Overhaul of global governance needed
A complete overhaul of the way the planet is managed is urgently needed if the challenges of global sustainability are to be met for seven billion people, says the UN environment programme (UNEP).
In its latest foresight report, the UNEP argues that while the scientific community is on the front line of assessing emerging threats and finding innovative solutions to environmental challenges, more political support and better delivery structures are needed if real progress is to be made and a sustainable century realised.
UNEP says that the current system of international environmental governance, with its maze of interlocking multilateral agreements that evolved during the 20th century, is unsuitable and ill equipped to meet the risks and deliver the opportunities for the 21st century.
It also says the effectiveness of new models of governance, ranging from public–private community partnerships to alliances between environment and other civil society groups, is unclear and requires further scrutiny.