ScienceDaily, March 16, 2012
 |
| Some 32 social scientists and researchers from around the world have concluded that fundamental reforms of global environmental governance are needed to avoid dangerous changes in the Earth system. (Credit: © Alx / Fotolia) |
Some 32 social
scientists and researchers from around the world, including a Senior
Sustainability Scholar at Arizona State University, have concluded that
fundamental reforms of global environmental governance are needed to avoid
dangerous changes in the Earth system. The scientists argued in the March 16
edition of the journal Science that the time is now for a "constitutional
moment" in world politics.
Research now
indicates that the world is nearing critical tipping points in the Earth
system, including on climate and biodiversity, which if not addressed through a
new framework of governance could lead to rapid and irreversible change.
"Science
assessments indicate that human activities are moving several of Earth's
sub-systems outside the range of natural variability typical for the previous
500,000 years," wrote the authors in the opening of "Navigating the
Anthropocene: Improving Earth System Governance."
Reducing the risk
of potential global environmental disaster requires the development of "a
clear and ambitious roadmap for institutional change and effective
sustainability governance within the next decade," comparable in scale and
importance to the reform of international governance that followed World War
II, they wrote.
In particular, the
group argued for the creation of a Sustainable Development Council that would
better integrate sustainability concerns across the United Nations system.
Giving a leading role to the 20 largest economies (G20) would help the council
act effectively. The authors also suggested an upgrade of the UN Environment
Program to a full-fledged international organization, a move that would give it
greater authority and more secure funding.
To keep these institutions
accountable to the public, the scientists called for stronger consultative
rights for representatives of civil society, including representatives from
developing countries, NGOs, consumers and indigenous peoples.
"We should
seek input from people closest to the ground, not just from the elites, not
just at the 30,000-feet level," noted Kenneth W. Abbott, a professor of
international relations in ASU's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law.
"Consultations should not take place only at the global scale, where the
broadest policies are created, but also at local scales, smaller scales, all
scales," he said.
To improve the
speed of decision-making in international negotiations, the authors called for
stronger reliance on qualified majority voting. "There has to be a change
in international negotiating procedures from the current situation, in which no
action can be taken unless consensus is reached among all participating
governments," Abbott said.
The authors also
called for governments "to close remaining regulatory gaps at the global
level," including the treatment of emerging technologies.
"A great deal
of attention has been given to issues such as climate change, yet
nanotechnology and other emerging technologies, which may bring significant
benefits, also carry potential risks for sustainable development," Abbott
said.
Relying on research
by Abbott and his colleagues at ASU's College of Law, the authors wrote that
emerging technologies "need an international institutional
arrangement-such as one or several multilateral framework conventions" to
support forecasting and transparency, and to ensure that environmental risks
are taken into account.
"Working to
make the world economy more green and to create an effective institutional
framework for sustainable development will be the two main focal points at this
summer's United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de
Janeiro," Abbott said. "This article was written to bring urgency to
those discussions and to outline specific 'building blocks' for a more
effective and sustainable Earth system governance system."
The authors also
argued for increased financial support for poorer nations. "More
substantial financial resources could be made available through novel financial
mechanisms, such as global emissions markets or air transportation levies for
sustainability purposes," they wrote.
Lead author Frank
Biermann, of Free University Amsterdam and Lund University, Sweden, said,
"Societies must change course to steer away from critical tipping points
in the Earth system that could lead to rapid and irreversible change.
Incremental change is no longer sufficient to bring about societal change at
the level and with the speed needed to stop Earth system transformation.
"Structural
change in global governance is needed, both inside and outside the UN system
and involving both public and private actors," said Biermann, who also is
chair of the scientific steering committee of the Earth System Governance
Project.
All
32 authors of the Science article are affiliated with the Earth System
Governance Project, a global alliance of researchers and leading research
institutions, specializing in the scientific study of international and
national environmental governance. ASU's Abbott is one of some 50 lead faculty
of the Earth System Governance Project. Lead faculty are scientists of high
international reputation who share responsibility for research on earth system
governance.
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Arizona State University, via Newswise.Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- F. Biermann, K. Abbott, S. Andresen, K. Backstrand, S. Bernstein, M. M. Betsill, H. Bulkeley, B. Cashore, J. Clapp, C. Folke, A. Gupta, J. Gupta, P. M. Haas, A. Jordan, N. Kanie, T. Kluvankova-Oravska, L. Lebel, D. Liverman, J. Meadowcroft, R. B. Mitchell, P. Newell, S. Oberthur, L. Olsson, P. Pattberg, R. Sanchez-Rodriguez, H. Schroeder, A. Underdal, S. C. Vieira, C. Vogel, O. R. Young, A. Brock, R. Zondervan. Navigating the Anthropocene: Improving Earth System Governance. Science, 2012; 335 (6074): 1306 DOI: 10.1126/science.1217255
No comments:
Post a Comment