Problem overview:

     Awareness and visions: Awareness of environmental issues became a global priority following a conference between concerned scientists and world government leaders at the Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden in 1972.

     International commitments: Following the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, world leaders from 144 countries signed the Agenda 21 as written commitment that the collective vision for a sustainable future will be met.

     Policies and measures: Developed nations are leading the way towards sustainable development by initiating action programs and environmental projects as part of their development assistance programs.

Background:

      International cooperation for environmental solutions

      In 1972 scientists from around the world met with world leaders in Stockholm to inform them of impending global environmental problems. They outlined a worldwide program to diagnose and find remedies for the most pressing environmental concerns. The scientific concerns were genuine, based on documented studies and supported by a global consensus of scientists. The social and economic commitments needed to forestall the growing ecological crisis were, and are, immense.

      The meeting resulted in the creation of the United Nations Environment Program and a range of scientific and political programs to determine and meet the environmental challenges of the future. Developed nations began national environmental programmes, and began to include environmental projects as part of their development assistance programs.

     Agenda 21

      The international program reached maturity at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 where world leaders from 144 countries signed Agenda 21, a planetary vision for the next century and an action plan to attain that vision. Since 1992, international pressure has mounted to assure all people everywhere are aware of the environmental issues and have action programs set up to reduce pollution, establish sustainable harvesting of renewable resources, and halt the human population explosion.

      Commitment comes through understanding. When the scientific issues are understood, responsible governments quickly realize the dangers of unsustainable behavior. Therefore, the major method of fostering national sustainable development plans has been the use of conferences, the media, and private meetings between international organizations and all levels of government. Once the issues are understood, most people act responsibly and make sincere efforts to promote sustainable behavior. However, the information and recommendations have not always been accepted, sometimes because solving the problems might be uneconomic in the short term for nations or individual government leaders. In this case, other measures can be applied.

     Policies and Methods

     EIA Required:  Today, all major international banks and development assistance programs require Environmental Impact Assessments of each proposed project. If the project turns out to be unsustainable, the loaning institution insists on modifications and enforcement of these. Without compliance, the funds cannot be approved.

     Assistance as an economic instrument:  Virtually all countries in the world are dependent on international trade and a large number depend on international loans and development assistance. Proactive environmental bilateral and trade agreements can be a powerful stimulus to advance sustainable development. < /P>

      International banks and organizations have financed major reform programmes that include environmental considerations.

      International assistance for sustainable development and environment stimulated the formation of government environmental units, state of the environment reports, national environmental strategies, and action plans in all of the small nations of the South Pacific and has assisted many other nations in the Region. The Global Environment Fund, set up to assist developing countries implement Agenda 21 helps direct and monitor progress towards sustainable development.

      Irresponsible behavior, on the other hand, has sometimes lead to withdrawal of assistance.

     Media as a watchdog:  Governments that act irresponsibly on environmental issues are rapidly and hotly condemned by global media organizations. And this, in turn, is bad for investment, trade, the international value of the currency, and stock markets. In addition, the pervasive nature of modern media exposes irresponsible political behavior to the people of the country and civil disruption can follow.

     International Conferences:  Some of the major United Nations conferences on environment and sustainable development include:

• Conference on the Human Environment (1972),
  
  
• World Population Conference (1974),
  
  
• World Conference of the International Women's Year (1975),
  
  
• Conference on Human Settlements, or Habitat (1976),
  
  
• Conference on Desertification (1977),
  
  
• World Assembly on Aging (1982),
  
  
• World Summit for Children (1990),
  
  
• Conference on Environment and Development, or Earth Summit (1992)