Against All Odds: A Case for Hope on Sustainability (original) (raw)

Sustainable Development was defined as part of a precautionary scheme where risk-preventive capabilities are put in action to meet the needs of the present without compromising future generations, as the Brundtland Report stated. The precautionary scheme has failed to prevent dangerous interference with the climate system. According to recent reports issued by the World Bank and UNEP, the world is on track towards an increase in global temperature of 4 degrees if current inaction continues. The magnitude of climate change consequences with a 4 degree increase in temperature will not allow neither meeting the needs of the present nor the needs of future generations. Can any development be defined as \'sustainable\' under these conditions? Is this the final call for sustainable development before giving up to \'resilience\' in the best case, and \'survival\' in the worst case scenario? These and other questions will be explored throughout this presentation to understand the fundamental importance of successful negotiations under the UNFCCC to mitigate climate change in order to establish and fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals and the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

This thesis is founded on the proposition that climate change and sustainable development are inextricably linked with each other and form a “nexus” that should be understood in a pragmatic and holistic way. Accordingly, the climate change “problem” cannot be adequately addressed in “silos” or by traditional output control techniques but instead should be viewed as a multidimensional challenge that calls for transformative change in the world energy sector in light of the wider contexts of sustainability and social equity. This thesis observes that with the emergence of a post-2015 development agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the United Nations, the world is at or is fast approaching an inflection point in global development. While efforts to improve the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process are laudable, this thesis argues for a transformative approach to converge international collective action on climate change with the broader frameworks of global sustainable development processes. This thesis makes a proposal for the convergence and integration of the UNFCCC and sustainable development work streams, and suggests that China consider taking a leadership role under the broad aspirational goal of building “eco-civilization.”

This discussion paper looks into the links between human wellbeing and the biosphere, and describes why and how these links should influence the formulation of the future global Sustainable Development Goals. It explores what we can learn from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and how existing international agreements can be reflected in the Post-2015 MDG process. The paper also seeks to contribute to the elaboration of targets, including process-oriented targets and scalable indicators suitable for a rapidly changing world.

The Paris Agreement marks a significant moment in international climate law and policy. It represents a confirmation that the international community will continue to approach climate change multilaterally. However, climate change is not the only topic on countries’ agendas. The year 2015 will also be remembered for the adoption of the so-called Sustainable Development Goals (sdgs). This paper critically assesses the extent to which the Paris Outcome incorporates the sdgs or sustainable development concerns. It concludes that a close scrutiny of the Paris cop Decision and Agreement reveals both direct and indirect references to the sdgs and sustainable development (with the former being fewer in number than the latter). The close relationship between international climate law and the sdgs highlights the need to integrate the sdgs into the implementation of the Paris Agreement.