ABSTRACT
The pursuit of environmental sustainability is an essential part of the global effort to reduce poverty. This was confirmed at the turn of the millennium in two important declarations. In September 2000, world leaders agreed to the Millennium Development Goals at the United Nations Millennium Summit. Highlighting the stark choices facing humanity at the dawn of the twenty-first century, the eight Goals and their 18 associated targets focus efforts of the world community on eradicating poverty in all its forms by achieving concrete and measurable objectives by the year 2015, thereby moving the world toward greater equity and sustainability (see the Goals on pages xvi–xvii). This global framework for action articulates a vision of shared responsibility between rich and poor countries to meet time-bound, quantified objectives. Among these objectives is to ensure environmental sustainability in development planning and implementation, formally stated in Millennium Development Goal 7.
