A new UN backed report has underscored the need to invest more in agriculture and energy if countries and the world in general is to achieve sustainable dev elopement in the 21st century.
With current production and consumption of fossil fuels and food draining freshwater supplies, triggering losses of forests and other ecosystems and raising pollution levels, the study concludes that dramatically reforming, rethinking and redesigning how the planet’s people are fed and fueled could spur environmental, social and economic returns.
how world meets food needs will determine sustainability of development efforts
The report stresses that reaching sustainability goals should start in the home, through dramatically changing heating and cooling systems, gadgets, appliances and the way people travel.
The report by the International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management – also calls for a shift away from animal-based protein diets to more vegetable-based foods to ease pressure on the environment.
The report that was Launched today in Brussels at the ongoing climate change negotiations notes that more intelligent fiscal policies and creative policy-making are among the tools that can be used to combat unsustainable patterns.
“Decoupling growth from environmental degradation is the number one challenge facing governments in a world of rising numbers of people, rising incomes, rising consumption demands and the persistent challenge of poverty alleviation,” said Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), which hosts the Panel.
“Thus setting priorities would seem prudent and sensible in order to fast-track a low-carbon, resource-efficient Green Economy,” he stated .