Ban Ki Moon - Current Economic Models "Global Suicide Pact"

[hatrack]

The world's current economic model is an environmental "global suicide pact" that will result in disaster if it isn't reformed, Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, warned today. Ban said that political and business leaders need to embrace economic innovation in order to save the planet. "We need a revolution," he told a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on how best to make the global economy sustainable. "Climate change is also showing us that the old model is more than obsolete."

He called the current economic model a recipe for "national disaster" and said: "We are running out of time. Time to tackle climate change, time to ensure sustainable … growth." The Guardian revealed yesterday that Ban is ending his hands-on efforts to reach a global climate deal through UN negotiations, and move to focus on a broader sustainability agenda.

His words received a mixed reception from other panelists, including Felipe Calderón, Mexico's president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Indonesia's president, Walmart chief executive, Mike Duke, and Microsoft's Bill Gates.

Jim Balsillie, co-chief executive of BlackBerry maker Research in Motion, said technology alone wouldn't solve the problem of how to sustain economic growth while reducing its impact on the environment. "We have to fundamentally rethink economics," he said, suggesting that a new model was needed to hold businesses to account for their impact on the planet.

EDIT

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jan/28/ban-ki-moon-economic-model-environment

[JuniperLea]

1. K&R

This is an important message. Unfortunately, it will be buried today.

Keep it kicked!

[Bigmack]

4. Mindboggling, the ability

of a so-called "sapient species" to keep their heads buried VERY deep in the sand..... Ms Bigmack

[PDJane]

2. He is quite correct.......K&R

[Nihil]

3. This is an important post (and not just for Ban Ki-Moon's comments)

> Jim Balsillie, co-chief executive of BlackBerry maker Research in Motion, said
> technology alone wouldn't solve the problem of how to sustain economic growth
> while reducing its impact on the environment. "We have to fundamentally rethink
> economics," he said, suggesting that a new model was needed to hold businesses
> to account for their impact on the planet.

Shame that such wise words were only released on a news-dump day while all of the
sheep are looking forwards to the weekend's sports fixtures ...