When Emil Salim Brings the Environment to the Heart of Development
Bringing the Indonesian Experience to the World
Emil Salim's thinking does not stop at home. He became a member of the World Commission on Environment and Development, better known as the Brundtland Commission.
The commission brings together figures from various countries to answer a problem that is increasingly difficult to ignore: how can the world continue to develop without depleting the resources needed by the next generation?
In 1987, the commission published the report Our Common Future. The report reinforces the concept of sustainable development, namely development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
In the forum, Emil brought experiences from developing countries.
Indonesia and other developing countries still need economic growth to reduce poverty, provide education, create jobs and build infrastructure. However, they also must not repeat the development patterns of industrial countries that drain resources and leave behind pollution.
This is not a simple choice between development and the environment.
The problem is how to build without destroying the very basis of life that is needed for development to survive.
Emil's involvement in the Brundtland Commission shows that Indonesia is not only a recipient of environmental ideas from other countries. Indonesia is present in global conversations that help shape the direction of world development.
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