Rio+20 Portal

Vision for a New World

Another world is possible! We, the people, intend to define this potentiality, and we commit to our transition toward increasingly sustainable futures on earth.

Time for the Sustainability Transition -­ navigating our planetary phase

It is clear that humanity, embedded within our planetary system, is approaching a level of self-awareness and of consciousness that might well permit our global, regional and local democratic institutions to reflect, for the first time, the conditions necessary for an honest occupation of the twenty-first century. As our civilization enters this new planetary phase, we become increasingly aware that we face unprecedented threats and challenges. But our growing awareness of our surging interdependencies makes possible as well the radical transformations toward a shared destiny. We recognize that a failure on our part to close the ominous gap between the requirements and challenges imposed by this new phase in our “full world” planetary development, and our abilities to evolve beyond the constraints imposed by entirely obsolete ways of thinking can, at the very least, prove catastrophic to our planetary system. This calls for a Sustainability Transition, one that envisions a profound and historical transformation in the world-­‐views and values that shape the organizing principles of human society. These necessarily new ways of thinking, and the urgently needed transformation in our values, attitudes and beliefs, must emphasize human solidarity, affinity with nature, and a dramatic re-­‐emphasis on the idea of a decent quality-of-life for all.

A New Social Order – the necessary governance architecture for a just and equitable society

In one way, our primary challenge is to recognize the legitimate, even necessary role of civil society and of a post-­‐national citizenry, viewed as an integral part of a planetary system that expresses itself as a nested formation of global, regional and local phenomena—interpenetrated and deeply interlinked. From within such a vision, we need to grow the processes of democratic global governance in a manner that implements the necessary transition toward planetary sustainability, even as we reorganize how we manage our collective affairs. In short, the great opportunity and burning imperative embedded in this breathtaking Planetary Phase in the continued evolution of human civilization is the emergence of a coherent set of world-­‐views and practices that inform our global citizenry.

A New Ecological Order – transformation into honourable lifestyles and livelihoods that respect our planet

The dominant model of development has entirely failed to lift large sections of humanity out of unacceptable levels of poverty, misery and desperate want. It has also dramatically increased the inequitable gap between the wealthy and the poor, in a world where real wages stagnate even as work productivity rises exponentially. What’s worse, it does all this while degrading planetary bio-geo-chemical processes and laying waste to natural landscapes, and destroys the resource base for future generations. The status quo in development is predatory of both nature and people, ecologically unsustainable, and socio-economically inequitable. In this context, we propose a radically different vision of human well-being, one that is in tune with nature and respects other species, promotes socio-economic equity amongst all people, enhances the cultural, material, economic, social, and political opportunities for all, empowers each person and community to take part in decision-­‐making affecting their lives, even as it leaves the natural world a better and much improved place.

A New Economic Order - a system of sustainable economies

The world comprises many economies, at many levels—not just the global economy, or the national economy, but a plethora of regional and local economies as well. Any alternative economic system should promote all these economies, and not just the globalized capitalistic-corporate monolith. A green economy that focuses on a singular growth­-driven, high technology, free-market, Intellectual Property Rights-dominated system, is no green economy at all. What is needed is a vision of a networked system of decentralized, community based, sustainable economies in a diversity of settings, which stands on a foundation of ecological integrity, social accountability and an economically equitable distribution. The core idea is that all these economies are made sustainable, not just a drive to maintain a singular, monopolistic and dominant global corporate-­capitalist economy. A truly just and sustainable economic order will be one that increases the resilience of natural ecosystems, enhances the quality of life for all individuals, and creates a level of prosperity that allows all of humanity the opportunity to attain its full potential. A New Economic Order will be one that leaves both humans and the planet better off, in perpetuity.