APN Newsletter - Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research

planet_declaration.pdf). The declaration argues
that urgent action is required to avoid human, environmental
and economic crisis at a global scale and
works in synergy with Ban Ki-moon’s Global Sustainability
Panel report Resilient People, Resilient Planet:
A Future Worth Choosing. Nine policy briefs were
produced by the scientific community as an input to
Rio+20 (see www.igbp.net). Policy brief #5, in particular,
raises the interconnected risks and solutions for
a planet under pressure and puts forward a number
of concrete policy recommendations.
The PUP conference presented new initiatives as recommendations
for the Rio+20 Summit, namely:
• Going beyond GDP by taking into account
the value of natural capital when measuring
progress;
Photo: IGBP
Photo: IGBP
• A new framework for developing a set of goals
for global sustainability for all nations;
• Creating a United Nations Sustainable
Development Council to integrate social,
economic and environmental policy at the global
level;
• Launching a new international research
programme — Future Earth — that will focus on
solutions; and
• Initiating regular global sustainability analyses.
IGBP, on behalf of its PUP conference partners, is particularly
grateful to APN’s contributions namely providing
a US$100,000 grant for developing country scientist
participation which allowed 24 scientists from
its member countries to present their work through
oral and poster presentations at the conference.
APN also hosted an exhibition and booth at the
conference, featuring the latest work undertaken
by APN-funded projects in the Asia-Pacific Region
(http://www.apn-gcr.org/2012/03/30/apn-at-planetunder-pressure-2012/).
João M.F. de Morais
Deputy Director, Social Sciences,
International Geosphere-
Biosphere Programme (IGBP)
Planet Under Pressure 2012 Conference, London •
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Guest article