Waste, desertification,
pollution, deforestation, loss of biodiversity and the degradation
of land and fresh water are continually putting greater and greater
strain on sustainable economic, cultural and environmental development.
We are becoming increasingly aware that we not only rely on the
environment for its many services, in fact, our health, economy
and political world is largely built on the Earth’s resources.
What happens to the Earth, happens to humankind. So far, however,
we have not had sufficient foresight to fully understand and communicate
to the public, policymakers and state leaders the future impacts
of the choices that are being made today. With 10-30 million different
species and complex ecosystems in existence, our knowledge of the
environment is fragmented into several thousand scientific journals,
reflecting millions of reports and papers, allowing policymakers
to make only best-guess solutions or to take no action.
Our greatest challenge
today is to plan better for our common future. And one of our chief
problems lies in communication and foresight. We simply need to
clearly visualize and communicate the long-term impacts of the growth
in human resource use in a manner that is understandable. Not by
predicting the future, but by scientifically documenting the likely
future impacts of the choices that are being made today.
The impacts of
growing human resource demands are now seen in all parts of the
world. Without foresight, the future is, at best, highly uncertain.
GLOBIO is a pioneering attempt from UNEP to help us all see the
possible outcomes of what may happen to our globe with the policies
we make today. State leaders across the world have a personal
responsibility for the destiny of future generations.The
application of the GLOBIO principles at all levels and in all
regions on Earth makes it suitable for developing a common platform
for protocols and international agreements as they relate to humans
and biodiversity. And, hence, help us form our common future.
Klaus Töpfer
Executive Director
United Nations Environment Programme
