8 0 s ▁a ▁new ▁focus ▁emer ged ▁in ▁the ▁global ▁sphere ▁in ▁which ▁a ▁focus ▁on ▁the ▁environment ▁and ▁e colog ical ▁sust ain ability ▁emer ged . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁the ▁Bru nd t land ▁Report ▁was ▁delivered ▁by ▁the ▁World ▁Commission ▁on ▁Environment ▁and ▁Development . ▁The ▁commission ▁was ▁appointed ▁to ▁examine ▁the ▁consequences ▁of ▁global ▁environmental ▁change ▁and ▁was ▁cha ired ▁by ▁Norway ’ s ▁Prime ▁Minister , ▁Gro ▁Har lem ▁Bru nd t land . ▁It ▁introduced ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁sust ain able ▁development , ▁which ▁it ▁defined ▁as ▁“ development ▁that ▁meets ▁the ▁needs ▁of ▁the ▁present ▁without ▁comprom ising ▁the ▁ability ▁of ▁future ▁gener ations ▁to ▁meet ▁their ▁own ▁needs ”. ▁This ▁report ▁started ▁a ▁parad ig m ▁shift ▁in ▁which ▁global ▁actors ▁soon ▁began ▁to ▁eng age ▁in ▁initi atives ▁that ▁v owed ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁sust ain able ▁development . ▁ ▁Five ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁report ▁was ▁launched ▁the ▁UN ▁Earth ’ s ▁Sum mitt ▁in ▁Rio ▁adopted ▁the ▁Framework ▁Convention ▁on ▁Cl imate ▁Change . ▁Five ▁years ▁later ▁this ▁policy ▁developed ▁into ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁Ky oto ▁Pro tocol , ▁a ▁plan ▁in ▁which ▁rich ▁nations ▁p led ged ▁to ▁reduce ▁carbon ▁em issions . ▁All ▁countries ▁that ▁part ook ▁in ▁the ▁UN F CC C ▁also ▁signed ▁onto ▁the ▁Ky oto ▁Pro tocol . ▁Unfortunately ▁progress ▁towards ▁sust ain ability ▁st alled ▁when ▁the ▁Ky oto ▁Pro tocol ▁was ▁never ▁rat ified ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁and