Five Propositions

The report argues that globalization and environmental degradation are deeply intertwined, creating new security threats and economic risks. It posits that the future of the global environment will be defined by consumption patterns and the ability of emerging economies, particularly China and India, to adopt sustainable development paths. The authors call for a fundamental reform of global governance to move beyond state-centric models and integrate trade and environmental policies under the shared goal of sustainable development.

• Rapid global economic expansion and increased demand for finite natural resources threaten continued economic prosperity, as the world already exceeds nature's productive capacity by 25 to 30 per cent and 60 per cent of ecosystems are overused.
• Environmental degradation and globalization create new security threats, particularly for the poorest communities. Climate change may cause 150 million environmental refugees by 2050, and water scarcity is projected to affect 5 billion people by 2025.
• The global center of gravity is shifting toward emerging economies, especially China and India, which now have the opportunity to 'bend the curve' by adopting cleaner technologies and development paths than those used by previously industrialized nations.
• Consumption, rather than growth, is the central challenge for the future of the global environment. Humanity is on a trajectory to use two planets' worth of natural resources by 2050 unless consumption is de-linked from growth.
• Global environmental policy is heavily reliant on market management, and there is an increasing need to integrate trade and environmental policies, as seen in the Doha Round of WTO negotiations and the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
• Current global governance is fragmented and overly state-centric, failing to adequately incorporate the defining roles of civil society and market actors in addressing environmental and globalization challenges.

APA

Najam, A., Runnalls, D., & Halle, M. (n.d.). Five Propositions. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/trade_environment_globalization.pdf

Chicago

Najam, Adil, David Runnalls, and Mark Halle. Five Propositions. International Institute for Sustainable Development, n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/trade_environment_globalization.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Najam |first1=Adil |last2=Runnalls |first2=David |last3=Halle |first3=Mark |title=Five Propositions |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/trade_environment_globalization.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{najamndfive, author = {Najam, Adil and Runnalls, David and Halle, Mark}, title = {{Five Propositions}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/trade_environment_globalization.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }