September 7, 2015. Current survey results in the run-up to the UN sustainable development summit
AN ALMOST ORDINARY MONTH
This September, humanity goes through a remarkable moment in its history. The UN sustainable development summit 2015 is about to agree on key goals for the future of the globe. No one disputes the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals, but their financial basis is less clear. An international survey commissioned by ‚ Planet Earth Account (http://www.planetearthaccount.org)‘ (PEACE°) civil movement suggests an alternative source of finance: a UN World Account of the civil society.
THE WORLD IN NEW YORK
From September 25 to 27, more than 100 government leaders meet in New York. They will decide on 17 Sustainable Development Goals (http://www.planetearthaccount.org/#Goals) for the global community. The implementation of these goals will determine if a world-wide transition is possible: towards more education, equality, peace, health, life-sustaining environment, climate security, infrastructure, purchasing power for the poor, sustainable consumption and production, quality of government, global collaboration and so on. The world economy would also benefit from this global spread of purchasing power and confidence. The number of refugees would decrease.
GOALS YES – CONTRIBUTION NO ?
At the New York summit governments will declare what they want to achieve. At the recent meeting in Addis Ababa, they had to set out how to do so. However, this preliminary conference, held in July 2015, did not come out with a clear plan. The coordination group for the civil society participation (https://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/271-general/52795-reactions-to-the-addis-ababa-outcome-document.html) summarized: „The Addis Ababa Action Agenda does not rise to world’s current multiple challenges, nor does it contain the necessary leadership, ambition and practical actions … it is almost entirely devoid of actionable deliverables … exposing an unbridged gap between the rhetoric of the aspirations and reality of the actions.“ The British newspaper ‚ The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/jul/16/where-are-concrete-plans-action-development-finance-deal)‘ commented: „But as far as concrete actions are concerned, there’s no debate on whether the glass was half full of half empty: it was dry.“
WHAT DOES THE WORLD COST?
„This action agenda without much action illustrates a key question for our time: Where is the engine that drives the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals?“, says Joachim° Ackva of PEACE°. „A possible answer is a UN World Account of the civil society, which co-finances the goals and thereby stimulates states as well as corporations. Such an instrument could promote many measures and regulations by investing and lobbying.“
THE ONE PER MILLE QUESTION
How many people would be willing to put together one thousandth of their wealth into a UN World Account for the benefit of global well-being? PEACE° asked TNS to find out. The projected results: 9 million British, 14 million Russians, 21 million Japanese, 38 million Germans and 70 million Americans. Based on these results, the global willingness to participate amounts to an estimated $70 billion. That is the equivalent of 24 times the UN’s regular annual budget.
TRENDS
Other trends revealed by the survey are equally encouraging. In many countries, for instance, willingness to deposit among higher income brackets is strongly above-average. And in all the surveyed countries, the generation of young adults is especially willing to pay into a World Account. For example, in the US we are talking about every second respondent in the age between 18 and 29. In general, the willingness to deposit jumps as soon as people have children.
IN PARTICIPATION TO THE GOALS
The UN already founded a small SDG-Fund (http://www.sdgfund.org) on behalf of Spain in 2014. The global civil society could do the same together with the UN – on a much larger scale. In regard to private contribution, the PEACE°-survey shows a preference for a ’sub-accounts‘ model: this model would allow the World Account to use sub-accounts for each of the goals acknowledged by the United Nations. By depositing money into sub-accounts, each contributor could decide which goal they want to support.
A SYMBOL FOR THE PLANET
To show their willingness to deposit in a World Account, many respondents think it is a good idea to place a planet symbol behind their first name. If more and more people do this, they create growing awareness of the potential of a World Account. This way, a wave of solidarity and trust can travel across the globe. The common ° degree sign, that also remembers climate change, serves as a culturally neutral planet symbol. Ackva sums it up: „Agree by degree.“
MONEY SHOWER FOR A WORLD ACCOUNT
Ten examples of how a World Account could meet the global challenges and the results of the survey can be found in the newly published book “ It’s Raining Money for a World Account – the one per mille question (http://www.amazon.de/It-Raining-Money-World-Account/dp/3738633960/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1441623551&sr=8-4)“ (Joachim° Ackva, ISBN 978-3-7386-3396-2). To draw attention to the possible benefits of a World Account, Planet Earth Account drops real banknotes from the sky in several major cities. The last place to be hit by a money shower was Cologne. „Now we are very much looking forward to visit the South of Germany,“ says Daniela° Tiben, cofounder of Planet Earth Account. „Because at 68% of the population, the willingness of people to deposit a thousandth of their private wealth into a UN World Account is higher there than in any of the other regions and countries in the survey.“
The independent initiative ‚Planet Earth Account‘ was started by Dutch artist Daniela° Tiben and German financial planner Joachim° Ackva. Anyone can join the initiative by simply putting the ° behind the first name.
Kontakt
Planet Earth Account
Daniela° Tiben
Peacestraße
76891 Erlenbach
+49 152 5603 4169
info@planetearthaccount.org
http://www.planetearthaccount.org
