143. Most goods and services sold today fail to bear the full cost of production and consumption. These kinds of negative externalities are common in virtually every area of economic activity, and when they are allowed to go uncorrected, they can lead to market failures.

144. A key component of any sustainable economy is a pricing and regulatory system that reflects the full cost of assets, goods and services. While markets and the private sector will be important drivers of change, Governments have a crucial role to play in establishing policy and price signals through both market and non- market means.

145. The purchasing and investment decisions that are taken every day by millions of companies and billions of individuals are the very front line of sustainable development, and as the size of the “global middle class” grows, so does the need for their consumption to be sustainable.