In the 1970s, concern for frightening levels of air pollution, hazardous effects of biocides, and the rapid deterioration of the environment reached a breaking point. Recognizing the mounting problems of climate change, nations came together during the UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1972. The Conference—widely heralded as the birth of environmental diplomacy—established groundbreaking milestones for international environmental governance. The 113 participating states adopted the Stockholm Declaration that set down essential legal principles for protecting the environment and established a dedicated environmental program—two achievements that put climate change front and center of the global agenda.
Yet, five decades later, not much has changed. The world faces a tripartite crisis of mounting climate change, widespread pollution, and biodiversity loss. A recent report stated that a hotter future is certain. Even if states sharply cut greenhouse emission, global warming is likely to rise around 1.5 degrees Celsius within the next two decades. Given the dire environmental crisis, many hoped that the 50th anniversary of the Stockholm Conference in 2022 would be an opportune moment for the international community to renew commitments to environmental action and strengthen efforts to curb global warming. However, the recently published agenda for the upcoming meeting suggests otherwise.
To begin, the meeting—titled “Stockholm+50: a healthy planet for the prosperity of all – our responsibility, our opportunity”—will not be held as an international conference or summit, unlike past environmental meetings. For example, the 10th anniversary of the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro was held as a summit; the 20th anniversary of the 1992 Rio Conference was organized as a conference. These meetings gathered hundreds of state representatives and non-governmental organizations, leading to new milestones in international environmental governance. In contrast, Stockholm+50 will be a two-day international meeting expected to “gather high-level representatives from a large number of countries.” The UN’s decision to convene an international meeting rather than a summit or conference reflects the fractured state of environmental action. The consensus-based framework of the UN is partially to blame.
China and the Group of 77, a coalition of 134 member states often criticized for its lackluster support for environmental initiatives, said in relation to Stockholm+50, they “hope that the event will be an occasion to raise awareness on the importance of protecting our planet,” but did not mention international cooperation or concrete action for achieving change—two vital ingredients for an effective response to mitigate climate change. But the UN needs the consent of all member states to decide on any matter, which is why forceful action to curb climate change has stalled.
In reality, the likelihood of Stockholm+50 producing new commitments or legal developments is little to none.
The agenda of Stockholm+50 is equally lackluster. Granted, the meeting will address crucial elements for transforming society sustainably, including how to redefine our relationship to nature—from one of ‘take–make–waste’ to one of ‘sustainable use and conservation’—and how to foster a continued green and inclusive recovery. But the high-level dialogues between Heads of State and Government on topics such as “reflecting on the urgent need for actions to achieve a healthy planet and prosperity of all” and “accelerating the implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development in the context of the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development” is—in plain English—a hodgepodge of non-descript words.
Stockholm+50 could, and should, advance necessary legal developments to adopt a comprehensive set of rules governing environmental protection. International environmental law consists of a patchwork of legal principles and treaties. In 2017, the Global Pact for the Environment was launched as an initiative to create a legally binding international instrument that synthesizes key principles outlined in international environmental declarations, including the Stockholm Declaration and the Rio Declaration. The 50th anniversary of the Stockholm Declaration would have been an opportune moment for states to adopt a political declaration on the Global Pact to advance legal developments on protecting the environment.
In reality, the likelihood of Stockholm+50 producing new commitments or legal developments is little to none. During negotiations, the G77 and China opposed action-oriented outcomes. They stated, regarding the decision to hold an international meeting, not a conference, that “there is no expectation to redefine, renegotiate, nor mandate new mechanisms or new commitments, nor to go beyond the provisions of multilateral environmental agreements.” The G77 and China’s opinions serve obstructionist motives to any pro-environmental initiatives which could potentially block any concrete action during Stockholm+50.
Ultimately, the UN has determined that Stockholm+50 will result in a “summary of discussions” as its outcome document. A summary of discussions falls far short of the Stockholm Conference and subsequent Earth Summits, which all produced treaties, declarations, or agreements, and set a global agenda.
As Stockholm+50 is still months away, one can only speculate about the nature and outcomes of its discussions. Given the opposition from states such as China and G77, the prospects of concrete action to mitigate environmental degradation and achieve a “healthy planet” seem narrow. Non-governmental groups and civil society organizations could potentially play a key role in bringing a substantial environmental focus to Stockholm+50 as the official agenda does not bind them.
What is known, however, is that environmental challenges are global and require international solutions. Without the necessary political will, adequate progress in mitigating environmental degradation will not be possible. Stockholm+50 is symbolic of this political fragmentation by not taking the opportunity to commemorate the Stockholm Conference through concrete commitments to protect the environment.
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