Environmental Policy Contributing to Poverty Eradication

Steiner, Achim, International Trade Forum

When countries convene at this year's United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, both the venue, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, and the overall objective of the conference, sustainable development, will be the same as 20 years ago at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. However, the environmental and social challenges of the 21st century have markedly changed the background conditions. The impacts of climate change, desertification and the loss of biodivesity are a reality. Resource shortages resulting in water, food and energy insecurity are threatening human well-being. Moreover, these shortages disproportionately affect the poor who are highly dependent on nature's resources. Despite two centuries of unprecedented economic growth, more than 2 billion people live in poverty. A common feature at the heart of these crises is gross misallocation of capital that has led to increased environmental risks, the loss of natural capital and, consequently, loss of livelihoods.

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As governments prepare for Rio+20, there is widespread recognition that a green economy can be a catalyst in assisting the implementation of sustainable development and poverty eradication. A United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report published in …

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Publication information: Article title: Environmental Policy Contributing to Poverty Eradication. Contributors: Steiner, Achim - Author. Magazine title: International Trade Forum. Issue: 1 Publication date: January-March 2012. Page number: 18+. © 1998 International Trade Centre UNCTAD/GATT. COPYRIGHT 2012 Gale Group.

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