort. Partnerships can Members of the panel involve different sectors (government, private, • Prof. Joanne Kauffman • Dr Jorgen Kjems community, social sector) at different levels (local, • Dr Chris Mottershead • Mr Steven D Smith national, global). Business participation in such • Prof. Patrick Whitney engagements is eventually related to long-term benefits, which can be translated into profits. There can be no universal model for formulating partnerships, but there can certainly be some basic underlying principles of sustainable development and sustainable livelihoods. We must remember that public–private partnerships are limited to the extent that business sees only a profit motive. It is also necessary to keep in mind that sustainable develop- ment partnerships can become window dressing for the private sector and, therefore, it is good to maintain a healthy degree of scepticism. It is important to clarify the role of the govern- Modern science and technology tools can unravel ment while consciously seeking to involve local the complexity of interaction between society and institutions in the participatory processes. Finally, natural systems. Cross-border collaborations there is a need for consistent commitment, leader- between scholars and among scholars, practitioners, ship, financing, and – most importantly – nurturing and affected stakeholders are essential for develop- of a value structure, which boosts sustainable ing effective solutions by applying existing knowl- development. edge and creating new knowledge. Policy and institutional mechanisms should encourage re- search networking across developed and developing KEYNOTE ADDRESS 5 countries. Both top-down and bottom-up initiatives Chairperson Mr S Sundar are vital for technology transfer and relevant Speaker Mr Anand Mahindra capacity building. The advantages include the stimulation and synergy that international network- ing creates; the efficiency gains effected through the Mr Mahindra narrated the sharing of financial resources; availability of incident of a British journalist information and facilities; and abundance of asking Mahatma Gandhi – on cultural inputs at various levels. the eve of India’s Independence Technology must be humanized and innovation – if India would follow Britain’s model of industrial must be encouraged by developing new low-cost development. Gandhiji responded with a question: methods for human-centred design and Britain had