For me, the story begins with the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, also known as the ‘Earth Conference’. It brought together political leaders, diplomats, scientists, representatives of the media, and non-governmental organizations from 179 countries. The primary objective of the Rio ‘Earth Summit’ was to produce a broad agenda and a new blueprint for international action on environmental and development issues. I regard this conference as a milestone event in the history of mankind.
In the UN´s wording: “The ‘Earth Summit’ recognized that integrating and balancing economic, social and environmental concerns in meeting our needs is vital for sustaining human life on the planet and that such an integrated approach is possible. The conference also recognized that integrating and balancing economic, social, and environmental dimensions required new perceptions of the way we produce and consume, the way we live and work, and the way we make decisions. This concept was revolutionary for its time”.