Sustainability – the formula for growth from "More" to "Better"

5th Annual Conference of the German Council for Sustainable Development

6 September 2005
Berlin Congress Center (bcc)
Alexanderplatz 3, D-10178 Berlin
8.30 am to approx. 19.30 pm

In a society that requires ever-increasing amounts of raw materials to create more and more products, growth is a dead-end. If we continue with our current levels of resource consumption, we will ultimately destroy the foundations of our economy, our environment and our society. Unlimited growth is not possible if it involves only the old industrial society on a "bigger, fatter and heavier" scale. But growth geared to man and to nature, recognising and setting limits, means development. Sustainability is achieved when the life options of future generations are increased rather than jeopardised.

Until now, growth has simply been concerned with "more" - in future it needs to be geared to "better" - in other words to sustainable development. And to achieve this we need new approaches and innovative ways of thinking.

Speeches:

"Environmental Degradation and Poverty as Inhibitors of Economic Growth" (PDF, 61KB)
Speech by Prof. Dr. Klaus Töpfer held at the 5th Annual Conference of the German Council for Sustainable Development
(Berlin, 6 September 2005)

Forum 4: Africa and the Millennium Goals
Initial Statement (PDF, 26KB)
Speech by Prof. Alan Whiteside
Forum 4: Africa and the Millennium Goals
(Berlin, 6 September 2005)

Forum 5: Sustainet - Agriculture as a Global Development Engine
"Organic Farming: The Real Green Revolution for Removal Of Poverty, Hunger And Ecological Insecurity"
Speech by Dr. Vandana Shiva (PDF, 198KB)
Forum 5: Sustainet - Agriculture as a Global
Development Engine
(Berlin, 6 September 2005)

Further information:

Invitation, Programme and Forums (PDF, 272KB)
(version of 19 August 2005)

Updated Programme (PDF, 62KB)
(30 August 2005)

Dialogue project BRICS+G:

Project pages "BRICS+G – Sustainability and Growth in Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and Germany" on the Council's Website

Photo competition "Facing Sustainability":

Project pages "Facing Sustainability Award 2005
Photos – People – Stories of Sustainability" on the Council's Website

For further information about the conference, documentation and speeches, please refer to our German version of the conference page.

Pictures of the Council´s Annual Conference
on 6 September 2005 in Berlin

Please click on the photos to zoom.

Photos: Jürgen Stumpe, © German Council for Sustainable Development

Our apologies - this page is not available in English.

For further information about the conference, please refer to our German version of the conference page.