Page 27 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

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Agenda 21 is a strategic document adopted by the United Nations Conference
on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. In the
Rio Summit, or Earth Summit as it is known, representatives from 179 nations
gathered in what would become the end of a 2-year effort intended to define a model
for sustainable development. The Earth Summit was a historical event: a new global
commitment for sustainable development was established in Rio. This commitment
respects the fact that environmental protection and the development process are
indivisible. It is based on political commitment and global consensus at its highest
level: the Agenda 21, which is an action plan for the 1990s and the early years of
the 21st century. At the same time, it stands as a global alliance of humankind
regarding environment and development, that is, for sustainable development.
Agenda 21 is a large document divided into 40 chapters and written to foster an
action plan. The goal of this project is to see that development becomes sustainable
in social, economic and environmental terms.
In 2002 the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg
reviewed the implementation of Agenda 21 over the past 10 years. In 2002, the
world’s political situation was far different from the one that marked the Rio Earth
Summit of 1992. One positive outcome was the new partnership among governments,
civil society, industry and the United Nations (UN) in areas such as corporate
responsibility and environmental standards. In the implementation plan, the devel-
opment of a 10-year framework with programs in support of sustainable consumption
and production patterns, using science-based approaches such as life-cycle analysis,
has been agreed upon. It is an encouragement to industries to improve their social
and environmental performance, taking into account the International Standards
Organization (ISO) and the Global Reporting Initiative.
The philosophy of sustainable development has turned into a valuable guide for
many communities that have discovered that traditional methods for planning and
development create more social and ethical problems than the ones they solve, while
sustainable development offers them real and long-lasting solutions to consolidate
their future. Sustainable development makes possible the efficient use of resources,
building of facilities, quality of life protection and enhancement, and the establish-
ment of new businesses to strengthen economies. It may help in building healthy
communities capable of sustaining present and future generations. Sustainability can
be seen as a triangle with each of its cornerstones representing environmental,
economic and social elements (Figure 1.2). Put simply, sustainability is the balance
among these three elements; achieving a steady balance demands equal attention to
each element.

1.2.2 ECO-EFFICIENCY
The philosophy of eco-efficiency was first introduced in 1992 in Changing Course,
a report by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). In
1993, eco-efficiency was defined in more detail at the first workshop, held in Antwerp
under the name “eco-efficiency,” in which the council arrived at the conclusion that
eco-efficiency is

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