Sustainable Development Dialogues

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A series of Sustainable Development Dialogues are now underway with China, India, Brazil, South Africa and Mexico, aimed at mutual learning on how to incorporate sustainable development values into government policy.

Led by Defra, in close collaboration with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development, the Dialogues are a cross-government initiative to deliver WSSD commitments, help fulfil the MDGs and achieve the UK's 2005 Sustainable Development Strategy objective to be an international leader on sustainable development issues.

For the latest news and events on each country Dialogue, please click on the country names on the left.

See also, the Sustainable Development Dialogues leaflet (PDF 3.02MB), that outlines the Dialogues and what they are seeking to achieve. This leaflet is available in Spanish (PDF 745KB), Portuguese (PDF 2.20MB) and Chinese (PDF 2.34MB).

China, India, Brazil, South Africa and Mexico are significant because they are key regional players with expanding economies and rising expectations, who are now experiencing significant environmental and social pressures. India and China alone make up over a third of the world population and, if their current growth rates continue, by 2030 are set to join the United States as the three biggest economies in the world.

The flags of China, India, Brazil, South Africa and Mexico The UK's own sustainable development ambitions depend on these emerging countries because they cannot be achieved globally without their cooperation. Sharing good practice now can make a difference later, and help chart more sustainable pathways to growth and development.

These Dialogues build on existing co-operation between the countries, but they are also providing a coherent framework for new and innovative collaboration to take place.

In our Sustainable Development Strategy we have an objective for the UK to be a leader on sustainable development issues. The Dialogues are one of the ways we are carrying that forward.

The Dialogues will build the priorities of the UK Sustainable Development Strategy: climate change and energy; sustainable consumption and production; natural resource management; and building sustainable communities.

Defra has established an International Sustainable Development Fund to support the Dialogues.

For more information about the dialogue or project proposals please contact Phil Callaghan

Updated: 23 July 2008