Agenda 21, Rio+20, G20, G77, G132..... As an ordinary (world) citizen I get confused, not very different from when I watch television commercials promising powered up formulas of an already existing product to solve the same old hurdle. What is exactly new and will the renewed composition work better and if it does why does it only pop up now ? Should I stop confining the now old version ?
With the exception of the coordination between the organizers of the now annual event of the 20 largest economies and the once in a decade conference on what has been modernised from environmental green to sustainable development, who have managed to mitigate fuel and travel cost expenditures in troubled times, I miss a practical overlapse of the agendas in both venues.
I believe I am an average motivated recycler with a proudly self installed IKEA set of separation bins which I hope everyone at home employs. We accept paying a little more for consumables and materials that state they are better for the environment. We give to the poor but frankly only insofar we come across them. Gradually I try to transpire the purpose to my children. That is about it as far as my day-to-day actions for a more sustainable world is concerned. I cannot help wondering frequently how insignificant these contributions are and them promise myself to do more, one day.
I do however spend a lot time and energy in seeking short and long term effeciency and synergy in my work, for myself and the people I work with, in and out of the office so that everyone can concentrate on their own contributive production specific to their job and interest, within a cultivated logic of sustainability and I truly believe that is where we can and should all make a difference, whether in our business or personal community.
That is what I missed in this week's wordly events. In one place, world political leaders with their top financial delegates seek to govern and budget for growth, employment, production, financial regulations and yes the word "green" showed up somewhere, while 8000 kms southwards enormous numbers of delegates do not get much further than wording an update of common concerns intranslatable into actions due to a lack of governance and budget.
I get even more confused if the main reason for the absence of any (funding of) actions at Rio+20 is a conflict between the original G77 (developing) countries and the original G7 largest economies as they were measured 20 years ago.
The G77 is G132 today and the G7 is thus now G20. A third of G20 members are also part of the founding G77 countries, which basically means that in what concerns world economic growth decisions they are part of the top 20 but when it come to sustainable development they fall back to still being a developing country.
So if it takes 20 years for 7 developing countries to take a seat at the large economy forum, 357 years from now we will have a first and single G132 perfectly integrated world economic sustainable development conference. I wonder on which planet though.
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