Back in February of 2010, the former Vice President of Costa Rica Rebeca Grynspan was appointed to the post of Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Ever since she took over the post, she has been working hard on advancing the agenda of the UNDP, which lately has been focused on sustainable development.

Speaking to the Sunday Zaman English-language news publication in Turkey, Grynspan explained that sustainable development is now the only choice the planet has to ensure quality of life for future generations in the face of climate change. Grynspan was in Istanbul attending the Global Human Development Forum, which will be followed by a major UN conference in Brazil, the Rio+20.

Twenty years ago, the fruits of the Rio+20 1992 conference gave way to what we know today as the global environmental movement. Back then, the issue of Anthropogenic Global Warming (AGW) had not yet come to light, and climate change was still referred to as a possible byproduct of the greenhouse effect. In her conversation with Zaman journalists, Grynspan not once mentioned AGW -though she constantly called attention to climate change.

Grynspan is calling sustainable development a moral imperative. She posits that stability must come from a social and environmental point of view. The Human Development Index (HDI) currently stands to grow by 19 percent in three decades, but only if our environment is conserved. With climate change, some ecological damage is expected. Grynspan stated that the global temperature is expected to rise two degrees Celsius. Droughts and floods are expected, thereby bringing disruptions to crops and fishing patterns.

Sustainable Energy for All

At the upcoming Rio+20 conference, Grynspan stated that a new initiative named “Sustainable Energy for All” will be introduced. This initiative consists of bringing electricity to remote areas of the world where 1.4 billion people are not part of electrical grids. According to Grynspan, we must move away from the concept of major electrical grids and networks and start thinking about small grids that will be powered by hydro, solar and wind power instead of with fossil fuels. This concept, which is currently used in parts of Costa Rica, would help curb our dependence on oil and other fossil fuels.

Global Financial Transaction Tax

Sustainable development will not be cheap in the beginning, Grynspan admits. Another initiative that will be proposed at the Rio+20, and which is expected to be met with a backlash, is Global Financial Transaction Tax. This initiative will call for a reassessment of the costs of public services -such as water- and how it is procured. The example that Grynspan cited mentioned that since trees are needed to produce water, the cost of protecting the trees and their ecosystems should be included as well. She also explained that new sources of income must be procured as well, but only if people are empowered to take part of the global financial system.

Closing Remarks

When asked about her opinion of the Occupy Wall Street Movement, Grynspan explained that since she comes from “a country that made democracy a way of life”, she believes that people’s voices need to be heard, and that online social networking can help in this regard.

Grynspan also mentioned that she firmly believes that sustainable development is possible due to the many examples found here in her own land. She concluded: “We cannot compete in the world without sustainable development. We don’t have many natural resources; we have only the beauty of nature.”

Author’s Note: Rebecca Grynspan is just one high-profile Tica helping the world become a better place. Christiana Figueres is the current United Nations Climate Change Chief, and judge Elizabeth Odio Benito sits at the International Criminal Court of Justice at the Hague.