LETTERS: Yesterday was Earth Overshoot Day (EOD) 2021, when humanity's demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year.
If we equate planet Earth to capital we place in a bank as fixed deposit, and ecological resources and ecosystem services which it needs to sustain itself for the year, as annual interest, EOD is the day when all the interest is used up.
The earlier the date is in a year, the worse it will be for humanity in terms of environmental and climate impacts. Historically, EOD had been advancing, to humanity's collective detriment, until 2020. There was a reprieve in 2020 when Covid-19 induced lockdowns worldwide pushed the date back to Aug 22 from July 29 in 2019. This was equivalent to consuming the resources of 1.6 planets in 2020.
The advance of EOD in 2021 back to July 29 indicates that progress on sustainability made in 2020 have been squandered. Aspirations of civil society worldwide that Covid-19 would have a transformational effect on governments to transition to a just, green and sustainable economy have not materialised.
In fact, various countries – developed and developing – instead gave the green light for extractive industries, including mining and logging. This will lead to increasing pollution and rising carbon dioxide emissions which are already causing dangerous climate change.
Despite the ugly face of development revealed by Covid-19, the language of the 'global economy' has not changed. Economic growth goals and gross domestic product (GDP) are still relentlessly pursued and the urgency for "sustainability" in all areas of human endeavour is still seriously absent, despite a moderately increased focus on ESG (environment social governance) by some corporations.
It is time to ponder again on the simple definition of "sustainable development" as first enunciated in the Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987: "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
Almost 35 years ago the Report's commissioners clearly concluded that while the Earth's resources were sufficient to sustain humanity's needs for a decent life, there was no room for excesses. Hence, the carefully chosen emphasis on "meet the needs".
Existing inequity worldwide has been further aggravated by Covid-19. Oxfam's report in 2020 that 162 people held the same amount of wealth as the poorest half of the world's population in 2019 would be far more polarised today.
This unethical distribution of wealth is costing humanity dearly. EOD findings tell us that some countries are consuming resources up to the equivalent of more than five planets whereas others are barely surviving on the equivalent of about one-third of a planet.
The inescapable linking of "Environment and Development" was the strident message of the United Nations Earth Summit 1992. which gave us a blueprint for development into the 21st century known as Agenda 21. It remains just as relevant and vital today.
Extreme weather events including ongoing raging fires and torrential rain at unprecedented levels – clearly attributed to climate change – demonstrate the urgent need for governments of the world at the highest level to address these issues by linking environment and development.
They must muster the political will to make a "sustainability shift", which includes challenging the existing paradigm of consumerism that underpins the global economy, within the limited window of opportunity still open to humanity.
Nithi Nesadurai
President
Environmental Protection Society Malaysia
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times