Why not wait andsee? 227It is also increasingly realised that the idea of sustainability not only
applies to the environment but also to human communities. Sustainable
development is often therefore assumed to include wider social factors
as well as environmental and economic ones. The provision of social
justice and equity are important components of a drive to sustainable
communities. Considerations of equity include not just equity between
nations but also equity between generations: we should not leave the
world in a poorer state for the next generation.
Why not wait and see?
In taking action to satisfy the requirements of sustainable development
a balance must be struck between many factors. The following sections
address some of the arguments, issues and principles that are involved
in this debate.
Firstly, in the light of scientific uncertainty, it is often argued that the
case is not strong enough for any action to be taken now. What we should
do is to obtain as quickly as possible, through appropriate research pro-
grammes, much more precise information about future climate change
and its impact. We would then, so the argument goes, be in a much better
position to decide on relevant action.
It is true that more accurate information is urgently needed so that
decisions can be better informed. But in any sensible future planning,
all information about likely future needs has to be taken properly into
account. Decisions now should be informed by the best information
available now, even if it is imperfect.
In the first place, quite a lot is already known – enough to scope the
problem as a whole. There is general consensus amongst scientists about
the most likely overall magnitude of climate change and there are good
indications about its probable impact. Although we are not yet very con-
fident regarding detailed predictions, enough is known to realise that the
rate of climate change due to increasing greenhouse gases will almost
certainly bring substantial deleterious effects and pose a large problem to
the world. It will hit some countries much more than others. Those worst
hit are likely to be those in the developing world that are least able to
cope with it. Some countries may actually experience a more beneficial
climate. But in a world where there is increasing interdependence
between nations, no nation will be immune from the effects.
Secondly, the timescales of both atmospheric and human responses
are long. Carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere today will con-
tribute to the increased concentration of this gas and the associated cli-
mate change for over a hundred years. The more that is emitted now, the
more difficult it will be to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide concen-
tration to the levels that will eventually be required. With regard to the