'Sustainable development' : mere rhetoric or realistic objective?

The year 2012 will mark a significant anniversary for international environmental law — 10 years post the World Summit on Sustainable Development, 20 years after the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, 25 since the Brundtland Report and 40 following the Stockholm Declaration. It would seem timely to reconsider whether governments are taking effective action on sustainable development, particularly given the continuing degradation of the Earth’s environment. Arguably, further reforms are necessary, including major changes to the Commission on Sustainable Development and to global environmental governance, in order to achieve sustainable development. Otherwise, it may be possible that future generations will regard the present efforts of the international community to take action on sustainable development as mere rhetoric rather than a commitment to achieve a realistic objective.