World ecosystems continue to pay high price: UN
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With increased globalization, urbanization and growing prosperity, the world's ecosystems continue to pay a high price as the toll has never been greater, according to two United Nations reports released Thursday.
Coinciding with Thursday's kick-off of the two-week UN Commission on Sustainable Development, the reports titled, "Trends in Sustainable Development" found that while globalization has played a role in shifting resource and energy-intensive production countries, it has not contributed substantially in shrinking the global environmental impacts with these activities.
One report focused on sustainable consumption and production and the other on chemicals, mining, transport, and water management. The reports highlighted three areas that are worrisome when looking at the ecological footprint: biodiversity loss, interference with the nitrogen cycle and climate change.
It cited that in 2005, industrialized countries only used 50 percent of fossil energy, industrial materials and metallic ores with it representing one-sixth of the world's population.
In the world's richest countries, the ecological footprint continues to grow -- mostly due to a rise in greenhouse gas emissions. With the projected growth in population, income and wealth will put an additional strain on resources over the course of 40 years, according to the reports.
It also noted that if the rising middle classes of emerging economies were to mimic the consumption patterns of wealthier countries, two planets would be needed by 2040.
The reports come out as the Commission on Sustainable Development starts it two-year cycle which concentrates on sustainable use and management of resources.
The two-week UN Commission on Sustainable Development will review the issues, problems and challenges and work to find possible solutions. It runs from May 3 to 14. The 2011 session is expected to look at more concrete policy recommendations.
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