“People should not trust politicians when they say that the matter of sustainable development will be taken later because there is a financial crisis to be dealt with first. It is their short-termism which has led the countries into a crisis,” says professor Jeffery D Sachs.

Sachs, director of The Earth Institute, Columbia University, and special advisor to the secretary-general, United Nations, was addressing the media during the 12th TERI Delhi Sustainable Development Summit, 2012.

He said that politicians do not understand the necessity of sustainable development because they don’t know what is hitting economy and us, and there have been vested interests also. The financial crisis is a reflection of their short-termism. And that is why they neglect the planet, even financial regulations.

The financial markets form a symbiotic relation with them which again results in short-termism, rather than focussing on the long term aspects. He further added that given the increasing instability in the earth system, it’s shaking everything in the world economy more and more, with energy and food prices at very high levels, very high volatility, lot of uncertainty, it’s inevitable that sustainable development agenda will become paramount and move to the centre of the global agenda, he said.

Accusing policymakers of indifference, Sachs said that they are least interested in seminars and the whole listening process about what is happening to the ecosystems, why the climate of the word is changing, what is sustainable development and what are the risks they are putting the next generation to. They are just bothered about what suggestion do you have for them so that they can implement it in the next plan or incorporate in the next budget session.

Sachs added light-heartedly that he likes diplomats as they are often good at avoiding conflicts, but they are not good at answering questions. They are managers and not experts.

Suggesting a way out of this short-termism and phase of instability, Sachs said we really need to move to the practical goals, timetables and agendas. He said that he strongly supports the agenda of moving from millennium development goals to sustainable development goals as the next step.

Sachs said that India and China especially will be at the centre of this ongoing ‘drama’ on challenge and action on sustainable development. Explaining it further he said that the rapid growth of economies in both the countries and their central role in technological change will push the sustainable development agenda more forth.