ABSTRACT
The roots of environmental deterioration are initiated by the activities of industrialised countries. Environmental deterioration can be tackled at various levels. Management of the global commons also has important implications for the preservation of resources for humanity. The UN Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm (1972) was the first initiative to put the environment on the global political agenda. Recognising the global nature of environmental problems that face humanity, the central agreement of the Earth Summit stresses that sustainable development is not an option but a requirement increasingly imposed by the limits of nature. In addition, participating states pledged cooperation in research and monitoring, information sharing on chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) production and emissions and continued efforts to pass control protocols. Global environmental problems are a shared responsibility by the whole of humanity. Global dialogue between different societies, beyond policy makers and scientists, would be able to help narrow the gap in our environmental thinking.
