ABSTRACT
Since the Industrial Revolution, humanity has entered an era of global changes that is transforming the face of the Earth. The effects of that revolution will ripple down for centuries. Rising living standards are taking their toll on the natural resource base that underpins them. As a result, humanity’s footprint on the environment has never been as significant as it is now. The pressures on the planet’s natural functions caused by human activity have reached such levels that ecosystems’ ability to satisfy the needs of future generations (a necessary component of achieving sustainable development; WCED, 1987) is seriously, and perhaps irreparably, compromised. Humanity is facing two main global challenges that are interconnected: climate change and biodiversity loss. These challenges have further implications for peace, security and development (WBGU, 2007).
