Citation
by Walter Leal Filho, E. (2003), "International Experiences on Sustainability", Management of Environmental Quality, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 158-159. https://doi.org/10.1108/meq.2003.14.1.158.1
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2003, MCB UP Limited
It has been a decade since many important agreements on environmental protection and sustainability were adopted at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), commonly known as the “Earth Summit” held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 1992.
Along with Agenda 21, a set of agreements and conventions were prepared and their implementation has been was pursued since, with variable degrees of success. There has been much investment in efforts towards pursuing the goal of sustainable development and the number of nations undertaking work in this field has increased significantly. Many international organisations have also done extensive work in providing guidance for sustainable development, be it in respect of rainforests conservation or the protection of coastal and marine resources. Moreover, it is conspicuous that national governments and communities are increasingly experimenting with sustainable development models.
Despite the progress that has been made since the “Earth Summit” some needs still remain, for example:
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the need for assessments of progress achieved in all aspects of the post‐UNCED agenda;
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the need to identify challenges that need to be addressed with renewed commitment;
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the need to identify new challenges that are arising and need to be addressed;
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the need to consider options for concerted action on outstanding cross‐sectoral issues.
Some papers have outputs which have been taken into consideration at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) – a process which is in fact reviewed in chapter 1 – and identify some major new developments and outstanding problems needing further attention. Last but not least, the book provides concrete examples of governmental, inter‐governmental, and non‐governmental successful or promising efforts, showing that sustainability as both a process and as a goal may be pursued in different ways. This book, a compendium of international experiences on sustainability, will reassure those already working in this field that this is an area worthy investing more time and efforts. To the same measure, it shall inspire others to become more active, encouraging them to be involved in pursuing the concrete recommendations made in Rio and in Johannesburg to the international community for the next ten years and beyond.