This “plan”, whose goal is to have 9 billion people “living well, within the resource limitations of the planet”, was created by corporations in an effort to preserve their usefulness in the face of Peak Everything. While there are some good ideas here to be pursued, such as reducing our carbon footprint and doubling agricultural production, there is no mention of any practical ways to achieve these goals.
For example, in their executive summary they claim that the assets to achieve their ambitious goals already exist: “The participating companies strongly believe that the world already has the knowledge, science, technologies, skills and financial resources needed to achieve Vision 2050…”
Well, that’s great, but they didn’t mention how to provide the basics of life needed to sustain 9 billion people: energy, topsoil and water. Where will they come from? Another planet? The report basically says very little. How is that so much energy gets put into writing something so large that is so useless?
Source: Smart Planet
There’s a new prescription for global sustainability being put forth by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. The Vision 2050 report is described as nothing less than the pathway to a world that supports 9 billion people “living well, within the resource limitations of the planet” by that time frame.
The analysis represents the viewpoints of about 29 global businesses (from 14 different industries) who are advocating that the corporate world take a leading role in setting strategy and policy that will lead their respective customers, partners, employees and communities down the right path. In a press release announcing the publication Syngenta CEO Michael Mack (who was involved with the project) describes humanity’s relationship with the planet in the past and present as an “exploitative relationship.” We need to transform it into a “symbiotic one,” he says.
Among the issues businesses need to address are how carbon footprint, ecosystem services and water usage considerations should be mapped into marketplace and pricing structures. Agriculture will come in for major investments: The report calls for a doubling of output over the 40 years between now and the report’s end game. Two other goals are the halving of carbon emissions worldwide, based on 2005 levels and “universal access low-carbon mobility.”
