"The Mediterranean has a long history of wisdom, it is time to use it"

Addressing the ANIMA Annual Forum in Nicosia, Carlos Alvarez Pereira, Vice President, the Club of Rome, suggested that the world take a different approach to combating climate change and other social problems.

Founded in 1968, the Club of Rome is a nonprofit, informal organisation of intellectuals and business leaders whose goal is a critical discussion of pressing global issues.

During his Keynote Address, Pereira talks about the founder of the Club of Rome, Aurelio Peccei, an Italian businessman considered to be ahead of his time, and who, among other innovations, began doing business with China many years before others.

The Club of Rome in 1972 brought out a book called 'The limits to growth,' which, as noted by Pereira garnered a lot of attention at the time, for asking the question, 'Does prosperity lead to collapse?' and which featured the results of the first computerised simulation raising the alarm on the impossibility of infinite growth in a finite world.

The simulation produced different scenarios for the future taking into account natural resources, population, food per person, pollution, and industrial output per person.

At the time, as some of the scenarios foresaw collapse, the Club of Rome was criticised by any as being doomsayers.

But, now Pereira suggested, it is "Up to us to reflect upon that and to act today to choose the future we want for tomorrow," adding, "We need to balance human well-being with planetary boundaries (such as resources)."

In the years since 1972, the findings have been revisited and recognised by parties including The Guardian newspaper and KPMG executive Gaya Herrington. Personalities such as António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations have also raised the alarm, Pereira noted.

"Growth itself, as we are producing it, is not good," he continued while underlining Blue and Green growth was something else. "We didn’t learn from these 'anticipations' (the scenarios featured in the book); I hope we will this time," he added, "I hope that now our message will be heard after so many years of being not ignored but put aside as an inconvenient truth."

Pereira also noted that no country has achieved the Holy Grail of sustainability and we still only have one planet to live on, underlining, "This is the challenge of our time."

The expert suggests that the countries considered to be the most developed should instead look to the countries that were increasing levels of Human Development without creating a huge ecological footprint.

"Climate change is a symptom of an illness. Also, loss of biodiversity and social inequalities are part of the same problems. We have to find pathways towards equitable human well-being," he said.

Pereira also noted that we cannot wait for economic development before addressing social issues, adding, "They need to be done at the same time."

"The reduction of externalities is not working, and it is not, because of market conditions. Levels of circularity are just 8 or 10% while nature innovates at 100%. If we look at nature, nature is much better than us at innovation," he noted.

Pereira suggested that a 'new game' was warranted, "Well-being and health do not depend on the model of accumulation of more and more material things, whatever the degree of technical excellence."

He continued that wellbeing is driven "by the quality of our relationships, with others, nature and time" and that "value is mostly driven by perceptions."

"The Mediterranean has a long history of wisdom, it is time to use it," Pereira continued, but cautioned, "We need to be sure we are working in the right direction. There is no use in moving fast if you are going the wrong way."

The event is being carried out with the support of Euromed Clusters Forward and EBSOMED (Enhancing Business Support Organisations and Business Networks in the Southern Neighbourhood) in partnership with Invest Cyprus.

The Gold Sponsor is AstroBank, the Silver Sponsor is Bank of Cyprus and the event is coordinated by IMH. InBusiness and GOLD are media sponsors.