Hence, we are now in a new geopolitical age. The world has developed a powerful economic engine, based on ever-improving communications, technology and convergent economic growth. But 3 major challenges remain for sustainable development:

• ending residual poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Andean highlands and Central Asia
• controlling population growth
• inducing environmental sustainability

What should be expected of China?
China is critical to the process of sustainable development. Yet compared to more industrialised nations China is responsible for far less of the damage from industrial development. It appears that China may need to quell its growth for the global good.

Yet nature, Sachs argues, doesn’t care about fairness. And that leaves 4 expectations of China:

• to be a global donor rather than recipient of aid— China’s engagement with Africa is a positive contemporary example
• a need to engage with the world and push forward on economic integration. The world doesn’t have the ability to give China the time to concentrate on its own development problems
• a need to become a greater force for peace- the examples of North Korea (positive) and Zimbabwe (negative) were noted here
• the need to become an innovator in its own right.

Conclusions
Sachs’ focus is on technology. He believes that the most pertinent question at present is that of what kind of technological transformations are necessary to allow both economic growth and sustainability. He sees technological improvements both affecting supply– carbon sequestration, nuclear power and mass solar– and quelling consumption needs– more efficient cars and batteries. He argues that we should focus on talking about environmental technologies rather than systems of permits, caps and trades, which he sees as opaque and biased against developing countries. He believes that China will agree to join international programs should they be able to access technologies whilst avoiding ‘dependence’.

Questions
Professor Ross Garnaut observes that the problem is one of how creation of the incentives to invest in these technologies, and to apply them, can be provided while still avoiding the prisoner’s dilemma. Sachs’ belief in technology as creating the institutions to curb emissions may thus put the cart before the horse.