By Min Zhu
Putting an accurate price on pollution is something the world has been struggling with now for decades. Getting prices to reflect environmental damage will help slow pollution by encouraging people and firms to change their behavior and shift away from activities and products that pollute the planet. Paying true prices is something we need to do if we want to keep economic development on an environmentally sustainable track.
Behind the concept of sustainable development lies a bold vision of the future, or “The Future We Want,” as Ban Ki-Moon puts it. It is about the vitality of our global economy, the harmony of our global society, the nurturing of our global inheritance.
It is about laying the foundation so that every single person can flourish and reach their true potential.
Eyes on Rio
This week the world is looking to Rio de Janeiro as those of us gathered there for the Rio+20, United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development affirm our commitment to sustainable development—the idea that we should strive for economic growth, environmental protection, and social progress at the same time.
Filed under: Advanced Economies, Africa, Asia, Economic research, Emerging Markets, Europe, Globalization, growth, IMF, International Monetary Fund, Latin America, Low-income countries, Middle East, Multilateral Cooperation, Politics | Tagged: Africa, Ban Ki-Moon, carbon tax, Climate change, fossil fuels, green, India, natural disasters, pricing, rainfall, Rio+20, sustainable, The Future We Want, United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development | 6 Comments »
