"The international public sector needs rebooting. Markets need rebooting. We are confident that you have the vision to do this. We need to turn this fear into confidence. The reboot starts here." Josette Sheeran, Executive Director, United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), Rome

Although the world largely failed to heed the early warning signs of the economic turmoil now unfolding, the three alarm bells warning of the unsustainability of the system - the fuel, food and financial crises - must not fall on deaf ears. Indeed, for the Council Members whose discussions revolved around the broad theme of the Environment and Sustainability, these signals, termed the "three canaries in the mine", must be acknowledged and reappraised. "Transform", "shift", "restructure", "reboot", were all words used again and again during the Summit on the Global Agenda to describe what needs to be done to tackle the deep structural challenges related to food and water security, climate change, unsustainable business models or the energy paradigm. A new mindset is needed.

Part of this new proposed mindset involves what the Rapporteur for this theme, Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), Rome, called "transformational transactions" that bring about fundamental change. These must be identified by all the stakeholders as they find solutions to the world’s pressing challenges, advancing with confidence yet mindful not to reverse the international gains achieved, for instance, in trade and openness.

Members of the Global Agenda Councils deliberating the issues related to the environment and sustainability suggested changing their theme name to "Reappraising Risk". Risk must be properly priced. Correctly evaluated risk must then be embedded in all human practices and decisions. Similarly, greater focus on risk management systems is needed. Thus throughout their work and recommendations, Council Members reiterated the importance of not underestimating or underpricing risks.

Along with the risks, great potential exists in this time of crisis and unprecedented change. Opportunities for reducing energy use and CO₂ emissions as well as promoting alternative energies can be accelerated as people gain awareness of their individual ecological footprint and businesses finance environmental and other "green economy" projects in their search for value creation, recognition and revenues. Meanwhile the financial crisis has brought to the fore the interconnectedness of the world's economies, driving home to an even greater extent the potential of large markets while simultaneously demonstrating how quickly international action and cooperation can be marshalled when concerted commitment is needed. The tone of optimism in the opportunities and change made possible in today's search for solutions was recurrent during the Summit as Council Members proposed fundamental changes that are currently possible.

Councils focusing on the Environment and Sustainability

Global Agenda Council on: •  Alternative Energies •  Climate Change •  Design •  Ecosystems and Biodiversity Loss •  Food Security •  The Future of Mining and Metals •  The Future of Sustainable Construction •  The Future of Transportation •  Humanitarian Assistance •  The Mitigation of Natural Disasters •  Urban Management •  Water Security

Some of the actions recommended by Council Members in this area include:

•	The world must double food production in the next 40 years to meet projected demand. But our ability to meet current and future production needs is challenged by increasing water scarcity, climate change, and volatile energy costs and supplies. New, environmentally sustainable solutions for food production must be developed to jointly address food, water and energy needs in an integrated way. Private-sector business models that improve food production, incomes and empowerment can play a key role in improving food security.
•	Important opportunities for reducing energy use and CO2 emissions exist via technology improvements and behavioural changes. Innovations that are about to become available in vehicle technology and mobility management need to be commercialized. These include vehicle technology alternatives, e.g. electric drive vehicles (battery-electric vehicles and hybrid-electric vehicles) and the integration of IT technologies into road vehicles and mobility management.
•	The public sector has a particularly vital role to play in creating effective standards and in developing and enforcing appropriate regulations to cope with negative risk-based externalities and to encourage the mitigation, preparedness and prevention of natural disasters. Leaders should approach natural disasters in the context of a comprehensive risk management framework, focusing on the mitigation of the consequences of natural risks.
•	Key to solving any of the global problems of poverty, sustainability, pandemics, civil unrest, gender equity, adaptation to climate change and others is the need to come to grips with the world's expanding urbanization and its concomitant social inequality. The opportunities and promise of urbanization can be solved by competent localization of governance. Competent localization means the creation of local governments with the fiscal resources and the technical competence to carry out their mandates to provide infrastructure and public services. Empowering local governments is the key. Local empowerment requires enhancing the quantity and quality of information available to local decisionmakers.

Councils focusing on the Environment and Sustainability