The world is on the cusp of a major transformation. For the first time in history, humanity has the tools and global awareness to transition from an economy that treats nature as a commodity, to one that recognizes natural limits and places value on ecosystems – what scientists have coined as “Earth-system thinking.”
This transformation also means recognizing that human well-being relies not only on access to material resources, but also on social justice, peace, and equality.
The current climate negotiations in Copenhagen, the upcoming UN Climate Summit in New York City, and the recently concluded UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) have set the stage for a transformation. However, a deeper understanding of what this transformation will look like requires more than a vision. It will require building a framework that includes all of humanity at various levels of decision-making: individuals, local communities and nations, states and regions at all levels of government, multinational corporations and private investors, international institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), social movements at national and international levels working to promote social justice, peace, and equality. It is part of an agenda that also includes a major shift in how we value nature.
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