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Home , Agenda 21, Earth Summit, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Our Common Future

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1962 | Silent Spring by Rachel Carson brought 1968 | . Intergovernmental Conference for together on toxicology, ecology and epidemiology Rational Use and Conservation of the Biosphere (UNESCO) to suggest that agricultural pesticides were building to is held; early discussions of the concept of ecologically catastrophic levels. This was linked to damage to animal . www.unesco.org species and human health. | Paul Ehrlich publishes Bomb on the connection between human population, resource 1967 | Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) formed to exploitation and the environment. pursue legal solutions to environmental damage. EDF goes to court to stop the Suffolk County Mosquito Control Commission from spraying DDT on the marshes of Long Island. 1969 | Friends of the forms as an advocacy www.environmentaldefense.org organization dedicated to the prevention of environmental degradation, the preservation of diversity and the role of citizens in decision-making. www.foe.org

| National Act is passed in THE the U.S., one of the first countries to establish a national legislative framework to protect the environment. Sets the basis for environmental impact assessment in the world. SUSTAINABLE | Partners in Development / 1970 – IDRC. Report of the Commission on International Development. First of the international commissions to consider a new approach to development, focused on research and knowledge in the DEVELOPMENT South. Leads to the formation of the International Development Research Centre. www.idrc.ca TIMELINE 1960 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 697071

Silent Spring was published in 1962. The book's release was considered 1970 | First held as a national teach-in on by many to be a turning point in the environment. An estimated 20 million people participated our understanding of the in peaceful demonstrations across the U.S. interconnections among the earthday.envirolink.org/history.html environment, the economy and | Natural Resources Defense Council forms with social well-being. Since then, a staff of lawyers and scientists to push for comprehensive many milestones have marked U.S. environmental policy. www.nrdc.org the journey toward sustainable development. This Timeline captures some of the key events. 1971 | starts up in and launches an The International Institute for aggressive agenda to stop environmental damage through civil Sustainable Development gratefully protests and non-violent interference. www.greenpeace.org acknowledges the support of Manitoba Education, Citizenship | Founex Report panel of experts calls for the and Youth in the production of this integration of environment and development strategies. fifth edition of The Sustainable Development Timeline. | Polluter Pays Principle. OECD Council says that IISD's vision is better living for all– those causing should pay the costs. sustainably. Its mission is to | International Institute for Environment and champion innovation, enabling Development (IIED) established in the U.K. to seek ways for societies to live sustainably. countries to make economic progress without destroying the www.iisd.org environmental resource base. www.iied.org | Rene Dubos and Barbara Ward write Only One Earth. The book sounds an urgent alarm about the impact of human activity on the biosphere, but also expresses optimism that a shared concern for the planet could lead humankind to create a common future. englishtimeline_07 8/27/07 7:19 PM Page 2

1972 | UN Conference on the Human 1973 | U.S. enacts Act, one of the 1975 | CITES. Convention on International Environment/UNEP held in Stockholm. The conference first countries to implement legal protections for its heritage Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna is rooted in the regional pollution and acid rain problems in fish, wildlife and plants. comes into force. www.cites.org of northern Europe. Leads to the establishment of many national environmental protection agencies and the | Chipko movement born in India in response to | Worldwatch Institute established in Environment Programme (UNEP). and environmental degradation. The actions of the U.S. to raise public awareness of global www.unep.org the women of the community influenced both forestry and environmental threats and catalyze effective women’s participation in . policy responses; begins publishing annual | Environnement et Développement du www.rightlivelihood.org/recip/chipko.htm State of the World in 1984. www.worldwatch.org Tiers-Monde (ENDA) is established in Senegal, becoming in 1978 an international NGO concerned with empowering | OPEC oil crisis fuels limits to growth debate. local peoples, eliminating , and southern research 1976 | Habitat. First global meeting to link and training for sustainable development. www.enda.sn environment and human settlement. 1974 | Rowland and Molina release CFCs work in the | Club of Rome publishes controversial Limits scientific journal, , calculating that continued use of CFC to Growth. Predicts dire consequences if growth is not gases at an unaltered rate would critically deplete the . 1977 | Greenbelt Movement starts in Kenya. slowed. Northern countries criticize the report for not It is based on community tree-planting to prevent including technological solutions while Southern | Latin American World Model developed by the . www.greenbeltmovement.org countries are incensed because it advocates Fundación Bariloche. It is the South’s response to Limits to abandonment of economic development. Growth and calls for growth and equity for the Third World. | UN Conference on Desertification is held. www.clubofrome.org www.fundacionbariloche.org.ar/LP-mod-latinoam.htm

7172737475767778798081828384 1981 | World Health Assembly unanimously 1978 | Amoco Cadiz oil spill off the coast of Brittany. adopts a Global Strategy for Health for All by the year 1984 | Toxic chemical leak leaves 10,000 2000. Affirms that the major social goal of governments dead and 300,000 injured in Bhopal, India. | OECD Directorate of the Environment relaunches should be the attainment of a level of health by all www.bhopal.net research on environment and economic linkages. www.oecd.org peoples that would permit them to lead socially and economically productive . www.who.org | Drought in Ethiopia. Between 250,000 and 1 million people die from starvation. 1979 | Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air 1982 | World Resources Institute established in the Pollution is adopted. U.S. Begins publishing biennial assessments of World | Third World Network is founded as Resources in 1986. www.wri.org the activist voice of the South on issues of | Banking on the Biosphere, IIED report on practices economics, development and environment. of nine multilateral development agencies, including the World | UN Convention on the Law of the Sea is www.twnside.org.sg Bank, sets the stage for reforms which are still underway. adopted. It establishes material rules concerning environmental standards as well as enforcement | International Conference on | Three Mile Island nuclear accident occurs in provisions dealing with pollution of the marine Environment and Economics (OECD) concludes Pennsylvania, USA. environment. www.un.org/depts/los/ that the environment and economics should be mutually reinforcing. Helps to shape the report, | International debt crisis erupts and threatens . 1980 | World Conservation Strategy released by IUCN. the world financial system. It turns the into a lost The section “Towards Sustainable Development” identifies the decade for Latin America and other developing regions. main agents of habitat destruction as poverty, population ® pressure, social inequity and trading regimes. It calls for a new | The United Nations World Charter for Nature 1985 | Responsible Care, an initiative of international development strategy to redress inequities. adopts the principle that every form of is unique and the Canadian Chemical Producers, provides a www.iucn.org should be respected regardless of its value to humankind. code of conduct for chemical producers that is It calls for an understanding of our dependence on now adopted in many countries. www.ccpa.ca | Independent Commission on International natural resources and the need to control our exploitation Development Issues publishes North-South, A Programme for of them. www.un.org/documents/ga/res/37/a37r007.htm | . Austria meeting of Survival (Brandt Report). It calls for a new economic World Meteorological Society, UNEP and the relationship between North and South. International Council of Scientific Unions reports | Development Alternatives established in 1983 on the build-up of CO2 and other “greenhouse | Global 2000 Report released. This report recognizes India. It fosters a new relationship among people, gases” in the atmosphere. They predict global for the first time as critical to the proper technology and the environment in the South. warming. www.wmo.ch: WMO Ref. No. 661. functioning of the planetary ecosystem. It asserts that the www.devalt.org robust nature of ecosystems is weakened by species extinction. | Antarctic ozone hole discovered by www.millenniuminstitute.net/publications/publications.html | Grameen Bank established to provide credit to British and American scientists. the poorest of the poor in Bangladesh, launching a new understanding of the role of microcredit in development. www.grameen-info.org englishtimeline_07 8/27/07 7:19 PM Page 3

1986 | Accident at nuclear station in Chernobyl 1990 | International Institute for Sustainable Development generates a massive toxic radioactive explosion. (IISD) established in Canada. Begins publishing the Earth Negotiations Bulletin as the authoritative record of international negotiations on environment and development. www.iisd.org 1987 | Our Common Future (Brundtland Report). Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development weaves | UN Summit for Children. Important recognition together social, economic, cultural and environmental issues and of the impact of the environment on future generations. global solutions. Popularizes term “sustainable development.” www.unicef.org/wsc/

| Development Advisory Committee. DAC members | Regional Environmental Centre for Central and of OECD evolve guidelines for environment and development Eastern Europe established to address environmental challenges in bilateral aid policies. www.oecd.org across the region, with an emphasis on the engagement of business as well as governments and civil society. www.rec.org | on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is adopted. hq.unep.org/ozone/Montreal- Protocol/Montreal-Protocol2000.shtml 1991 | The Canadian east coast cod collapses when only 2,700 tonnes of spawning biomass are left after a harvest of 190,000 tonnes. 1988 | Chico Mendes, Brazilian rubber tapper fighting the destruction of the Amazon rainforest, is assassinated. | Hundreds of oil fires burn out of control in Scientists use satellite photos to document what the Amazon Kuwait for months following the Persian Gulf War. fires are doing to the rainforest. www.chicomendes.com 1992 | The Business Council for Sustainable | Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Development publishes Changing Course. Establishes business established to assess the most up-to-date scientific, technical interests in promoting SD practices. www.wbcsd.ch and socioeconomic research in the field. www.ipcc.ch | . UN Conference on Environment 1989 | Exxon Valdez tanker runs aground dumping 11 and Development (UNCED) held in . Agreements million gallons of oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound. reached on the action plan “” and on the Convention www.evostc.state.ak.us on Biological Diversity, the Framework Convention on Climate Change and non-binding Principles. | Stockholm Environment Institute established as www.unep.org/unep/partners/un/unced/home.htm an independent institute for carrying out global and regional 848586 8788environmental89 research. www.sei.se 90 91 92 93 94 9596

1993 | First meeting of the UN Commission on 1995 | The execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa in Sustainable Development established to ensure follow-up brings international attention to the linkages between human to UNCED, enhance international cooperation and rationalize rights, , security and economic growth. intergovernmental decision-making capacity. www.un.org/esa/sustdev/ | World Trade Organization (WTO) established. Formal recognition of trade, environment and development | World Conference on Human Rights. linkages. www.wto.org Governments re-affirm their international commitments to all human rights. Appointment of the first UN High | World Summit for Social Development held in Commissioner for Human Rights. www.unhchr.ch Copenhagen. First time that the international community has expressed a clear commitment to eradicate absolute poverty. www.un.org/esa/socdev/wssd/index.html 1994 | Global Environment Facility. Billions of aid dollars restructured to give more decision-making power to | Fourth World Conference on Women held in developing countries. www.gefweb.org/ Beijing. Negotiations recognize that the status of women has advanced but obstacles still remain to the realization of | China’s Agenda 21. White paper on PRC’s women’s rights as human rights. population, environment and development is published. www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/platform/ China sets an international example for country strategies for sustainable development. eng.cciced.org/cn/default.asp 1996 | ISO 14001 formally adopted as a voluntary international standard for corporate environmental management systems. www.iso.org © IISD, 5th Edition, April 2007 07 An 20 makes the makes held in Seattle, USA. science.nasa.gov/ tracking leading corporate tracking reports recovery of the reports recovery 06 Former U.S. Vice- U.S. Former , wins an Academy Award, , wins an Academy In addition to an earlier In addition to Stern Report Stern climate to Public attention NASA signs of ecosystem More Launch of the first global Third World Trade Organization Trade World Third | | | | | | and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Panel and the Intergovernmental about the alarming forecasts Change’s headlines. planet’s health make www.ipcc.ch www.climatecrisis.net; Inconvenient Truth Inconvenient convincing economic case that the costs of case that the costs economic convincing 20 will be up to change inaction on climate to required than measures times greater the issue today. address www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_ reviews/stern_review_economics_climate_ change/stern_review_report.cfm documentary, Al Gore’s President change increases. change 2006 2007 headlines/y2006/26may_ozone.htm ozone layer greater due in part due in reduced to greater layer ozone of CFCs, phased out under concentrations Protocol. the Montreal emerge. stress prediction that could disappear could that fishprediction stocks it’s observed that sharks and in 50 years, at risk. also are bee colonies practices worldwide. Called the worldwide. sustainability practices the Indexes, Group Dow Jones Sustainability looking for investors to guidance provides tool sustainable that follow companies profitable principles. development www.sustainabilityindex.com sustainability index sustainability 1999 Ministerial Conference Ministerial Thousands of demonstrators take to the to take Thousands of demonstrators effects of the negative protest to streets and growth of global with deep conflicts and, along corporations scuttle the delegates, among WTO The first such anti- of many negotiations. of era they signal a new globalization protests, disaffected between confrontation and those in power. stakeholders www.iisd.org/trade/wto/seattleandsd.htm , 04 05 their China www.unaids.org 03 www.globalreporting.org held in marking 10 World Summit on Sustainable World enters into force into enters Protocol Kyoto Wangari Muta Maathai awarded Muta Wangari Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Global Reporting Initiative HIV/AIDS pandemic in Sub-Saharan HIV/AIDS Assessment Millennium Ecosystem Founder of the Greenbelt Movement of the Greenbelt Founder | www.millenniumassessment.org | | | | | 02 Environmental groups and social groups Environmental Controversy over genetically modified genetically over Controversy Multilateral Agreement on Agreement Multilateral Unusually severe weather. Unusually severe Global environmental and and food Global environmental | In 2004 alone, 2.5 million people in the | | Development at of frustration In a climate UNCED. since years the Summit progress, the lack of government “partnerships” as a non-negotiated promotes sustainability. to approach www.johannesburgsummit.org 2002 business activities. After five years of a multistakeholder, consensus- of a multistakeholder, five years After its guidelines for GRI releases building process, how organizations should report on the economic, of and social dimensions environmental legally binding developed country Parties to goals Parties country to legally binding developed and gas emission reductions, greenhouse for Mechanism establishing the Clean Development countries. developing for www.iisd.ca/process/climate_atm-fcccintro.htm Nobel Prize. be to she is the first in Kenya, a Nobel prize. awarded nobelprize.org/peace/laureates/2004/ 2005 2004 Africa. million become three die of AIDS and over region With only 10 per centnewly infected. of the world’s than 60 more is home to population, the region per of all people living with HIV. cent provide 1,300 experts 95 countries released. from the concerning scientific information human for change of ecosystem consequences well-being. organisms. modified food (GM) genetically over raised concerns import The EU blocks products. from of GM crops countries North in developing and farmers America that seeds technology,” against “terminator rebel once. will only germinate 1998 Investment. activists lobby against the MAI. This, effectively the over by governments along with disagreement the being sought, leads to of the exceptions scope demise of the negotiations. experiences worst floods in decades; two-thirds of floods worst in decades; two-thirds experiences months from several for Bangladesh underwater parts destroys of Central Mitch monsoons; Hurricane hit by floods by drought; America; 54 and 45 countries recorded. ever Earth global temperature hits highest lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/1998/ann/ extremes98.html THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE DEVELOPMENT SUSTAINABLE THE Almost , marking the end 00 01

and Pentagon It is the first extinction in www.un.org/millenniumgoals/ www.un.org/millenniumgoals/ Special session actsa as

99 www.ictsd.org/ministerial/doha/ accelerating national structural accelerating Terrorists representing anti-Western, representing Terrorists Fourth Ministerial Conference of the Conference Fourth Ministerial Trade China joins the World Increasing urbanization. Increasing Miss Waldron’s red colobus monkey colobus red Miss Waldron’s UN Millennium Summit and | | | | The largest-ever gathering of world The largest-ever | | Asian ecological and financialAsian ecological atlas.aaas.org

UN General Assembly review of Assembly review UN General | |

Land-clearing by an El intensified fires of an era of unhindered economic expansion. Stock economic of unhindered of an era stumble and the United and economies markets on terrorism. a war up for gears States non-state interests and ideologies, attack the interests non-state Center Trade World World Trade Organization held in Doha, Qatar, Trade World concerns and development environment recognizes agree NGOs and the WTO in the final Declaration. on Intellectual the Agreement re-interpret to medicines and to access Property Rights regarding public health. Organization signals China’s The accession changes. economic as major with India and , together emergence, in the global economy. new forces 2001 half of the world’s population now lives in population now lives half of the world’s of the Earth’s per cent less than two that occupy of Earth’s but use 75 per cent land surface, resources. 2000 declared extinct. declared a member of the Primate of centuries several which human beings belong. According to Order, now Book, 11,046 species are the IUCN Red to with extinction. threatened www.wcs.org/wcspubs/wcsreports/460606/

the MDGs. a set of timebound and to leaders agrees hunger, poverty, combating for goals measurable and degradation environmental disease, illiteracy, Now known as discrimination against women. be Goals, to the Millennium Development by 2015. achieved 98 chaos. in haze result drought Niño induced US$3 billion and causing the region blanketing damage. and fire-related in health costs raising crashes the market Concurrently, and speculation questions about currency reforms. economic government need for 1997 the Earth Summit. has been that little progress sober reminder and ends 21 Agenda made in implementing without significant new commitments. www.iisd.ca/linkages/csd/ungass.html

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