The Politics of Sustainable Development: An Insider’s Perspective

  • Author(s): Nitin Desai
  • Size: 6 x 9 inch
  • Binding: Hardback
  • Pages: 248
  • Language: English
  • ISBN: 9789394657182
  • Cover Price:

    Rs.695.00 / US $49.00

  • Special Price: Rs. 625.00 / US $44.00

Book Details

There is perhaps no idea more powerful in the 21st century than that of ‘Sustainable Development’. But how did this concept emerge and evolve into what it is now? Nitin Desai, in this part-memoir, part-historical record, traces the journey of global consensus-building on sustainable development, starting from the Brundtland Commission Report – Our Common Future – to the policies, goals, and actions outlined at the Rio Earth Summit (1992) and Agenda 21. 

Nitin Desai tells the inside story of the landmark UN conferences from 1990 to 2002 which negotiated global agreements on climate and the SDGs, and collective actions on poverty, human rights, climate change, social integration, and equitable growth. As the UN Under-Secretary-General who was in-charge of the process, he describes the politics of contestation by major powers of the North and South with the unique insight and authority that comes from being at the centre of global decision-making over nearly two decades.

As the earth and humanity grapple with existential challenges, this book reminds nations to honour their commitments towards the well-being of the planet and for people to reclaim their future. 

 

Inspiring and incisive, this is a book of our times, for our times – a reminder that no dream is too distant if pursued with a resolve of steel, and a roadmap to a future we may yet save, provided we act now. To turn the page is to take the first step.

Dr Shashi Tharoor
MP, Lok Sabha and Former Under-Secretary-General, UN

 

Today, ‘sustainable development’ is on everyone’s lips. What makes this book irreplaceable is that, it is an account from the horse’s mouth, from the man who helped shape the concept, draft the frameworks, and navigate the political storms that surrounded them. 

Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu
Former Union Minister

 

It will prove to be a very valuable reference work as countries continue to grapple with challenges in these areas.

Jairam Ramesh
MP, Rajya Sabha and Former Union Minister

 

In the current nuclear era, the trinity of peace, fraternity, and sustainable development has become sine qua non for human survival on our planet Earth. By providing the two cogent words – sustainable development – Nitin Desai has served humanity well, and will be gratefully remembered by generations to come.

Dr Vijay Kelkar
Former Finance Secretary

 Nitin Desai is a master of thinking across disciplines, and of reflecting and acting, imaginatively but solidly, 'out of the box'.

Patrizio Civili
Former Assistant Secretary-General, UN

 

This book is a must-read for everyone – not just because it teaches us the history of global environmental consciousness, but also provides the agenda on the pathway for the future.

Sunita Narain
Director General, Centre for Science and Environment

Table of Contents

    Preface

    Acknowledgements 

    Part I: Sustainable Development: From Ideation to Realization

    1. The UN in the Nineties
    2. The World Commission on Environment and Development
    3. The Rio Earth Summit
    4. The Commission on Sustainable Development
    5. The World Summit on Sustainable Development
    6. Sustainable Development and Climate Diplomacy

    The Odyssey of Sustainable Development 

    Part II: My Contributions to Sustainable Development

    1. The Concept of Sustainable Development
    2. After Rio: Sustaining the Spirit of a Global Pact
    3. The Politics of Planetary Stewardship
    4. The Social Dimension of Sustainability
    5. From Consensus to Commitment: The Road After Rio
    6. Balancing Acts: Politics, Process, and the Promise of Rio
    7. Beyond Environment: Integrating Justice, Growth, and Sustainability
    8. Sustainable Development: From a Political Perspective
    9. Three Pillars, One Agenda: Doha, Monterrey, Johannesburg
    10. The Half-full Glass: Johannesburg and the Politics of Progress
    11. Davos Man or Porto Alegre Man for Sustainable Development
    12. Major Policy and Issues for Development Cooperation
    13. Global Response to Economic Crisis
    14. On Requirements of Globalization
    15. The Case for a New Multilateralism
    16. Finance and Development

    Afterword: The Future of Sustainable Development

    Index

    Timeline of the Major UN Conferences and Summits on Environment and Sustainable Development

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