Securing a sustainable future through a new global contract between rich and poor

Global sustainable development depends on the capacity of natural, social and economic systems to adapt to external stimuli. However, building this adaptive capacity in the developing world context of sub-Saharan Africa will require substantial investment in these systems, which most countries in this region simply cannot afford. Given that their social, economic and environmental security depends on developments in developing countries, we argue that developed countries should assume a leading role in making such investments in developing countries, in order to secure their own long-term well-being. This will require cooperative governance between developed and developing countries, and targeted investment in a number of key areas. This calls for a new global contract between rich and poor nations in order to achieve global stability and sustainability. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.