Jeffery Gogo

THE controversial concept of a green economy within the context of sustainable development will be at the centre of negotiations at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development or Rio+20, which starts in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Wednesday .

Of course, Rio+20 will also seek to renew global political will, which is now visibly thinning under the weight of the current world financial crisis, for continued commitment to fulfil previously agreed positions on sustainable development, and assess whether those commitments have been upheld at all.
Key discussions at the summit will also focus on poverty eradication as a major variable for driving and achieving sustainable development, and the institutional framework for sustainable development.

Among many things, developing nations will be gingerly interested in the debates surrounding the green economy and sustainable development, whether, as a starting point, a universally accepted definition of the green economy concept will be crafted and agreed.
That alone has been serious cause for consternation among several developing countries in Africa, Arabia, Asia and the Pacific, at least as seen during several regional preparatory meetings held in 2011 leading to the UNCSD.

During the meetings, it emerged that while Africa bought into the concept of a green economy, it required more definitions, which must also incorporate sustainable land management.

For Arab countries, the green economy was workable only if used as a tool in the broader sustainable development spectrum, and not replacing it.
Concern also centred on protectionism and the evolution of restrictive trade systems in the event the idea of a green economy was agreed, and that it should not lead to this.

Most importantly, however, is the unenviable dilemma that the developing world finds itself in: the need for rapid industrialisation versus that of environmental protection.

That, of course, as we all appreciate is a monumental challenge, especially for Africa eager to play catch-up with the rest of the developed world.
We can expect that industrialisation in these regions would be pursued relentlessly and at every cost, including that of the environment.
Yet, there are sufficient hard historical lessons to choose from, which have imperiled humanity today.

The industrial revolution in Europe and America was driven by an explosive use of carbon-emitting fossil fuels. These are now the key architects behind unsustainable global temperature increases otherwise known as climate change, a destructive force of nature with devastating socio-economic and environmental impacts.

However, many countries in the developing world like Zimbabwe, South Africa and India are banking on the massive exploitation of dangerous fuels such as coal, even nuclear as a major supply source for their future energy needs.
Gravely, no amount of noise from environmentalists, or anybody else will stop them from this acclaimed right to develop even when global emissions continue to rise.

Global emissions have increased by a dreadful 49 percent since 1990 and by 6 percent in 2010, setting the world for a warming of over 5 degrees Celsius by 2100.
The climate change problems faced by the world today result from a warming of only 0,8 degrees Celsius in the last century, according to the Intergovernmental

Panel on Climate Change.

Thus, in many respects, any expected outcome from the Rio+20 must be able to measure up with the volume of expectations from the developing world, mainly, that of the functionality of the green economy inside the context of sustainable development.
There is a greater task at Rio+20 to ensure that world governments commit to achieving economic development in a verifiable and sustainable manner, including the designing of systems that lead to or promote responsible and sustainable production and consumption patterns. Indeed, Rio+20 will not be a honeymoon.

The world is still divided on a lot of issues, sometimes on unnecessary bourgeois geopolitics, and yet the earth is burning.
It would be dangerous to expect sweeping changes from Brazil, where Europe and America are certain to contest submissions from most of the rest of the world.

Yet, the UNCSD presents the world with an opportunity to engage, set an agenda and develop necessary and fundamental strategies for driving sustainable development, saving the world and the environment from its present descent into despondency.

In earlier regional preparatory meetings, Europe and America discussed and agreed to focus on the transformation of the UN Environment Programme into a specialised agency as well as the development of stronger regional and national sustainable development programmes. 
Consensus among the different regional parties was on the need to strengthen and integrate the three pillars of sustainable development, which are people, planet and profit.

These pillars foster responsible development in the spheres of human and social advancement, preservation of the environment as well as economic profitability.
On the other hand, the green economy is generally accepted as that concept in economic development, which is socially inclusive and beneficial, results in a drastic reduction of carbon emissions, stable economic growth and at the same time safeguarding the integrity of the environment.

Transforming world economies into green economies through sustainable development is regarded paramount and indispensable in tackling climate change and global warming.

Brief background on UNCSD
Rio+20 will coincide with the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, which was signed in the same city in 1992.
This year’s summit was preceded by three Preparatory Committee meetings which began in 2010 with the third and final meeting opening in Rio de Janeiro last week (Wednesday, June 13).

Several other side events discussing varying sustainable development and green economy topics have also been running ahead of the main conference which runs for three days until Friday.
Several heads of state, environmentalists, civic society, youth groups, academics and diplomats are expected to attend the UNCSD.

The UNCED marked the first inclusive global response to climate change, resulting in the signing of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and various globally binding agreements for curbing emissions growth and improve environmental governance.

The Earth Summit traces its roots from the 1972 Stockholm Conference, which gave birth to the Unep and mandated, as the central point for co-ordinating international environmental cooperation and making treaties for protecting the environment.
This was also the first time that the term environment appeared in talks of global importance and accorded top priority. 
In 1983, the UN General Assembly established an independent commission to formulate a long-term agenda for action.

The World Commission on Environment and Development or the Brundtland Commission subsequently issued its report in 1987, “Our Common Future”, which stressed the need for development strategies in all countries that recognised the limits of the ecosystem’s ability to regenerate itself and absorb waste products.

Pursuant to this, the UNCED was signed in 1992 with over 100 heads of state present.
In 2002, the World Summit on Sustainable Development was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, to measure progress in the implementation of agreed outcomes since the first Earth Summit.

This resulted in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, which sought to encourage action in implementing agreed positions.
God is faithful.

• jeffgogo@gmail.com