Domingo Jiménez-Beltrán
Director of the Spanish Observatory for Sustainability
"World Expos facing Sustainable Development""A frame to progress towards SD. Role and opportunities for World Expos"
We need, in general, new policies and new ways of making policies. Sustainable Development is about knowledge based Development and goes along with the five principles underpinning Good Governance (consistency, effectiveness, transparency, accountability and public participation)
In practical terms it means higher (or enough) life quality with less resources and environmental degradation( efficiency and sufficiency!)
2-Review of the situation at global level. There is agreement on the list of global threats but little is done to face them (growing deficit in the Millennium Goals). There is no change because there is not agreement on the conditions for change, related to
the need of collective Strategies and Institutions and a sense for collective Responsibilities at Global level, as we see from the results of the UN Summit
3-The building up of a frame for Sustainable Development , requiring political purpose, vision and sense of direction to create the conditions for change. Review of main limitations for progress
4-Review of new policies and ways of making policy at the EU as a possible reference to open the way towards a more Sustainable Development. Elements of interest for World Expos concerning principles, priorities ,objectives and indicators…developed at EU level, and related experiences at Spanish level.
5-The building up of a procedure and a possible code of conduct for more sustainable World Expos and to support progress towards Sustainability at Global level. Possible development of a procedure for Strategic Sustainability Impact (much beyond environmental assessment and” greening”) for World Expo initiatives and projects at an early stage. Elements to develop a possible code of conduct for World Expos, taken from EU and International experiences.
All to conclude that it is well known what to do to progress towards a more Sustainable Development. It is a question of purpose, vision and sense of direction. And World Expos could become a good tool and opportunity to foster progress as sustainability becomes the frame and reference –benchmark- for new initiatives
The question is whether we will turn Sustainable Development into an opportunity also for World Expos take the opportunity?
Are we listening to the nature messages?” It produces an enormous sadness to think that nature speaks while the human being does not listen” (Victor Hugo)
