World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg) – An assessment for IISD

The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) produced the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development, the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, and various 'Type II' partnership commitments. While the summit established targets for sanitation, biodiversity, and fisheries, it failed to agree on a global renewable energy target due to opposition from the US and some OPEC countries. The document notes a shift toward 'Type II' partnerships and highlights the summit as a turning point for the Kyoto Protocol's entry into force following ratification signals from Russia and Canada.

• The WSSD resulted in three primary outcomes: the 'Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development' (a political declaration), the 'Johannesburg Plan of Implementation' (a 65-page document with existing and new commitments), and 'Type II' non-negotiated partnership commitments involving governments, business, and NGOs.
• The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation established several specific environmental and social targets: halving the population lacking basic sanitation by 2015, reducing biodiversity loss by 2010, halting the decline of fish stocks by 2015, and minimizing harmful effects of chemicals by 2020.
• Proposals for the first global renewable energy target, supported by the European Union and Brazil, were defeated. The final text called for a substantial increase in the global share of renewable energy but relied on national and voluntary regional targets rather than a binding global target.
• The summit is identified as a critical turning point for the Kyoto Protocol's entry into force, as the Russian Federation and Canada indicated that ratification could occur soon, which would provide the necessary emissions volume for the protocol to become active.
• The WSSD emphasized corporate responsibility and accountability based on the Rio Principles. This is viewed by some NGOs as a potential foundation for establishing an international regulatory framework for corporations.
• The UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was granted an enhanced role to review and monitor the implementation of Agenda 21 and to coordinate partnerships, while the UNDP continues to monitor the Millennium Development Goals.
• The Global Environment Facility (GEF) received its highest ever replenishment on 7 August 2002, with donor countries pledging nearly US$3 billion for activities through 2006.
• The document argues that the WSSD marked a transition from the 'agenda-setting' phase of previous summits (Stockholm 1972, Rio 1992) toward a focus on effective implementation and the removal of institutional and political obstacles.

APA

Doran, P. (2002). World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg) – An assessment for IISD. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/wssd_assessment.pdf

Chicago

Doran, Peter. World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg) – An assessment for IISD. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2002. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/wssd_assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Doran |first1=Peter |title=World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg) – An assessment for IISD |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=3 October 2002 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/wssd_assessment.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{doran2002world, author = {Doran, Peter}, title = {{World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg) – An assessment for IISD}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2002}, month = oct, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/wssd_assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }