sustainable societies programme

an overview

introduction

FoEI's Sustainable Societies Programme starts from the premise that the Earth cannot support the wasteful production and consumption patterns established by the industrialized countries. At present, 20% of the global population consumes 80% of all the energy produced and natural resources extracted. This is not only unjust, it is unsustainable. If everyone were to adopt the lifestyle of a typical North American, we would need at least two more planets to produce the resources, absorb the wastes and maintain life-support systems. The danger is that this is the lifestyle that most people aspire to.

China's current development is a case in point. Having followed the western development model, China's economy has grown faster than any nation in history. Car ownership in China - with its one billion inhabitants - is expected to reach current UK levels by 2020. This will profoundly effect China's economy, the health of its people and the global climate. If all developing countries were to follow the destructive path of the industrialized countries, global resource use would increase eight-fold while population would double. However, changing production and consumption patterns so that people's legitimate aspirations for welfare and quality of life are met need not cost the Earth. FoEI's Sustainable Societies Programme offers solutions.

fair shares for all: the environmental space model

FoEI has developed a practical alternative that combines social and ecological concerns using the concept of 'fair shares in environmental space'. This concept implies equal rights to resource consumption for all peoples of the world within the carrying capacity of the planet. Environmental space is the total amount of energy, non- renewable resources, land, water, forests and other resources which can be used per capita without causing environmental damage or impinging on the rights of future generations. Environmental space is partially quantifiable. For example, there is a limited amount of agricultural land that we can use sustainably; there are limits to carbon dioxide emissions (due to their greenhouse effect); and there is a finite amount of non-renewable resources.

It is this quantifiability that makes the environmental space concept of particular relevance for policy makers. FoEI has demonstrated that it is possible to calculate the environmental space for a number of core resources. These calculations can then be used to set time-bound, measurable targets for national energy and resource use. In a world where commitment to sustainable development is foundering because of the absence of concrete targets, resources, public awareness and political will, the fair shares in environmental space concept can help establish at least the first requirement. Clear environmental space targets can also indicate whether societies are on a sustainable course or not. They can guide businesses and policy makers and aid the responsible stewardship of natural resources.

targets and Indicators

Targets developed by FoE Europe's Towards Sustainable Europe campaign indicate the magnitude of the challenge: Europe, North America and Japan will have to reduce resource and energy use by up to 90% (a factor of ten) over the next 50 years to enable other countries to develop their economies without overloading the planet. Business leaders interviewed by FoE Europe tend to agree with the scale of reduction required. Other institutions have also been quick to spot the potential of FoE's work. FoE Europe's work on indicators has influenced The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development's (UNCSD) own project on indicators for sustainable development and The European Environment Agency has produced a paper to explore the value of the environmental space approach in helping to set national resource consumption limits. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has also considered the merit of FoE Europe's sustainability indicators.

The availability of limited resources leads immediately to the question of distribution. FoEI's development of the fair shares of environmental space concept has refocused attention on the need for mechanisms to ensure equity. This is a politically difficult area as the redistribution of resources - whether at the household or the global level - creates winners and losers. Closing the sustainability and equity gaps will require an imaginative mix of regulatory and market-based policies and a receptive political environment. While local solutions will vary, commitment to the equity principle forms a core of shared values amongst groups active in FoEI's Sustainable Societies Programme.

a short history

FoEI's Sustainable Societies Programme dates back to 1992 with the pioneering work of FoE Netherlands (Milieudefensie). In 1992, FoE Netherlands published its landmark study Action Plan for a Sustainable Netherlands - its contribution to the UN Conference on Environment and Development (popularly known as the Earth Summit). This visionary document outlined a practical path towards a more sustainable Netherlands during the course of one generation. Using the environmental space approach it demonstrated that it was possible for countries to develop national strategies for sustainable and equitable resource use - without causing a drop in the quality of life - by pursuing both an efficiency (more with less) and a sufficiency (quality over quantity) revolution.

A transformative agenda The Dutch study captured not only international attention but also the imagination of other FoE member groups. In 1994, the study triggered a three-year, pan-European campaign, Towards Sustainable Europe, involving some 30 FoE groups and distinguished partners. Co-ordinated by FoE Netherlands and supported by the European Union, the Dutch, German and Norwegian governments, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and many others, this campaign has provided a coherent and comparable basis for discussing sustainability in Europe. Participating groups have produced studies offering policy recommendations relevant to their national circumstances that have challenged governments, business and industry to begin the sustainability transition.

The studies demonstrate that Europe will have to make big cuts in its use of environmental space to create room for sustainable development in poorer communities and regions. This need not create hardship, however. On the contrary, despite continued economic growth since 1970, Europe has not benefitted from more jobs or stopped government cuts in social welfare. In fact, the increased exploitation of resources, pollution and destruction of natural areas has actually lowered the quality of life for many. Turning this situation around is no easy process. It will require a minimum of renewed commitment to people's real well-being, their involvement in decision-making, and the establishment of long-term sustainability targets.

The 'fair shares of environmental space' approach is part of this transformative agenda. If used as the basis of national sustainability strategies, it can re-orient developed economies and enable Southern and Eastern countries to leapfrog the mistakes of the west.

biophysical Concepts

Environmental thinking is shifting from a focus on pollution to the biophysical (natural resource) basis of our economies. Ecologist William Rees argues: "The ecosphere is where we live, humanity is dependent on nature, not the reverse. Sustainability requires that our emphasis shift from 'managing resources' to managing ourselves, that we learn to live as part of nature. Economics at last becomes human ecology."

Three prominent approaches (listed below) focus on this biophysical basis of economies. All three seek to make the resource bases of our economies visible (including the invisible, indirect resource use which occurs outside national borders).

Environmental Space looks at all crucial resources separately and calculates sustainable use targets for each. Present consumption levels can be used as indicators and compared to the targets.

Material Flows analysis seeks to provide one simple indicator (in tonnes) for all materials entering economies (comparable to money flows in traditional economic accounting). It is difficult to derive sustainability targets from this combined approach).

The Ecological Footprint uses land to measure the 'load' imposed by a given population on nature. It represents the land area necessary to sustain current levels of resource consumption and waste discharge by that population. Sustainability is indicated when the real amount of available land is not exceeded.

north-south dialogue

It has been said that there are no environmental solutions to environmental problems except over time; there are only social, political and economic solutions. Consequently, to address environmental degradation, we have to look at how societies produce, consume and dispose of goods and services. To address social inequalities, we have to look at how these goods and services are distributed. Bringing these four systems - production, consumption, distribution and disposal - in balance is a prerequisite for sustainable societies, whether at the local or the global level.

Another project within the Sustainable Societies Programme has addressed the trade-related aspects of applying the environmental space concept. The North-South project on sustainable production and consumption, co-ordinated by FoE Netherlands and involving FoE Ghana, FoE Uruguay, FoE Indonesia, FoE Georgia, Russia's Socio-Ecological Union, Nigeria's NEST, Brasil's FASE, the Senegal-based ENDA, and India's Centre for Science and the Environment, has studied the potential impact of reduced Northern resource use on Southern and Eastern economies. One of its outcomes, the discussion paper Sustainable Consumption: A Global Perspective, has reviewed the international debate on sustainable production and consumption and made a strong plea for pro-active sustainability policies.

member experiences

Some 40 countries have taken part in FoEI's Sustainable Societies Programme, all of which have used the environmental space approach to make the global sustainability concept concrete. NGOs have built new contacts and coalitions with key social and economic actors in their countries and dialogue has covered themes ranging from employment and sustainable livelihoods to grassroots involvement in policy making. The experiences included here give a glipmse of what has happened so far - not all countries are included.

australia

We recently launched a new campaign, Sustainable Australia, in five cities and regions across the continent. FoE Brisbane has begun research into the 'ecological footprint' (see box Biophysical concepts) of south-east Queensland and Adelaide's FoE Nouveau is co-operating with the 'ecocity' Halifax project on degraded land near the inner city. All groups will take part in a speaking tour by Duncan McLaren, author of FoE England, Wales & Northern Ireland's study, Tomorrow's World: Britain's \share in a Sustainable Future in September 1997. Campaign co-ordinators are currently preparing leaflets and articles which make the case for why the Sustainable Australia programme is needed to fill the void in concrete models for sustainability in Australia. Preliminary discussions with consumer and development organizations are also under way regarding the possibility of partnership. Cam Walker, FoE Australia

austria

We have just completed the first of two training courses on sustainability; the second is taking place in summer 1997. We currently have 20 trained moderators working at the local level, disseminating the concept of environmental space and the instruments for sustainability. As a result of our Sustainable Austria Study, two federal districts have adopted their own sustainablility plan. We are currently in contact with the Viennese administration to obtain a plot of land for a Museum of the Future which we hope will bring alive the concept of environmental space for the public. Brigitte Parnigoni, FoE Austria

cyprus

The forceful movement of population which followed the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 imposed severe constraints on the island's natural resources. In an attempt to catch up with the ensuing economic decline, rapid and uncontrolled development followed. Some of the key individuals we targeted with our report felt that political instability on the island would hinder a reduction in the consumption of construction material and energy fuel for two main reasons: the potential collapse of the economy, which could force investors to chase profit quickly, and the country's disproportional split in resources. As a result, we are now focusing on future trends. While being reluctant to use the targets defined in our report, most individuals are willing to address the issues. This we consider a major achievement. Laura Shoukris, FoE Cyprus

denmark

We were the first FoE group to capture the imagination of policy makers with our ideas on sustainability and the environmental space concept. In August 1995, the Danish Minister for the Environment and Energy, Svend Auken, announced his commitment to the concept of environmental space. The social democratic/social liberal government named the concept 'ecological scope' and it is now used in different areas of policy making, including the evaluation of the new Energy Action Plan. Before the introduction of the concept, sustainability was acceptable to all political parties but a debate in parliament on ecological scope made it clear that the conservatives and liberals were not in favour of clear environmental targets. So the concept has been useful as a means to clarify the debate. The Danish government recently decided that new power plants may not use coal as fuel, in line with the goal of phasing out the use of coal by 2030.

In June 1996 we received 25 minutes of prime-time TV coverage and a half-hour programme on the environmental space concept in September. We now give lectures and attend conferences all over the country on environmental space and in February 1997 we hosted six round tables on Sustainable Economy and the Environmental Space concept for the construction sector. Kim Ejlertsen, NOAH (FoE Denmark)

el salvador

As regional focus for the Sustainable Societies Programme in Central America and the Caribbean we have played a leading role in re-establishing the environmental movement in El Salvador following the decade-long civil war. We have ongoing contacts with the government's Agenda 21 and recently organized a regional seminar on sustainable societies with participants from a cross-section of social movements. We are working with 17 communities on concrete sustainability projects involving recycling, reforestation, nutrition, agriculture etc. and we recently presented 78 mayors from different parts of the country and with a plan on sustainable waste management which is now being discussed in several municipalities.

Our main problems have to do with economic interests. Sustainability initiatives often require regulations that reduce economic benefits to private enterprises and they often consider resorting to violence. Nonetheless, several projects to destroy forests or pollute rivers have been stopped and we continually have new people joining the sustainability struggle. Ricardo Navarro (winner of the 1995 Goldman Environment Award), CESTA

england, wales and northern ireland

Ecological Tax Reform (ETR) is our most tangible achievement to date. In the recent elections all the main parties included it in their manifestos. ETR is the key policy for increasing employment while reducing environmental damage. It shifts the burden of taxation away from activities such as employment, onto pollution and the inefficient use of natural resources. It is now being promoted by the OECD, the European Commission and the Government's Panel on Sustainable Development. The Government's Advisory Committee on Business and Environment has now joined the World Business Council on Sustainable Development, made up of the captains of global industry, in calling for a shift from labour to the 'overuse of environmental resources'.

The biggest barrier to changing the climate of public opinion on jobs and the environment in the UK has been 'media mythology'. However much you disprove the point, while unaccountable companies keep threatening local communities that jobs will be lost if environmental measures are implemented, the old myths persist.

FoE has calculated sustainable consumption levels of key resources and will soon publish its findings in Tomorrow's World: Britain's Share in a Sustainable Future. Duncan McLaren, FoE England, Wales & Northern Ireland

finland

"The concept of environmental space is an important tool for defining sustainable development." So said Sauli Rouhinen, secretary-general of the Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development at the presentation of the Sustainable Finland report. The Minister of the Environment has produced a paper for the Earth Summit II underlining the importance of the environmental space concept and FoE concepts have been incorporated into the preparatory papers of other NGOs.

The Sustainable Finland campaign and the environmental space concept have inspired the Recycling Movement and the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation to lead a major NGO effort in Spring 1998: the Sustainable Finland Fair, which will translate the environmental space concept into a living community. Marko Ulvila, FoE Finland

germany

Of all the European efforts, BUND (FoE Germany) has had the greatest national impact so far. The Sustainable Germany report, which sold almost 30,000 copies, was a national sensation when published in 1995. The subject of many television and radio programmes, its scenario for change galvanized a national political debate on Germany's future. Germany's leading weekly magazine, Der Spiegel, dubbed it 'the Green Bible of the Millenium'. Since then an award-winning video and several follow-up publications (including cassettes for children) have been produced to reach a broader cross-section of people; in 1996 over 600 presentations, workshops, and seminars were organized. Local groups have committed themselves to taking the lessons of the study into their communities and a guide has been produced to assist in this. Berlin local groups have taken integrated the results of the study with Local Agenda 21 initiatives. Edgar Endrukaitis, FoE Germany

ghana

We have hosted a series of lectures and conferences focusing on key sectors of Ghana's economy organized in partnership with the Ghana Institute of Planners. Recently, the conference Sustainable Production and Consumption of Natural Resources in West Africa (Accra, May 1997) drew 100 policy makers, academics, participants from other NGOs and the private sector. It is now widely accepted that sustainable production and consumption is a useful concept for Ghana. The challenge of de-linking economic growth from natural resource use while increasing prosperity, offers new perspectives on how to make optimal use of natural resources to meet the needs of local people. Moreover, we believe that a reduction of natural resource use by the North is a precondition for the South to develop in a sustainable manner. Theo Anderson, FoE Ghana

ireland

Since the publication of our national report in March 1997, attention has been focused on two distinct aspects of sustainability. One is the lobbying for ecotaxes as a way to implement our target reductions in materials and energy use. We have focused particularly on the re-introduction of water pricing, as domestic charges were abolished by the government as a populist measure last December. Ireland is now the only EU country which does not charge for domestic water usage. One political party (from the Right) came out publicly in favour of our position. In May we hosted a roundtable on poverty and sustainable development with a guest speaker from Scotland. The Irish Economic and Social Research Institute has agreed to fund an Earthwatch initiative for an NGO event to commemorate Rio + 5: from Agenda to Action to be held in June before the Earth Summit II. Sadhbh O'Neill, Earthwatch (FoE Ireland)

italy

Many people are now seeking our advice on sustainability and we are currently working for the Ministry of the Environment to limit greenhouse gasses and ensure compliance with Agenda 21 recommendations in preparation for international climate negotiations. The Italian province of Trento has also asked us to carry out a preliminary study on its own sustainable land use. One substantial barrier to progress, however, is that many companies have never been educated or encouraged to take a long- term, strategic view, going for the short-term or lobbying for or against a specific measure affecting them. Many industrialists and politicians don't seem to understand the challenges and opportunities offered by a European market.

Another barrier is that sustainable development is still confused with good environmental practices at the national level or with a generic pro-South attitude in foreign policy. Other groups in Italy, including the Green Party, still seem tied to the approach of denouncing environmental emergencies; this is mirrored by the Government's actions, which are seen only in emergencies as well. Laura Radiconcini, Amici della Terra (FoE Italy)

japan

The environmental space concept was first introduced to Japan in 1993 when FoE Netherlands attended a seminar organized by FoE Japan. This was followed by a joint publication with the Japanese consumer union. In 1994, the Japanese Environment Agency touched on the challenge of environmental space targets in its annual white paper. FoE Japan is now co-ordinating research on national environmental space targets and is convinced that it has the potential to shake up the thinking underlying one of the world's largest economies.

While the government promotes individual lifestyle changes, the environmental space approach challenges a whole range of industrial activity and governmental policy based on increasing Japan's already massive resource consumption. The December 1997 meeting of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Kyoto will be an opportunity to test FoE Japan's strategy. There is still much work to be done to change Japan's economic growth-worshipping mentalities. But a global network like FoEI is surely in the best position to do so. Yuri Onodera, FoE Japan

the netherlands

In 1991, with the production of our Sustainable Netherlands report we just wanted to quantify the resources that were available in a globally sustainable way for the Dutch economy. We presented our findings in Rio, in 1992, in order to contribute to the debate and to hear if others thought this was a practical and acceptable approach. Since then, a growing number of NGO's have undertaken similar studies and debate. We were asked to develop and coordinate the Sustainable Europe campaign for Friends of the Earth Europe. This has resulted in a wide range of studies, debates and activities in 30 European countries, engaging many organizations outside Friends of the Earth.

We received important assistance from the European Commission, the Wuppertal Institute and various national governments. International bodies such as the OECD, UNEP and the European Environment Agency paid serious attention to our work in debates and publications.

In the Netherlands itself there is a wide understanding and use of the phrase 'environmental space', but not much political application. The Netherlands is an advanced country on (traditional) environmental policy making, but this also makes it more difficult to introduce new targets and policies. Politicians and government over-emphasize the 'shared responsibility' approach and give away too much of their share. But the limits of traditional environmental policies are clearly visible: technical gains are overtaken by economic growth. The amount of resources entering the country from abroad is still growing. However, the debate on a real sustainable economy is becoming more mature now. FOE Netherlands has organized debates with key persons on the issue of sustainable economy. This has improved our relationship with the business sector - the companies as well as the unions, leading to common projects on sustainable economic development. Maria Buitenkamp (FoE Netherlands), Sustainable Europe's campaign leader and co-author of Sustainable Netherlands

norway

The book Sustainable Norway was the first national study to appear after the Sustainable Netherlands report and was published in co- operation with the Norwegian Forum for Development and Environment (ForUM). Norway's Ministry of Environment has become active in the international debate on sustainable production and consumption and has even provided financial support to the Sustainable Europe campaign. However, it remains resistant to the 'equity principle' - inherent to FOE's approach. The concept of environmental space is now used widely by schools and municipalities in the Environmental Home Guard project and in local Agenda 21 work. Terje Kronen, Norges Naturvernforbund

scotland

FoE Scotland is acknowledged as the key Scottish NGO involved with sustainability; other NGOs and government bodies now refer regularly to us for advice on the issue. The Scottish Environmental Minister, in his keynote speech on sustainability, praised the production of the group's National Report which increased respect for us even by those who might not be thought of as natural FoE supporters.

We were successful in raising funding from Scottish National Heritage and the publicity which surrounded the report prompted the Secretary of State to invite a FoE representative to join Scotland's Advisory Group on Sustainable Development. We have also been active in a commission set up by a Scottish left-wing think- tank to consider priorities for a Scottish parliament which will probably be established now Labour has come to power. Kevin Dunion (FoE Scotland), FoEI Chair

slovakia

The most successful achievement so far is that we have incorporated the principles and indicators of sustainable development in our national legislation. The Act on Environmental Impact Assessment, which went into force in September 1994, recommends that all projects of a strategic character describe how the indicators for sustainable development have been taken into account. The Slovak version of Towards Sustainable Europe has been integrated into an anthology of global issues, The Prosperity Shock, which is now recommended reading for students of environmental science and related subjects. Our national Report, Towards Sustainable Slovakia, is also a recommended text for students of geography and environmental science at Comenius University, Bratislava. Vladimir Ira, Society for Sustainable Living, Slovakia

sweden

FoE Sweden has been invited to discuss its ideas with a broad spectrum of actors, from young trade unionists to politicians and academics. The Agricultural University of Uppsala invited us to make a presentation at a conference attended by 300 people, and national television coverage prompted the food workers union to contact us. Stockholm's local government has also enlisted our help in drawing up new policies on waste management. Anna Lindh, the Swedish Minster of the Environment, wrote to her colleagues in the European Union in an attempt to influence the position they would take on sustainability at the Earth Summit II, asking them to consider suggesting a commitment to achieve the Factor 10 objectives among OECD countries. Charles Berkow, FoE Sweden

switzerland

Several nature protection, environment and development organizations are using our Sustainable Switzerland study as a basis for their work. Earlier this year, the development organization Declaration of Bern based their book Das Existenzmaximum - Grundlagen für eine zukunftsfähige Schweiz (The Subsistence Maximum - Foundations for a Sustainable Switzerland) on our report and we have also co-published a brochure, Eighteen Theses for Sustainable Development. Joint seminars have been organized with representatives from the forestry and the agricultural sectors, but it is much harder than we expected to convince people from the economic sector that sustainable development is also their responsibility. The present government, however, while not very open to sustainable development, did recently announce that more tax on energy and less on labour could be part of a future tax system. Otto Sieber, FoE Switzerland

ukraine

We had to be careful that an adoption of the Sustainable Development campaign by the government would not be a screen for unsustainable activity, but once we had achieved support, we were invited for discussions with the Minister of the Environment and the National Academy of Science. The government has since adopted some of our proposals on energy saving and toxic wastes and lent funding for projects on organic agriculture and the extraction of iron from waste material. The European Commission also provided funding. Our proposals have now been incorporated in the text of the Ukrainian New Constitution. Victor Khazan, Zelenyi Svit

uruguay

As a southern organization, it is important not only to talk about limits but also to emphasize inequalities in distribution. The majority of people here do not have access to, or control over, the resources on which their lives depend. The active involvement of social movements from the outset is crucial. We need social actors to define their needs, and the most appropriate ways to satisfy them. From this 'grassroots' perspective, REDES is incorporating Sustainable Uruguay in all the areas it's working in. This approach also means concrete steps such as working in the community on health issues, housing etc. with an integral perspective in mind.

We have held a number of workshops and a conference to generate discussion with a variety of social partners. We are co-ordinating our national work with other partners in the Southern Cone countries and trying to define common methodologies.

Our recommendations contradict the macro projects being promoted by the Uruguayan government, mainly in the areas of infrastructure (tourism and transport), mining and eucalyptus planting.

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