Race to the Bottom

The IPCC has provided the scientific basis and irrefutable evidence of increasing climate change, which has confirmed and reinforced the worst fears that irreparable destruction is proceeding faster and with more consequences than previously projected.  The Club of Rome report, “The Limits to Growth”, warned us about this already in 1972.

Despite the appeals from the public and science community for comprehensive systemic change, governments continue to fail to take urgent action and political measures to avert the worst of the science-based climate change threats.  This neglect of responsibility is resulting in irreversible environmental and socioeconomic destruction, harm and suffering to us and our communities.

In 2015, the United Nations (UN) adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) policy framework in which all 193 UN member states pledged to achieve the 17 SDGs by 2030.  The United Nations General Assembly adopted the "2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" by consensus of all member states to address such global challenges as poverty, hunger and, especially, climate change.

The 2030 Agenda envisages a world of social, economic and ecological sustainability.  For the transition, all countries at all levels of government must boast their efforts, measures and progress toward the SDG-targeted socioeconomic transition.

Implementation of the Agenda 2030 is faltering and politicians and business representatives continue to shirk their responsibilities to make the world more socially, economically and ecologically sustainable.  The opportunists from politics and industry and the tricks of the climate change deniers encourage the decision-makers and legislators to fail us in meeting their duty of care towards us and taking urgent and immediate action.

While neglecting their duty of care towards the people and failing to make adequate progress towards the SDGs, they are competing for the lead in the "race to the bottom".