Throughout the past century, the Earth’s ecosystem has been placed under great pressure. The population increased from 1.5 billion in 1900 to 6 million in 2000. Furthermore, technological and economic developments have rendered it possible for humans to develop many more activities that lay a greater claim to nature, the environment and natural resources, including agricultural land, water and energy. In addition, wealth is not equally distributed and a minority of the world’s population has appropriated a disproportionally large share of the natural resources available. Understandably, the poor segments of the world population do their best to increase their level of affluence, which means that the pressure on the ecosystem has also grown enormously. It has been established that the Earth’s ecosystem is not able to allow all 6 billion citizens of the planet to use energy and raw materials at the same level as in the western world today. This planet’s ecosystem has already been seriously disrupted as a result of the current levels of affluence and world population. By 2050, when the population will have grown to 9 million and large economic powers, such as China and India, will most likely also have reached a similar level of growth to the West, this will be even more the case. The social, economic and political consequences of this increasing pressure on the world’s ecosystem will be disastrous for everyone.

To reduce the pressure on our ecosystem, all human activities must be based on the principle of sustainability, which focuses on not exhausting natural resources or putting our ecosystem out of kilter. Long-term education about the principle of sustainability is necessary to create sufficient public willingness to achieve this aim. Education should thus propagate the sustainability principle, as well as respect for animals, people and nature.

Each development that offers an opportunity for a more sustainable society should be seized. Humans are the only living creatures that intentionally and permanently damage their own living environment out of self-interest and considerations of short-term gain. This needs to radically change. Humankind is, so to speak, sawing through the branch on which all living creatures on Earth are sitting, and this must come to an end. Nature reserves must no longer be damaged. Transport, the production of food and consumer goods, and the use of energy must take place in a sustainable fashion. The government must increase the ‘greening’ of both the fiscal system and society as a whole. Policy decisions should under all circumstances be made according to a ‘no-regret’ scenario: as long as the consequences of a policy decision for a sustainable society are not yet clear or when they will undoubtedly turn out negatively, then these measures should be abandoned.