Securing Our Common Future by Decoupling Economic Growth from Environmental Pressures
Cheryl Desha
Griffith University (The Natural Edge Project)
Michael H Smith
Australian National University
Karlson 'Charlie' Hargroves
Griffith University (The Natural Edge Project)
468 pages, 234 x 156 mm
Publisher:
Earthscan from Routledge
Cents and Sustainability is a response from the next generation to the call by Dr Gro Brundtland in 1987, in Our Common Future, to achieve 'a new era of economic growth – growth that is forceful and at the same time socially and environmentally sustainable'. With the 20th anniversary of Our Common Future in 2007, it is clearly time to re-examine this important work in a modern global context. Using the framework of 'Decoupling Economic Growth from Environmental Pressures', Cents and Sustainability investigates a range of new evidence and research in order to develop a deeper understanding of how, and under what conditions, this 'forceful sustainable growth' is possible.
With an introduction by Dr Jim MacNeill (former Secretary General to the Brundtland Commission), the book has forewords from Dr Gro Brundtland, Dr Rajendra Pachauri and Dr Kenneth Ruffing. Beginning with a detailed explanation of decoupling theory, along with investigation into a range of issues and barriers to its achievement, the book then focuses on informing national strategies for decoupling. Then putting this into action the book focuses on five key areas of decoupling, namely greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, freshwater extraction, waste production, and air pollution, and in each case showing compelling evidence for significant cost effective reductions in environmental pressures. The book concludes with a detailed case study of the groundbreaking application of public interest litigation to combat air pollution in Delhi, India.
'I commend the team from The Natural Edge Project and their partners for undertaking to develop a response to 'Our Common Future' to mark its 20th anniversary.' Dr Gro Brundtland.
Forewords by Dr Gro Brundtland, Dr Kenneth G. Ruffing and Dr Rajendra Pachauri
1. Securing 'Our Common Future'
2. Achieving Economic Growth and Reducing Environmental Pressures
3. Factors that can Undermine or Even Block Efforts to Achieve Decoupling
4. Factors that affect Poorer Nations' Ability to Achieve Decoupling
5. Informing and Developing National Strategies for Decoupling
6. Responding to the Complexity of Climate Change
7. Decoupling Economic Growth from Greenhouse Gas Emissions
8. Decoupling Economic Growth from Loss of Biodiversity and the Deterioration of Natural Systems
9. Decoupling Economic Growth from Freshwater Extraction
10. Decoupling Economic Growth from Waste Production
11. Decoupling Economic Growth from Air Pollution
12. Reducing Air Pollution through Public Interest Litigation: The Delhi Pollution Case
Michael H Smith is a scientist and postgraduate researcher in theoretical chemistry at the Australian National University (ANU), is Co-Founder and Content Coordinator responsible for Research and Content Development for The Natural Edge Project (TNEP). He has contributed widely to many sustainability initiatives, represents TNEP on the editorial boards for CSIRO ECOS magazine and was a recipient of an ANU Environmental Achievement Award in 2001.
Karlson 'Charlie' Hargroves, a civil engineer and postgraduate researcher in sustainable policy development at Murdoch University, Australia, is Co-Founder and Coordinator of TNEP. He has contributed to a variety of private and government sustainability initiatives in Australia and internationally and is currently a visiting scholar at the University of Boulder Colorado, USA.
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