Governance, Local Capacities and Education: the Key Drivers of Environmental Sustainability

By an IPS Correspondent Reprint | | Print |

UNITED NATIONS, Apr 19 2013 (IPS) - Environmental sustainability is not ancillary to development but a guiding principle of sustainability and human well-being. However, environmental sustainability is still often approached as something that results in trade-offs with human and economic development objectives.

This crucial issue was the topic of the briefing titled ‘The Global Thematic Consultation on Environmental Sustainability’ in the post-2015 development agenda, co-organised by the Permanent Missions of Costa Rica and France, in collaboration with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

It marked the end of the first phase of online discussions which culminated with a Leadership Meeting held in Costa Rica on March 18 and 19. It will also introduce the next phase of the consultation (April-May 2013), during which issues emerging from earlier discussions will be further reflected upon.

Participants in the consultation have been reflecting on lessons learned from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and particularly MDG 7 –  the goal to ensure environmental sustainability- and the need for an ambitious post-2015 agenda which integrates environmental sustainability and development much more conclusively.

“Despite some progresses, many gaps remain. The biggest issue is that MDGs were in silos and MDG 7 especially was not integrated with the others goals. There is also a lack of measurement systems, data and accountability,” said Zehra Aydin, Senior Programme Officer, Liaison to the UN Development Group, UNEP.

The participants stressed the importance of developing a post-2015 agenda that reflects the complexity of sustainable development challenges in a way that is practical and can be translated into implementation. To ensure this, the engagement of civil society and private sector will be critical.

“We need to change the narrative on environmental sustainability; it needs to be fully integrated, it rests on good governance and equality, it integrates local action and national change and relies on accountability and social justice through increased engagement with civil society and private sector,” stressed George Bouma, Policy Advisor, Environment and Energy Group, UNDP.

The six-week long e-discussion, beginning April, 15^th, is based on key inter-linkages and principles: environmental sustainability and poverty reduction, equality, peace and security. It also deals with the transformational change, the role of the private sector, the education and the importance of local empowerment.