Beyond the Horizon

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Societies throughout the world have been grappling with ways to ensure that economic growth and environmental protection work together, not at odds. Citizens' groups have raised awareness. Many business leaders are seizing the opportunities offered by environmentally friendly technologies and practices. And as a world community, we have held landmark conferences in Stockholm (1972) and Rio de Janeiro (1992), negotiated dozens of multilateral agreements, built up institutions like the U.N. Environment Program and set out a common vision of progress in the Millennium Development Goals, which include eradicating poverty and hunger, reducing child mortality and achieving gender equality and universal primary education. But as is so often the case, our understanding--popular and scientific--has run ahead of our political response. Johannesburg offers a chance to catch up.

Johannesburg aims to put equal stress on the twin aspirations of sustainable development. Those who profess to care about the environment yet scorn the goal of development only undermine both causes. For the poorest members of the human family in particular, development means the chance to feed, school and care for themselves and their children. But development that takes little account of sustainability is ultimately self-defeating. Prosperity built on the despoliation of the natural environment is no prosperity at all, only a temporary reprieve from future disaster. The issue is not environment vs. development or ecology vs. economy; the two can be integrated. Nor is this a question of rich vs. poor; both have an interest in sustainable development.

What can one conference do, especially given that the record in the decade since the Earth Summit is largely one of painfully slow progress and a deepening global environmental crisis? Johannesburg will surely sound another alarm. Above all, it must revive high-level political commitment to sustainable development. We have seen the results that can be achieved when leaders speak publicly about an issue--be it aids, aid or trade--and put the full weight and resources of their administrations behind it.

Dire predictions, apocalyptic talk and doom-and-gloom scenarios are not enough to inspire people to change either their politics or their day-to-day behavior. But neither can we afford to downplay the problems we face nor think that sustainable development will happen of its own accord. At the dawn of this new century, we must make a choice. We have the human and material resources needed to achieve sustainable development, not as an abstract concept but as a concrete reality. At Johannesburg the world's peoples must come together: to demonstrate our strong sense of common destiny, to show that we take this challenge seriously and ultimately to exercise greater responsibility, for one another as well as for the earth on which our progress and well-being depend.

For more about the summit, visit www.johannesburgsummit.org