“It
gives me great pleasure to contribute this foreword
to ‘Cents and Sustainability’ and
support a response by our next generation to the
seminal publication Our Common Future, following
its recent 20th anniversary. The Natural Edge
Project is to be commended for tackling this vitally
important issue and highlighting where in the
world already communities, regions and nations
are creating solutions to this great challenge
of our time.”
R.
K. Pachauri (Foreword Writer), Chief of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), accepting the
Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the IPCC in 2007
“The
leitmotif of this book is how to decouple environmental
pressures from economic growth while simultaneously
making progress towards attaining the millennium
development goals. It thus addresses a number
of economic, social, and environmental dimensions
of sustainable development. The book restates
the case for reducing environmental pressures.
Failure to do so will entail very high costs to
ourselves and future generations; the technological
means and the policy tools needed already exist
and, in most cases, have been deployed in one
country or another; finally, the costs of implementing
a decoupling agenda are eminently affordable,
amounting to only a few percentage points of future
increases in GDP.”
Dr.
Kenneth G. Ruffing (Foreword Writer), formerly
Deputy Director and Chief Economist of the OECD
Environment Directorate from 2000 to 2005
“It
is not wise simply to hope that our decision makers
will make the right choices, especially given
the fact that there are still powerful vested
interests who do not want to see a transition
to sustainable development. In the end, it is
up to each and every one of us to leave as positive
a legacy as possible to future generations. Cents
and Sustainability, with its inspiring world class
success stories, our earlier 1987 report to the
United Nations entitled Our Common Future, and
free online education and training packages by
The Natural Edge Project will help empower you
to play your part in helping achieve a sustainable
future.”
Jim
MacNeill, O.C. (Introduction Writer), Secretary
General, World Commission on Environment and Development,
and Chief Architect and lead author of Our Common
Future (1987)
“The
Natural Edge Project has written the best summary
to date outlining the complexity of the climate
change science while validating why early action
is necessary. Their analysis provides the clearest
description of the costs of purposeful action
and how those costs can be reduced in the energy
generation sector. A must read for all policy
makers, investors, and energy executives!”
Archie Kasnet, Partner, Aedi Group
"The members of the Natural Edge Project
are representatives of Australia’s next
generation of decision-makers and thought leaders.
The Purves Environmental Fund is therefore delighted
to support the work of this committed and talented
team. Cents and Sustainability takes on the critical
issue of how we can improve human welfare while
not exceeding the limits of the natural world
we inhabit. To quote Ray Anderson, 'How to do
well and do good at the same time is the challenge'.
This book addresses that challenge. As with the
Natural Edge’s previous publication, The
Natural Advantage of Nations, Cents and Sustainability
is a tremendous achievement and a timely and important
contribution. I commend it as essential reading
for anyone who is concerned with long-term sustainability
and prosperity."
Robert
Purves, Chair, Purves Environmental Fund
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The
Development of this publication has been
made possible by a Grant from the Purves
Environmental Fund.
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