《The Second Annual Conference》

Ruud Lubbers: Building An Ecological Civilization Is A Momentous Trend

 

Ruud Lubbers, Former Prime Minister of the Netherlands

 

Abstract: We must ensure economic development and more income of the people do not come at the expense of the lives of future generations.

 

When the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) was held in Rio in 1992, there was a lot of focus on the market economy, and many people said that the market economy was everywhere and literally in every corner of the world. However, during the conference, some people also said that the ecological environment is as important as the economy, and that we need to achieve sustainable development. In other words, we must ensure economic development and more income of the people do not come at the expense of the lives of future generations. 2000 saw the formulation by the United Nations of the Millennium Development Declaration, which set out the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Now our goal is not limited to development everywhere in the world, but development for the sake of all mankind and harmony between man and nature. In the year 2012, 20 years after the conference in Rio, the goal of sustainable development has been incorporated into the MDGs and we are moving forward, as is the case with China and other countries.

 

I am both a politician and an entrepreneur, so I would say that many large multinational companies have included sustainable development in their core mission to show respect for and harmony with nature, which represents a step forward. Other companies will follow suit the exemplary role of these big multinational companies. Now, the Taihu Cultural Forum will give new meaning to the issue of how to achieve ecological civilization. I am very happy to have the opportunity to participate in the Forum. So, what advice can I offer? As one of the drafters of the Earth Charter, I announce that the education center in Costa Rica, which is also the University for Peace, where the Earth Charter Secretariat is located, will offer courses on ecological civilization. Also, as one of the initiators of the Rotterdam Climate Initiative, I, along with other initiators, hope to promote carbon capture and storage technologies in conjunction with new technologies and market mechanisms that will be used to create an ecological economy. This will not only promote food security but will also benefit the environment by reducing CO2 emissions, which is a very meaningful task. We need to protect the environment on the one hand, but at the same time we can improve people's living standards and income, so that they can live in a better ecological environment. China's economy has achieved rapid development, so China can play an important role in leading the world in building an ecological civilization, which is momentous major trend. We see the East and the West, the North and the South are working together to build an ecological civilization. Building ecological civilization involves culture and harmony, which is also consistent with the Earth Charter we proposed at that time.