1971 - Founex Report is prepared 1973 - OPEC oil crisis

fuels limits to growth debate.

1960s by a panel of experts meeting in Founex,
Switzerland, in June 1971. It calls for
the integration of environment and
1974 - Rowland and Molina release
CFCs work in the scientific journal, Nature,
1962 - Silent Spring by development strategies. calculating that continued use of CFC gases
Rachel Carson brought together
at an unaltered rate would critically deplete
research on toxicology, ecology and 1971 - Polluter Pays Principle the ozone layer. http://www.ourplanet.com/
epidemiology to suggest that agricultural OECD Council says that those causing
imgversn/92/rowland.html
pesticides were building to catastrophic pollution should pay the costs.
levels. This was linked to damage to animal
1971 - International Institute for 1974 - Latin American World Model
species and to human health. developed by the Fundacio Bariloche;
Environment & Development (IIED) presented at the Second IIASA Symposium
1967 - EDF Environmental Defense established in Britain with a mandate to seek
on Global Modelling. It is the South’s response
Fund formed to pursue legal solutions to ways to make economic progress without
to Limits to Growth and calls for growth and
environmental damage. EDF goes to court destroying the environmental resource base.
equity for the Third World.
to stop the Suffolk County Mosquito Control http://www.iied.org/
Commission from spraying DDT on the
1971 - Rene Dubos and Barbara Ward 1975 - CITES Convention on International
marshes of Long Island. Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and
write Only One Earth. The book sounds Fauna comes into effect. http://www.cites.org
http://www.environmentaldefense.org/
an urgent alarm about the impact of human
1968 - Biosphere Intergovernmental activity on the biosphere but also expresses 1975 - Worldwatch Institute established
Conference for Rational Use and Conservation optimism that a shared concern for the future in the U.S. to raise public awareness of global
of Biosphere (UNESCO) is held; early discus- of the planet could lead humankind to create environmental threats and catalyze effective
sions of the concept of ecologically sustainable a common future. policy responses; begins publishing annual
development. http://www.unesco.org/ State of the World in1984.
1972 - UN Conference on Human http://www.worldwatch.org/
1968 - Paul Ehrlich publishes Environment /UNEP held in Stockholm
Population Bomb on the connection under the leadership of Maurice Strong. The 1976 - Habitat First global meeting to link
between human population, resource conference is rooted in the regional pollution environment and human settlement.
exploitation and the environment. and acid rain problems of northern Europe. The
http://www.pbs.org/population_bomb/ conference leads to establishing many national 1977- Greenbelt Movement starts in
environmental protection agencies and the Kenya. It is based on community
1969 - Friends of the Earth United Nations Environment Programme tree-planting to prevent desertification.
forms as a non-profit advocacy organization (UNEP). http://www.unep.org/
dedicated to protecting the planet from environ- 1977- UN Conference on Desertification
is held. http://infoserver.ciesin.org/docs/
mental degradation; preserving biological, 1972 - Environnement et 002-478/002-478.html
cultural and ethnic diversity; and empowering Développement du Tiers-Monde (ENDA)
citizens to have a voice in decision-making. is established to provide courses and
http://www.foe.org/ training about environment and development
1978 - Amoco Cadiz oil spill off the coast
of Brittany. http://www.mairiebrest.fr/amoco
in Africa. In 1978 it refocuses, becoming an
1969 - National Environmental Policy international voluntary non-profit organization
symposium/
Act is passed in the U.S., creating the concerned with empowering local peoples,
Council on Environmental Quality and estab-
eliminating poverty, and research and training
lishing a national policy for the environment.
for sustainable development at all levels.
http://es.epa.gov/oeca/ofa/nepa.html
http://www.enda.sn/
1969 - Partners in Development/
1970 - IDRC Report of the Commission on 1972 - Club of Rome publishes
International Development, chaired by former Limits to Growth. The report is extremely
Prime Minister of Canada, Lester B. Pearson. controversial because it predicts dire conse-
First of the international commissions to con- quences if growth is not slowed. Northern
sider new approach to development, focused countries criticize the report for not including
on research and knowledge in the South. technological solutions while Southern
Led to the formation of the IDRC. countries are incensed because
http://www.idrc.ca/ it advocates abandonment of
economic development.

1970s http://www.clubofrome.org/

1973 - U.S. enacts

1970 - First Earth Day held as a Endangered Species Act to
national teach-in on the environment. An
estimated 20 million people participated in
better safeguard, for the benefit
of all citizens, the nation’s
Silent Spring
peaceful demonstrations across the U.S. heritage in fish, wildlife and was published in
http://earthday.envirolink.org/history.html plants.http://www.audubon.org/
campaign/esa/esa.html
1962. The book’s release
1970 - Natural Resources Defense
was considered by many
Council forms with a professional staff of 1973 - Chipko
lawyers and scientists to push for comprehen- movement born in to be a turning point in
sive U.S. environmental policy. India in response
http://www.nrdc.org/ to deforestation and our understanding of the
environmental degra-
1971 - Greenpeace starts up in Canada dation.The actions interconnections among the
and launches an aggressive agenda to stop
environmental damage through civil protests
of the women of the environment, the economy and
community influ-
and non-violent interference. enced both forestry social well-being. Since then, many
http://www.greenpeace.org/ and women’s par-
ticipation in envi- milestones have marked the journey
ronmental issues. toward sustainable development.
http://www.
rightlivelihood.se/
recip1987_2.html
 1978 - OECD Directorate of the 1980 - Independent Commission
Environment relaunches research on on International Development Issues
environment and economic linkages. publishes North-South, A Programme for
http://www.oecd.org/ Survival (Brandt Report). It asks for a re-
assessment of the notion of development and
1979 - Convention on Long-Range calls for a new economic relationship between
1982
Transboundary Air Pollution is adopted. - The
North and South. United
http://sedac.ciesin.org/pidb/texts/
Nations
transboundary.air.pollution.1979.html 1980 - U.S. President Jimmy Carter World Charter
authorizes study leading to the Global 2000 for Nature pub-
1979 - Banking on the Biosphere report. This report recognizes biodiversity for lished. It adopts the
IIED report on practices of nine multilateral the first time as a critical characteristic in the principle that every
development agencies, including the World proper functioning of the planetary ecosystem. form of life is unique
Bank, sets the stage for reforms which are It asserts that the robust nature of ecosystems and should be respected
still underway. is weakened by species extinction. regardless of its value to
humankind. It also calls for an
1979 - Three Mile Island nuclear 1981 - World Health Assembly understanding of our depend-
accident occurs in Pennsylvania,USA. unanimously adopts a Global Strategy for ence on natural resources and the
http://www.libraries.psu.edu/crsweb/tmi/tmi.htm Health for All by the year 2000. Affirmed that need to control our exploitation of
the major social goal of governments and WHO them. http://sedac.ciesin.org/pidb/texts/

1980s should be the attainment of a level of health by

all people of the world that would permit them
to lead socially and economically productive
world.charter.for.nature.1982.html

1983 - Development Alternatives

1980 - World Conservation Strategy lives. http://www.who.org/ established in India. It fosters a new
released by IUCN. The section “Towards relationship among people, technology
Sustainable Development” identifies the main
1982 - World Resources Institute and the environment in the South in order
established in the U.S. Begins publishing annu- to attain sustainable development.
agents of habitat destruction as poverty,
al assessments of World Resources in 1986. http://www.devalt.org/
population pressure, social inequity and the
http://www.wri.org/
terms of trade. It calls for a new international
development strategy with the aims of redres-
1984 - Toxic chemical leak leaves 10,000
1982 - UN Convention on the Law of the dead and 300,000 injured in Bhopal, India.
sing inequities, achieving a more dynamic and Sea is adopted. It establishes material rules http://www.bhopal.net/
stable world economy, stimulating economic concerning environmental standards as well as
growth and countering the worst impacts enforcement provisions dealing with pollution of 1984 - Drought in Ethiopia
of poverty. http://www.iucn.org/ the marine environment. Between 250,000 and 1 million people die
http://www.un.org/Depts/los/index.htm from starvation.

1982 - International debt crisis erupts 1984 - Third World Network

and threatens the world financial system. It is founded during an international conference,
turns the 1980s into a lost decade for Latin “The Third World: Development or Crisis?,”
America and other developing regions. which was organized by the Consumers
Association of Penang. TWN’s role is to be
the activist voice of the South on issues of eco-
the nomics, development and environment.
sustainable http://www.twnside.org.sg/twnintro.htm

development 1984 - International Conference

on Environment and Economics (OECD).
timeline Concludes that the environment and economics
should be mutually reinforcing. Helped to shape
The original version was published in Our Common Future.
1998 with the support of the IDRC. The 1985 - Responsible Care®
second edition was published in 1999. An initiative of the Canadian Chemical
Please send recommendations for Producers. Provides a code of conduct for
chemical producers which is now adopted in
future versions of the Timeline to: many countries. http://www.ccpa.ca/
The Sustainable
[email protected]
Development Timeline 1985 - Climate change. Austria meet-
ing of World Meteorological Society, UNEP and
captures some of the key
the International Council of Scientific Unions
events. IISD has prepared reports on the build-up of CO2 and other
this third edition of the “greenhouse gases” in the atmosphere.
They predict global warming.http://www.unep.
Timeline in advance of the ch/iuc/submenu/infokit/factcont.htm
World Summit on Sustainable
1985 - Antarctic ozone hole discov-
Development with the ered by British and American scientists.
generous support of 1986 - Accident at nuclear station
Environment Canada. in Chernobyl generates a massive toxic
IISD’s radioactive explosion. http://www-bcf.usc.
vision is better edu/~meshkati/chernobyl.html
living for all–sustainably.
Its mission is to champion
1987 - Our Common Future Brundtland
Report Report of the World Commission on
innovation, enabling societies Environment and Development weaves togeth-
to live sustainably. er social, economic, cultural and environmental
issues and global solutions. Chaired by Norwe-
http://www.iisd.org gian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland.
© IISD, 3rd Edition, 2002 Popularizes term “sustainable development.”
1987 - Development Advisory Committee 1992 - The Earth Council is established in
DAC members of OECD evolve guidelines for Costa Rica as a focal point for facilitating follow-
environment and development in bilateral up and implementation of the agreements
aid policies. http://www.oecd.org/EN/about/0,, reached at the Earth Summit, and linking
EN-aboutnotheme-2-no-no-no-0,FF.html national SD councils. http://www. 2000 - United Nations
ecouncil.ac.cr/ Millennium Summit
1987 - Montreal Protocol on Substances This largest-ever gathering of world
that Deplete the Ozone Layer is adopted. 1993 - President’s Council leaders adopted the United Nations
http://www.unep.ch/ozone/home.htm for Sustainable Development World Summit Declaration, which
in U.S. announced by President
1988 - Chico Mendes Bill Clinton. They publish
spells out values and principles,
Brazilian rubber tapper fighting the destruction Sustainable America: A as well as goals in key priority areas.
of the Amazon rainforest is assassinated. World leaders agreed that the UN’s
Scientists use satellite photos to document
what the Amazon fires are doing to the
New Consensus for Pros-
perity, Opportunity, and
a Healthy Environment
2000s first priority was the eradication of
extreme poverty and highlighted the
rainforest. http://www.chicomendes.com/ for the Future in 1996. importance of a fairer world economy
http://clinton2.nara. in an era of globalization.
1988 - Intergovernmental Panel on
gov/PCSD/ 2000 - Increasing
Climate Change established to assess http://www.un.org/millennium/
urbanization. Almost half
the most up-to-date scientific, technical and 1993 - First summit.htm
of the world’s population now
socioeconomic research in the field. meeting
http://www.ipcc.ch/
lives in cities that occupy less
of the UN
Commission
than two per cent of the Earth’s 2000 - Miss Waldron’s
1989 - Exxon Valdez tanker runs
on Sustain- land surface, but use 75 per cent red colobus monkey declared
aground dumping 11 million gallons of oil of Earth’s resources. extinct. It is the first extinction in
able Dev-
into Alaska’s Prince William Sound. http://www.aaas.org/international/ several centuries of a member of
elopment
http://www.oilspill.state.ak.us/ atlas/contents/pages/population06.html
established the Primate Order, to which human
to ensure beings belong. According to the
1989 - Stockholm Environment Institute
effective IUCN Red Book, 11,046 species
established as an independent institute for
follow-up 2000 - The Second World
carrying out global and regional environmental are threatened with extinction.
to UNCED, Water Forum and Ministerial
research. http://www.sei.se/ http://wcs.org/news/wcsreports/
enhance held in The Netherlands and attended
1990s international
cooperation
by 5,700 participants from all parts of
the world and 120 ministers. It results
6989/#story4

1990 - Regional Environmental Centre and rational- in the Declaration of The Hague on 2001– Terrorists
for Central and Eastern Europe established ize intergov- representing anti-Western, non-state
Water Security in the 21st Century.
as an independent, non-profit organization to ernmental interests and ideologies, bomb the
assist environmental non-governmental organi- The World Commission on Water
decision-mak- World Trade Center and Pentagon, the
zations, governments, businesses and other for the 21st Century also releases
ing capacity. first serious attack on U.S. soil since
environmental stakeholders to fulfill their role http://www. its “World Water Vision” for the
sustainable use and manage- 1814, thus marking the end of an era
in a democratic, sustainable society. un.org/esa/
http://www.rec.org/ ment of water resources. of unhindered economic expansion.
sustdev/
Repercussions are felt throughout
http://www.worldwater
1990 - UN Summit for Children. Important 1993 - World forum.net/
the world, as stock markets and
recognition of the impact of the environment Conference on economies stumble and the United
on future generations. http://www.unicef.org/wsc/ Human Rights States gears up for a war on terrorism
Governments re-affirmed with its first target being terrorists’
1990 - International Institute for their international commit- networks in Afghanistan.
Sustainable Development (IISD) established
ments to all human rights. http://www.globalpolicy.org/wtc/wtc
in Canada. Begins publishing the Earth Nego-
Appointment of the first UN High index.htm
tiations Bulletin in 1992. http://www.iisd.org/
Commissioner for Human Rights.
1991 - The Canadian east coast cod http://www.unhchr.ch/
fishery collapses when only 2,700 tonnes
of spawning biomass are left after a harvest
1994 - Global Environment Facility
Billions of aid dollars restructured to give
of 190,000 tonnes. http://www.greenpeace.
more decision-making power to developing
org/~comms/cbio/cancod.html
countries. The GEF affirms its commitment to
1991 - Hundreds of oil fires burn out fund projects that are country-driven, based on
of control in Kuwait for months following the national priorities and reflect the incremental
Persian Gulf War. costs of meeting international commitments
that achieve global environmental benefits. 1995 -
1992 - The Business Council for http://www.gefweb.org/ World Summit for Social Development held
Sustainable Development publishes in Copenhagen,Denmark. First time that the
Changing Course. Establishes business 1994 - North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA) enters into force. The international community has expressed a clear
interests in promoting SD practices. commitment to eradicate absolute poverty.
http://www.wbcsd.ch/ side agreement–the North American Agreement
on Environmental Cooperation–establishes the http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/
wssd/index.html
1992 - Earth Summit. UN Conference on Commission for Environmental Cooperation
Environment and Development (UNCED) held in (CEC). http://www.cec.org/ 1995 - Fourth World Conference on
Rio de Janeiro, under the leadership of Maurice Women held in Beijing,China. Delegates adopt
Strong. Agreements reached on Agenda 21, the
1995 - The execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
Convention on Biological Diversity, the Frame-
in Nigeria brings international attention to the
These documents recognize that the status of
linkages between human rights, environmental
work Convention on Climate Change, the Rio women has advanced but obstacles still remain
justice, security and economic growth.
Declaration, and non-binding Forest Principles. to the realization of women’s rights as human
http://www.mosopcanada.org/text/ken.html
Concurrent NGO Global Forum publishes rights. http://www.undp.org/fwcw/daw1.htm
alternative treaties. http://www.unep.org/unep/ 1995 - World Trade Organization
partners/un/unced/home.htm established. Formal recognition of trade,
environment and development linkages.
http://www.wto.org/
 1997 - UN General 1999 - The World Commission
Assembly review on Forests and Sustainable
2001 - Fourth of Earth Summit Development releases its report
Ministerial Conference progress Special Our Forests...Our Future. This
2002 - World Summit session acts as a independent Commission, after
of the World Trade on Sustainable sober reminder extensive hearings with stakehold-
Organization held Development held that little ers worldwide, concluded that the
in Doha, Qatar, sets the progress has world’s material needs from forests
in Johannesburg, South
stage for the next round been made in can be satisfied without jeopardizing
Africa. World governments,
of world trade talks and implementing them by changing the way we value
concerned citizens, UN
features environment and the Earth and manage forests.
agencies, multilateral finan-
development issues in Summit’s http://www.iisd.org/wcfsd/default.htm
cial institutions, and other Agenda
several sections of The
major groups participate 21 and 1999 - Launch of the first
Doha Declaration. The WTO
and assess global change ends global sustainability index
Committee on Trade and
since the United Nations without tracking leading corporate sustain-
Environment is given a
Conference on Environment significant ability practices worldwide. Called
watching brief on the entire new com- the Dow Jones Sustainability Group
and Development (UNCED)
negotiation agenda to ensure mitments. Indexes, this tool provides a bridge
in 1992.
that environmental issues http:// between those companies imple-
http://www.johannesburg
are adequately addressed. www.iisd. menting sustainability principles and
summit.org/
NGOs and the WTO agree to ca/linkages/ investors looking for trustworthy
re-interpret the Agreement csd/ungass. information to guide sustainability-
on Intellectual Property html focused investment decisions.
Rights regarding access http://www.sustainabilityindex.com/
to medicines and public 1998 -
health. http://www.ictsd.org/
1999 -Third World Trade
Controversy Organization Ministerial
ministerial/index.htm over genetical- Conference held in Seattle,
ly modified Washington, U.S. Thousands
organisms. of demonstrators take to the streets
2001 - The Marrakech Global environmen- to protest the negative effects of
Accords, agreed to at tal and food security globalization and growth of global
COP-7, finalize how the concerns raised over corporations, and along with deep
Kyoto Protocol should genetically modified conflicts among delegates inside
work, lay the groundwork (GM) food products. scuttle the negotiations. The first
for ratification by different The EU blocks import of many such anti-globalization
of GM crops from North protests, they signal a new era of
countries and mark the
America and farmers in confrontation between disaffected
conclusion of a process
developing countries rebel stakeholders and those in power.
begun at COP-4 in against “terminator technolo- http://www.iisd.org/trade/
Buenos Aires. gy,” seed that will only wto/seattleandsd.htm
http://www.iisd.ca/linkages/ germinate once. http://scope.
download/pdf/enb12189e.pdf educ.washington.edu/gmfood/

1998 - Unusually severe

weather. China experiences
worst floods in decades; two-thirds
of Bangladesh underwater for sever-
al months from torrential monsoons;
blanketing Hurricane Mitch destroys parts of
the region and Central America; 54 countries hit by
causing over floods and 45 by drought; Earth
US$1.4 billion in hits highest global temperature
health costs and ever recorded. http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.
at least that amount in gov/oa/climate/research/1998/ann/ex
direct fire-related damage. tremes98.html
Concurrently, the market crashes
raising questions about currency 1998 - MAI
speculation and need for govern- Environmental groups, social
ment economic reforms. activists and concerned citizens
1996 - The Summit of the http://www.ciaonet.org/isa/dap01 effectively lobby against the
Americas on Sustainable multilateral agreement on invest-
Development held in Santa Cruz, 1997- Signing of the Kyoto ment (MAI).That, along with
Bolivia. This Summit identified the Protocol Delegates to the UN disagreement by governments
joint efforts needed to reach SD Framework Convention on Climate over the scope of the exceptions
in the hemisphere. http://www. Change Third Conference of the being sought, lead to the demise
summit-americas.org/boliviaplan.htm Parties (COP-3) sign the Kyoto of the negotiations.
Protocol. This document sets goals http://www.citizen.org/trade/issues/mai/
1996 - ISO 14001 for greenhouse gas emission reduc- articles.cfm?ID=1021
Formally adopted as a voluntary tion and establishes emissions
international standard for corporate trading in developed countries
environmental management and the clean development mecha-
systems. nism for developing countries.
http://unfccc.int/resource/
1997 - Asian ecological convkp.html
and financial chaos. Land-
clearing fires intensified by an El
Niño induced drought result in haze