Podcast 4: The Journey from Rio+5 to the World Summit on Sustainable Development - Rebuilding Momentum (1997-2001)
The following seven podcast episodes are adapted from the book "Only One Earth" by Felix Dodds, Maurice Strong (the father of sustainable development), and Michael Straus e In this episode, we trace the critical years between the 1997 UN Special Session (Rio+5) and the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. These were years of both setbacks and breakthroughs — from faltering development aid and U.S. resistance to climate commitments, to the rise of multi-stakeholder dialogues that reshaped global sustainability conversations. We explore how NGOs, and other stakeholders, and reform-minded governments worked to reignite momentum, set the stage for new governance structures, and ensure sustainable development remained on the global agenda. Episode 4: The Journey from Rio+5 to the World Summit on Sustainable Development - Rebuilding Momentum (1997-2001) "At a time of mounting threats to the sustainability of the planet, and as we prepare for the 20-y...