The Worldwatch Institute - State of the World 2014: Governing for Sustainability

Advance Praise for

State of the World 2014: Governing for Sustainability

This volume offers a variety of informed and often passionate voices on the interface of environmental degradation and risk with conceptions and models of governance that, if we can summon the will, would promote sustainable management of the global commons. A clear, lively, thought-provoking book, which serves well as a reasoned call to action.

David M. Malone, Rector of the United Nations University

Achieving sustainable ways of living is inextricably linked to how we organize work in the future. State of the World 2014 makes an important contribution by illustrating how trade unions, far from being outdated, will be at the forefront of a just transition. It is a challenging compilationcoming at exactly the right time.

Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation

For thirty years, the State of the World report has helped to map the gathering and then accelerating storm of environmental, climate, and resource crises. Identifying itself firmly with the collective interest of humanity as a whole living in harmony with nature, the annual report has sought to balance authoritative reporting of the increasingly bleak health of the environment with sustainable pathways out of the accumulating crises. In a world of competing sources of authority and power, the pursuit of atomized individual and national self-interests will court planetary disaster. This years State of the World report has its focus on governance: how, in a world without world government, we can and must make enforceable rules for using finite resources democratically, equitably and, above all, sustainably, with fallible governments and imperfect markets working together for the common good.

Ramesh Thakur, The Australian National University, Editor-in-Chief, Global Governance

State of the World 2014 can be read as a State of the Wealth report. Never before has wealth commanded so much power or been so concentratedeven to the point of threatening civilized life. Wealth becomes unable to offer, not just a better future, but any future. Therein lies its weakness and the hope that the major governance shift that sustainability requires can be brought about.

Roberto Bissio, Coordinator of Social Watch

About Island Press

Since 1984, the nonprofit organization Island Press has been stimulating, shaping, and communicating ideas that are essential for solving environmental problems worldwide. With more than 800 titles in print and some 40 new releases each year, we are the nations leading publisher on environmental issues. We identify innovative thinkers and emerging trends in the environmental field. We work with world-renowned experts and authors to develop cross-disciplinary solutions to environmental challenges.

Island Press designs and executes educational campaigns in conjunction with our authors to communicate their critical messages in print, in person, and online using the latest technologies, innovative programs, and the media. Our goal is to reach targeted audiencesscientists, policymakers, environmental advocates, urban planners, the media, and concerned citizenswith information that can be used to create the framework for long-term ecological health and human well-being.

Island Press gratefully acknowledges major support of our work by The Agua Fund, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Betsy & Jesse Fink Foundation, The Bobolink Foundation, The Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation, Forrest C. and Frances H. Lattner Foundation, G.O. Forward Fund of the Saint Paul Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, The Margaret A. Cargill Foundation, New Mexico Water Initiative, a project of Hanuman Foundation, The Overbrook Foundation, The S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, The Summit Charitable Foundation, Inc., V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation, The Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation, and other generous supporters.

The opinions expressed in this bookare those oftheauthor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of our supporters.

State of the World 2014

Governing for Sustainability

Other Worldwatch Books

State of the World 1984 through 2013 (an annual report on progress toward a sustainable society)

Vital Signs 1992 through 2003 and 2005 through 2013 (a report on the trends that are shaping our future)

Saving the Planet

Lester R. Brown

Christopher Flavin

Sandra Postel

How Much Is Enough?

Alan Thein Durning

Last Oasis

Sandra Postel

Full House

Lester R. Brown

Hal Kane

Power Surge

Christopher Flavin

Nicholas Lenssen

Who Will Feed China?

Lester R. Brown

Tough Choices

Lester R. Brown

Fighting for Survival

Michael Renner

The Natural Wealth of Nations

David Malin Roodman

Life Out of Bounds

Chris Bright

Beyond Malthus

Lester R. Brown

Gary Gardner

Brian Halweil

Pillar of Sand

Sandra Postel

Vanishing Borders

Hilary French

Eat Here

Brian Halweil

Inspiring Progress

Gary Gardner

State of the World 2014

Governing for Sustainability

Tom Prugh and Michael Renner, Project Directors

Gar Alperovitz

Katie Auth

Petra Bartosiewicz

David Bollier

Peter G. Brown

Colleen Cordes

Cormac Cullinan

Antoine Ebel

Sam Geall

Judith Gouverneur

John M. Gowdy

Monty Hempel

Isabel Hilton

Maria Ivanova

Matthew Wilburn King

Marissa Miley

Evan Musolino

Nina Netzer

Thomas Palley

Lisa Mastny, Editor

Lou Pingeot

Tatiana Rinke

Aaron Sachs

Jeremy J. Schmidt

D. Conor Seyle

Sean Sweeney

Burns Weston

Richard Worthington

Monika Zimmerman

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The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Worldwatch Institute; of its directors, officers, or staff; or of its funders.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher: Island Press, 2000 M Street, N.W., Suite 650, Washington, DC 20036.

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Paper:

978-1-61091-541-0

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Ebook:

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The text of this book is composed in Minion, with the display set in Myriad Pro. Book design and composition by Lyle Rosbotham.