EMPOWERING PEOPLE TO MAKE SUSTAINABLE CHOICES

55.    The more influence we have in society, the greater our potential impact on the planet and the greater our responsibility to behave sustainably — never more so than today, when globalization and the constraints of our natural resources mean that individual choices can have global consequences. For too many of us, however, the problem is not only unsustainable choices, but a lack of choices in the first place. Real choice is only possible once human rights, basic needs, human security and human resilience are assured. And delivering on our global promises to end poverty today is every bit as central to sustainable development as ensuring that the needs of the biosphere and of future generations are given due weight.

56.    This section sets out recommendations in the following key areas:

(a) Delivering on the fundamentals of development: international commitments to eradicate poverty, promote human rights and human security and advance gender equality (paras. 57-66);

(b)    Advancing education for sustainable development, including secondary and vocational education, and building of skills to help ensure that all of society can contribute to solutions that address today’s challenges and capitalize on opportunities (paras. 67-77);

(c)    Creating employment opportunities, especially for women and youth, to drive green and sustainable growth (paras. 78-88);

(d)    Enabling consumers to make sustainable choices and advance responsible behaviour individually and collectively (paras. 89-99);

(e)    Managing resources and enabling a twenty-first-century Green Revolution: agriculture, oceans and coastal systems, energy and technology (paras. 100-128);

(f)    Building resilience through sound safety nets, disaster risk reduction and adaptation planning (paras. 129-138).