Future Perfect

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Building the pillars of life on the road to Rio

Janez Poto

nik, European Commissioner for the Environment

he European Union (EU) is playing an active and

constructive role in ongoing negotiations regarding the

United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development

(Rio+20) and is determined to help make it a success. We would

measure success in terms of concrete outcomes guaranteeing

long-term sustainable development – delivering global job crea-

tion and eradication of poverty while safeguarding the natural

resource base that the world economy depends on. Our view

is that this would be best achieved by a global roadmap to an

inclusive green economy. We believe this is closely linked to

the emerging discussions on a set of global goals for sustain-

able development. At Rio+20, the EU is fully open to discussing

universal goals and to working with everyone to achieve solid,

measurable goals and milestones that will help us meet the enor-

mous challenges we face together.

Sustainable development means meeting the needs of present gener-

ations without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet

their own needs – in other words, a better quality of life for every-

one, now and for generations to come.

Sustainable development will not be brought about by

policies only: it must be taken up by society at large as a

principle guiding the many choices each citizen makes

every day, as well as the big political and economic deci-

sions. This requires profound changes in thinking, in

economic and social structures and in consumption and

production patterns.

Creating opportunities for all

Each one of us will share our small planet with 9 billion

people by 2050. It is predicted that there will already

be 3 billion more middle-class consumers by 2030. We

should rejoice at this prospect of prosperity for so many.

But more middle-class consumers means more demand,

and if this demand is met by the ‘brown’ economy, it

will put immense strain on many resources. The world

will need three times more resources – 140 billion tons

annually – by 2050. That pressure will be the most

significant limiting factor on our ability to grow and

provide higher living standards. The planet’s limits are

ustainability

olicies

, P

rogrammes

and

their

conomic

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Irrigation system at the region of Ardar in Sahara

Image: Mauritania Delegation