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The Rich, the Poor and the Future of the Earth

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The Rich, the Poor and the Future of the Earth THE RICH, THE POOR AND THE FUTURE OF THE EARTH: EQUITY IN A CONSTRAINED WORLD d The problem – an overview JUSTICE AND EQUITY FOR LIFE IN ALL ITS FULLNESS Foreword by the Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit General Secretary of the World Council of Churches Twenty years ago, at the Earth Summit The World Council of Churches (WCC) has in Rio, the ecumenical delegation that for decades been stressing the intimate participated at the United Nations relationships between poverty, wealth Conference on Environment and and the environment. The Justice, Peace Development (UNCED) wrote a letter and Integrity of Creation process since the to the churches that stated: ‘UNCED is 1980s clearly stated this interconnection. meeting 20 years after the Stockholm The recent insights on eco-justice stress conference on the environment and not the need to address at the same time one single major trend of environmental ecological and economic justice. In fact, degradation has been reversed. All to respond adequately to the threats life today is endangered to a far higher humanity and the whole earth are facing degree than 20 years ago. We are fearful today, a holistic approach is needed. about even more brutal facts 20 years The quest for sustainable communities, from now.’ Now, facing the United Nations promoted by the WCC since the 1970s, Conference on Sustainable Development has contributed to the understanding (UNCSD), Rio+20, we may have a of the three pillars of sustainable similar reaction. development: economic, social and The process that formed the United environmental; but as this Christian Aid Nations Conference on the Human report rightly states, the dominant rise Environment (UNCHE) in Stockholm in of the economic pillar has eclipsed the 1972, followed by the UNCED in Rio 1992 goal of social equity and environmental and the World Summit on Sustainable sustainability. This is also reflected in the Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg discussion over the green economy. in 2002, did provide a comprehensive A valid green economy should not only be international framework with various inclusive and be considered in the context structures, conventions and programmes of sustainable development and poverty to address the threats to peoples eradication, but needs to refer to justice and earth; but these 40 years have at its core. Or as the report puts it: ‘the been a continuous sequence of lack of question is whether the green economy compliance and implementation of the approaches can deliver equitable commitments. The world has changed outcomes, which benefit poor people and significantly during this time, but we developing countries. How can we deliver cannot have a more optimistic view than a fair green economy?’ the one expressed 20 years ago. People As Christians, we believe God brings life in many places of the world continue in all its fullness to human beings and to to suffer because of poverty, hunger, the whole of creation. A justice and equity climate and water crises. We cannot approach, also in the domains of economy ignore, however, that there has been an and ecology, is a sine qua non condition, increased awareness and mobilisation from the human side, to be able to enjoy of civil society, where churches and the life in its fullness for all. ecumenical movement have played a relevant role. CONTENTS Executive summary 2 1 The problem – overview 4 Twenty per cent over-consumers 5 Twenty per cent in basic needs deficit 6 2 The scale and urgency of the problem 8 Environmental limits 9 Impacts for people and the economy 12 Energy access and energy reources 15 The cost of action 16 3 Where are the threats? 18 Getting growth wrong 19 Rights over land and resources 20 Private sector – an agent for change? 22 Population and consumption 24 Threats from natural disasters 26 4 Models for development in a constrained world 28 Sustainable development 29 Green economy 29 Green growth 31 Who goes first? A developing country perspective 32 Beyond GDP 33 5 The way forward to an equitable and sustainable future 35 Political will and public policy are key to delivering equity and ambition 36 New approaches to the economy 36 New development framework – 2015 and beyond 37 Who should act? 38 Aligning multilateral agencies to equitable and sustainable goals 39 Private sector – becoming an actor for change 40 Communities at the heart of development 41 Appendix 1 43 Appendix 2 44 Endnotes 46 Acknowledgements 52 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Inequality in access to and fish, minerals and fossil fuels, use of natural resources is all of which they treat as driving both global poverty commodities. This is causing and environmental destruction. devastating impacts on poor Reducing this inequality must people and the planet. therefore be central to all We are already committed to development efforts worldwide. a change in our climate, and The conventional consumption the current climate deal is pattern of people in wealthy not sufficient to keep global countries – and the middle warming below 2oC. The classes of the developing world threats from climate change, – is driving the vast majority of which has been caused by natural resource degradation. the wealthiest 20 per cent, is The wealthiest 20 per cent of pushing people and ecosystems the world’s population account across the globe to be more for 80 per cent of consumption vulnerable to extreme and of global resources. And we unpredictable weather, which are currently using 50 per cent threatens lives and livelihoods. more natural resources than The poorest 20 per cent of the earth can sustain, with people, by contrast, lack the devastating impacts on nature resources to have even a and on how people access food, decent standard of living. Lack fresh water, land and energy. of food, water, energy and Increasingly, what we are shelter mean that they are far seeing is a ‘natural resource more vulnerable in the face of grab’ by wealthy countries, threats from climate change, richer people within developing natural disasters and economic countries and private sector downturns. companies. They are taking control of fresh water, forests, Executive summary 3 The question is whether there is an alternative model for development that can deliver adequate standards of living for all, but without such high consumption rates and unsustainable environmental damage. The high-consumption lifestyle is the model that many poor In addition to the political will and public policy required to people aspire to, because it seems to offer a standard of deliver an equitable and sustainable future, there are other living and welfare to which all people should have access. key actors that must play a significant role: But could the world sustain this level of demand for natural • Multilateral agreements and agencies: global agreements resources? and agencies must be aligned towards achieving a The question is whether there is an alternative model common sustainable development goal. This means for development that can deliver adequate standards of agreeing and implementing more ambitious global living for all, but without such high consumption rates and agreements for climate change, biodiversity and unsustainable environmental damage. Can we achieve a resilient development. But, in addition, global trade and fair and sustainable allocation of resources? Is it possible to investment through the Word Trade Organisation, World reduce vulnerability to climate change for current and future Bank and IMF must become key drivers of a fair green generations? Can we achieve ‘Poverty Over’ within the economy. natural resource limits of the world? • Motivating the private sector in a positive way to ensure Achieving equity in a constrained world has dramatic they have shared values based on achieving long-term implications for the lifestyles of the wealthy and the aspiring sustainable outcomes. middle classes, as well as for development models in poorer • Ensuring inclusive governance at all levels; engaging countries. This is a governance challenge – whose voice affected communities and countries in decision-making gets to be heard? What happens to the poor people who and sharing of benefits, with greater rights over the inevitably lose out in the natural resource grabs? natural resources on which they depend. The way forward to an equitable and sustainable future This report argues that there are the technologies and economic mechanisms available to achieve a fair green development pathway for the world, but what is lacking is the political will of decision-makers and the powerful and wealthy elite, which is stopping us from making progress. We present the case for immediate actions that could demonstrate the political will to take the step change needed to achieve sustainable development, including: • Moving beyond gross domestic product (GDP) as a measure of economic development, to also include social and natural wellbeing measures for economic progress. • Ensuring the post-2015 development framework that takes over from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is aimed at achieving sustainable and resilient global development and more equitable access to resources. The new framework should be founded on sustainable development goals (SDGs), which hold all countries to account for their role in delivering poverty reduction and a sustainable future. 4 The problem – an overview 1. THE PROBLEm – AN OVERVIEW Children play in Kankoyo township in northern Zambia. Their community is dominated by the Mopani copper mine, which is largely owned by FTSE100 commodities giant Glencore. Mopani has severely polluted the local air, soil and water. People who live nearby want it to clean up its act but they also value the jobs it provides. Christian Aid/Rachel Baird 5 ‘Achieving sustainability requires us to transform the global economy. Tinkering on the margins will not do the job.’ United Nations High-level Panel on Global Sustainability,1 1 January 2012 There is increasing evidence across the globe that over- exploitation and degradation of our natural world is starting Who are the 20 per cent over-consumers? to hit the wealth and wellbeing of our populations across Twenty per cent of the world’s population account for the globe.
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