Worldwatch Institute, ed. State of the World 2012: Moving Toward Sustainable Prosperity. Washington: Worldwatch Institute, 2012.
In 1992, governments at the Rio Earth Summit made a historic commitment to sustainable development—an economic system that promotes the health of both people and ecosystems. Over twenty years and several summits later, human civilization has never been closer to ecological collapse, a third of humanity lives in poverty, and another 2 billion people are projected to join the human race over the next 40 years.
How will we move toward sustainable prosperity equitably shared among all even as our cities strain to provide decent jobs, housing, transportation, and social services, and as our ecological systems decline?
State of the World 2012: Moving Toward Sustainable Prosperity builds on three decades of experience to offer a clear, pragmatic look at the current state of global ecological systems and the economic forces that are reshaping them—and how we can craft more sustainable and equitable economies in the future. (Text adapted from Worldwatch Institute’s website)