Chapter 7International LeadershipThe United States has both reason and responsibility to develop and carry out global policies that support sustainable development. Because of its history and power, the United States is inevitably a leader and needs to be an active participant in cooperative international efforts to encourage democracy, support scientific research, and enhance economic development that preserves the environment and protects human health. THE FUTURE OF the United States - its security, its prosperity, and its environment--is inextricably linked to the world. American firms and workers compete in a global economy shaped by global trends. The lives of Americans are increasingly affected by global environmental change. In an era of weapons of mass destruction, savage terrorism, and sophisticated transnational crime, national security is tied to conditions and events around the globe. What Americans do and say affect the rest of the world; and changes in the lives of other peoples--whether positive or negative--affect Americans at home. The United States influences other nations by the force of its example, the power of its economy, and the strength of its arms. The model of American democracy and prosperity has shaped the hopes of many millions of people. The demands of U.S. markets and the products of U.S. industries influence the economic course of much of the world. With one of the highest standards of living in the world, the United States is the largest producer and consumer in history: with fewer than 5 percent of the world's population, the nation consumes nearly 25 percent of the planet's resources. This high standard of living and huge economy also have made the United States the world's largest producer of wastes and have given the country cause and capacity to become the world leader in the creation and use of innovative technology to reduce wastes and control pollution.' Many nations seek to emulate the successes of the U.S. system of environmental protection. The United States is a world leader--often the world leader--whether it chooses to exercise leadership or not. Other nations hesitate to act to address international issues of security, development, or the environment unless the United States takes the lead. And issues of development, environment, and human security are as surely related globally as they are locally. This country will not prosper, nor will freedom thrive, in a violent and unstable world. Poverty, inequity, and environmental destruction corrode the bonds that hold stability and progress together. The peoples of the world can only achieve their legitimate aspirations for economic betterment within the context of environmental protection and a more equitable distribution of the fruits of that progress. Improvement in people's lives will benefit this country economically, environmentally, and socially by mitigating important sources of global conflict. There is another reason for U.S. leadership internationally: certain problems can only be addressed through global cooperation. It is easy to understand that the control of nuclear weapons or the creation of conditions for freer trade requires agreement among nations. The same is true of global environmental problems. Previous chapters of this report emphasize the importance of local communities and individual responsibility in moving the United States toward a more sustainable path; some issues affecting individuals and communities can only be solved, however, if nations agree upon common goals and shared responsibilities. For example, the fishermen of many nations have competed for declining wild stocks of tuna, salmon, cod, and many other fish (see figure 13), a competition that recently flared into violent confrontation and international conflict.[2] The collapse of some fisheries brought misery to communities in the United States and elsewhere. No single nation can by itself limit catches to sustain the fisheries. All nations must agree to abide by the same rules to save the shared resource. Forests--particularly tropical forests - play a critical role in maintaining the diversity, productivity, and resilience of global ecosystems.[3] Forests are also important national resources subject to sensitive issues of sovereignty. In response both to global markets for tropical hardwoods and domestic demand for land and materials, many countries are rapidly cutting their forests. Individual nations understandably resist calls to preserve their forests to provide global benefits. Only cooperative solutions based on global agreements will work. Cooperation has worked effectively in structuring a phaseout of chlorofluorocarbons, the human-made gases destroying the ozone layer. U.S. industries responded to clear goals and economic incentives with a flurry of successful innovations that put them ahead of the agreed-upon schedule. The issues that demand international action include not only damage to ocean ecosystems and deforestation, but also--most importantly--changes in the atmospheric chemistry and composition that influence the global climate and loss of biological diversity. Each of these changes is proceeding at an accelerating rate with consequences that are difficult to predict with certainty or precision. Moreover, none of these phenomena can be quickly reversed after their consequences have been fully understood. The Council heard a set of presentations concerning the science of climate change, the risks, and the uncertainties. Human activities are increasing the concentrations of so-called greenhouse gases. The models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predict a warming of 0.80 F to 3.5 F by the year 2100, although the resulting effects are much less clear.[4] (See figure 14.) U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas due to human activity, make up approximately 25 percent of global emissions of this gas; the per capita U.S.emissions rate is higher than that of any other major industrialized country and many times that of any developing country. In the future, emissions from the developing world will grow rapidly as their economies grow, and atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases consequently will rise. Without change, emissions from developing nations will surpass those from industrial nations--but not for several decades.[5] (See figure 15.) Threats to the global stock of biodiversity represent another global environmental challenge. Although the risks and implications for the United States (as well as its own contribution to the problem) may seem vague and uncertain, the economic and environmental effects could be profound. Economic benefits from wild species make up an estimated 4.5 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product. Fisheries contribute about 100 million tons of food worldwide. One-fourth of all prescriptions dispensed in the United States contain active ingredients extracted from plants, and more than 3,000 antibiotics are derived from microorganisms. Further, nature tourism generates an increasing percentage of tourism revenues worldwide. Yet, for all its value, biodiversity often takes a back seat in many economic development plans. Tropical forests house between 50 and 90 percent of all species on Earth, but because of forest clearing, 5 to 10 percent of the tropical forest species may be faced with extinction within the next 30 years.[6] (See figure 16.) Around the globe people who depend on the sea for a living are already witnessing a decline in the productivity of many of the world's most valuable fisheries. As with climate change, one nation cannot solve the problem alone, and the potential for economic harm is huge. In accepting the challenges of leadership posed by its wealth, strength, know-how, and history, the United States must first adopt effective domestic policies to achieve sustainable development so that it can demonstrate that a better path to progress is possible. Falling short of its own goals may signal to the world the ineffectiveness of free institutions to create environmentally sound economic development that equitably distributes the benefits of growing prosperity. If the United States believes that free institutions are the best means for pursuing human aspirations, it must show that these institutions can respond to the great changes taking place. More than 100 nations have established national councils on sustainable development similar to the U.S. President's Council on Sustainable Development; they seek to create consensus and shape policies to bring together economic, environmental, and equity goals.[7] Some, like the Canadian and Australian Roundtables, began their work several years before the U.S. Council. Most have been organized in response to the 1992 Earth Summit, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. Each of the councils is addressing the relationship of human well-being, economic progress, and the environment within the fabric of the conditions, needs, heritage, and politics of its own country. Their council representatives have said--in many different ways--that if the United States fails, they cannot succeed; but if the United States embraces the idea of sustainability, they believe their own nations will as well. Because the United States is linked to the world by inter-related economic, environmental, and security interests, it cannot simply turn inward. The nation will achieve much that is in its interest by arguing the case for and assisting the transition to global sustainability. It can create markets for U.S. technology, foster equitable conditions under which U.S. industries and workers can compete, and build fair agreements for action to address global problems that affect the United States and its citizens. International engagement for sustainability is a task for government in its relations with other governments, but it is also a task for other parts of society. For decades, and with considerable success, America has provided aid to nations to encourage development, fight disease, build democracy, and reduce environmental damage. The majority of that aid has come from government, but U.S. philanthropic organizations also have channeled billions of dollars of voluntary contributions into national and global efforts to meet human needs and protect the future. Leading U.S. companies have been influential in moving their industries toward openness and the application of consistent codes of responsible global stewardship. Nongovernmental organizations have helped to spur the creation of strong independent voices in debates on development, environment, and social policies around the world. Both official and unofficial roles are essential to the process of international change. Second, the United States is a signatory to the international conventions or treaties that are designed to promote common actions to reduce the risks of climate change and biodiversity loss--two of a growing list of international accords to address global environmental concerns.[8] Yet, the United States has not ratified the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity--the only major industrialized country that has not done so--even though ratification was supported by a broad cross section of U.S. industry and environmental groups. As a result, the United States faces the risk of not being able to participate in the treaty or help shape the treaty's evolution. Further, the United States may forgo potential economic benefits from the import of genetic resources. The international environmental treaties may not be perfect from many different perspectives, but they do offer a framework for nations to use to move forward together when there is little incentive to move alone. America will derive the greatest benefit in support of its economic and environmental interests by participating in these treaties as well as in the full range of international development assistance processes. Third, this nation must not diminish either the importance of scientific research for domestic and international fronts or the importance of the U.S. role in such research. To develop treaties to deal with new concerns and issues effectively, the scientific understanding of the problems and the possible responses to them must continue to be improved. Therefore, the United States should continue to support research and encourage other nations to participate more in international research on critical issues relevant to health and the environment. Finally, but no less importantly, this nation should continue to promote and encourage global trading systems that mutually reinforce environmental protection and other social development goals. In recent years, initial steps have been taken to incorporate environmental provisions into regional and multilateral agreements designed to reduce trade barriers and improve equitable access to global markets. These agreements may serve to enhance U.S. economic well-being as well as that of other nations and to promote, in a broader sense, greater global stability. Much still needs to be done, however, in reconciling trade and environmental objectives in an increasingly integrated world economy. This is not just a job for governments, but requires the resources and commitment of the industrial community and the private sector as a whole. Improved economic health and political stability can provide greater resources for environmental protection and a more effective coordinated global approach to the challenges that the nations of the world face together.
[1] World Resources Institute, World Resources 1994-95, prepared in collaboration with the U.N. Environmental Program and the U.N. Development Program (New York: Oxford University Press, 1994), p. 268, table 16.1 (for population numbers). The United States has the largest domestic product in the world. See U.S. Department of Commerce, Statistical Abstract of the United States 1994 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1994), p. 862, table 1366. Close up estimates of the U.S. share of the world resource consumption range from 20 to 30 percent. In 1993, the United States consumed approximately 24 percent or world energy. See U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, International Energy Annual 1993, DOE/EIA-0219(93) (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1995), p. vii. U.S. consumption of raw materials in 1993 equaled nearly 30 percent of the world total. See U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines, "Changing Minerals and Material Use Patterns" (presented at the Annual General Meeting of the Academia Europaea, Parma, Italy, 23-25 June 1994), figs. 5-1 and 5-2. Waste consumption data are from OECD Environmental Performance Reviews - Netherlands (paris, 1995), p. 78, fig. 4.2. [2] U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), Rome Consensus on World Fisheries (presented at FAO Ministerial Conference on Fisheries, Rome, Italy, 14-15 March 1995). [3] World Resources Institute, Global Biodiversity Strategy: Guidelines for Action to Save, Study and Use Earth's Biotic Wealth Sustainably and Equitabliy, prepared in collaboration with the U.N. Environmental Program and The World Conservation Union (Washington, D.C.: World Resources Institute, 1992), p. 7, citing C.D. Thomas, "Fewer Species," Nature 347 (1990): 237. [4] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Climate Change: The IPCC Scientific Assessment, J.T. Houghton, G.J. Jenkins, and J.J. Ephraums, eds. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990), p. xi. In addition to the 1990 report, IPCC issued reports in 1992 and 1994 and is drafting a 1995 update. See IPCC, Climate Change 1992: The Supplementary Report to the Scientific Assessment, J.T. Houghton, B.A. Callander, and S.K. Varney, eds. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992); and Climate Change 1994: Radiative Forcing of Climate Change, J.T. Houghton et al., eds. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994). [5] G. Marland, R.J. Andres, and T.A. Boden, "Global, Regional, and Natural CO2 Emissions," in T.A. Boden et al., eds., Trends '93: A Compendium of Data on Global Change (Oak Ridge Tenn.: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1994), pp. 505-84; and World Resources 1994-95, p. 202, table 11.7. Future projections are from International Energy Agency, World Energy Outlook 1995 (Paris: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development/International Energy Agency, 1995), pp. 48-49.
[6] Data on economic benefits of biodiversity are from
Global Biodiversity Strategy, p. 2, citing C. Prescott-Allen,
[7] The Earth Council, Directory of National Councils for Sustainable Development, 2nd ed., directory compiled with assistance from World Resources Institute, Natural Resource Defense Council, and U.N. Department of Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development (San Jose: The Earth Council, 1995). [8] The United States signed the Climate Convention on 15 June 1992, ratifying it on 15 October 1992; and signed the Biodiversity Convention on 4 June 1993. See U.N. Office of Legal Affairs, United Nations -- Multilateral Treaties Deposited With Secretary-General, Status as of 31 December 1994 With Supplements, ST/LEG/SER.E/13 (New York: United Nations, 1994). [9] The discussion of climate change is based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change studies listed in note 4. In addition, there are other major studies on global climate change. See National Research Council (NRC), Energy and Climate (Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Sciences, 1997); NRC, Carbon Dioxide and Climate: A Scientific Assessment (Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Sciences, 1979); NRC, Changing Climate: Report of the Carbon Dioxide Assessment Committee (Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1983); NRC, Global Change and Our Common Future: Papers From a Forum (Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1989); NRC, Ozone Depletion, Greenhouse Gases, and Climate Change (Proceedings of Joint Symposium by the Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate and the Committee on Global Change, Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics and Resources) (Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1989); National Academy of Sciences, Policy Implications of Greenhouse Warming: Mitigation, Adaption, and the Science Base (Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1992); U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, Preparing for an Uncertain Climate -- Volume 1, OTA-O-567 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1993). [10] For more information on joint implementation, see President William J. Clinton and Vice President Albert Gore, Jr., The Climate Change Action Plan (Washington, D.C.: The White House, 1993), pp. 26-31. [11] U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, North American Waterfowl Management Plan, fact sheet (Washington, D.C., 1995); Council on Environmental Quality, Environmental Quality: The Twenty-Fourth Annual Report (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1993), pp. 96 and 99; and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1994 Update to the North American Waterfowl Management Plan -- Expanding the Commitment (Washington, D.C., 1994), p. 2. [12] U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, citing estimate by Environmental Business International, Inc., Environmental Business JournalR, August 1995: pp. 1-5. In 1993, the environmental industry generated $133 billion in revenues or about 2 percent of the gross domestic product. The industr employed over 1 million people. See Statistical Abstract of the United States 1994, table 373; and p. 446, table 684. [PCSD HOME]
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