 Global Goals for the Green Decade
Proclaimed on Earth Day 1990, these goals address the most critical environmental issues facing global society in the last decade of the 20th century. Our quality of life, and quite possibly our survival, depend on attaining them. (The © symbol indicates goals that are discussed in this year's Countdown 2000 report)
Protect the planet's atmosphere
Ban all emissions of CFCs and other major ozone-depleting chemicals by 1994 and halt all production of such chemicals before 2000.
Combat acid rain by reducing sulfur dioxide emissions by 90% and nitrogen oxides by 75% by the year 2000.
Curtail carbon dioxide production from the combustion of fossil fuels by 20% by the year 2000. By 2020, worldwide carbon emissions from fossil fuels should be reduced to two billion tons per year (down from 5.66 billion tons in 1988).
© Improve urban air quality in the world's major cities by reducing all automobile pollutants by ay least 50% by 1995. Improve future health through investments in urban planning, public transportation and alternative fuel vehicles.
Ensure healthy water
Outlaw all dumping of untreated industrial and medical wastes in surface streams, lakes and oceans.
Design all future sewage treatment facilities to segregate human sewage from industrial discharges, returning the former to the land and recycling the latter.
© Reduce per capita residential water use by 30%.
Meet basic human needs
Promote low input sustainable agriculture, with crops grown as close as possible to markets. Reduce global pesticide use by 75%. Emphasize low-tillage crops to reduce soil erosion.
© Encourage dietary shifts to healthier foods that are lower on the food chain.
© Provide family planning information and contraceptives to every woman in the world who wants them and stabilize the world population at no more than 8 billion people.
Promote international cooperation
© By 1996, reduce world military expenditures by 50%, to approximately $500 billion per year.
© By 1992, convert the United Nations Environmental Programme into an international regulatory agency with the necessary authority to safeguard the atmosphere, the oceans and other global commons from transboundary environmental threats.
Enhance and protect biological diversity
Triple the world’s parkland and ecological preserves.
Ban all logging in ancient forests and provide the greatest possible protection for the world’s remaining rainforests.
© Reforest 130 hectares (52 million acres) by the year 2000.
Restructure international lending policies to relieve the current pressure put on many developing countries to destroy global environmental treasures to service their debt. Link all future development assistance, including aid to Eastern Europe, to criteria ensuring sustainable development.
© Establish an International Fund for the Conservation of Biological Diversity, following the model developed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Create a safe, sustainable energy system
Reduce per capita residential consumption by 30%, industrial energy use by 40% by the year 2000.
© Increase renewable energy generation to 20% of the total energy generated by 2000.
Increase the global research and development budget for hydrogen and other solar fuels 50-fold over the next 10 years.
© Commission no new nuclear power plants.
Reduce waste and toxic pollution
© Reduce solid waste by 75% by the year 2000 by establishing effective recycling and composting programs, enacting international design standards that ensure ease of recycling at the end of every product’s lifetime, and banning all packaging that is not recyclable.
Eliminate 80% of hazardous waste production by the year 2000 through comprehensive source reduction programs.
© Clean up all existing toxic, hazardous and nuclear waste sites to acceptable levels of safety.
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