About the Global Transition
The Global Transition 2012 is an international network of organisations and leading thinkers from the Global North and South.
It is catalysing a ‘Global Transition’ by building a community of civil society organisations across the globe to promote and deliver a rapid transition to the desirable and beneficial economy that we aspire to.
The ultimate vision of the initiative is an alternative global green economy that maximises well-being, operates within environmental limits and is capable of coping and adapting to global environmental change.
Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future, nef (the new economics foundation) and New Economics Institute are working in partnership to achieve this. Working with other partners such as the Green Economy Coalition and Bioregional, we are aiming to grow the network of organisations from now, in the lead up to Rio+20 and beyond.
The launch
The United Nations 64th Department of Public Information NGO conference (3-5 September 2011) brought together stakeholder groups from all across the world to develop a civil society statement that would feed into the Rio +20 process. This resulted in the DPI NGO zero draft submission that was agreed to at the conference and submitted to the Rio +20 secretariat.
On the 5 September Stakeholder Forum, nef and New Economics Institute presented the Global Transition initiative to the DPI conference participants at a side-event. Here the key objectives, vision and overall intention of the initiative, as well as the plans for the ‘first phase’ relating to the Challenge Papers and the October New York Dialogue were shared.
Why do we need a Global Transition?
The path we are currently on is unsustainable. But, putting the brakes on consumption will, in the current economic system, trigger further unemployment, injustice, and a major decline in human wellbeing. Hence, the tremendous appeal of business as usual and the unwillingness to address the huge systemic problems we face.
We are convinced that there is an alternative. This alternative is not just necessary, but both desirable and possible. It means moving to a new economy that delivers well-being and social justice for all without stretching the Earth’s resources beyond breaking point. This requires a Global Transition.
The Earth Summit in Rio, June 2012, with its focus on the green economy in the context of poverty eradication, offers a unique opportunity to develop a global roadmap or pathway to achieve this transition.