At the first landmark Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, world leaders committed themselves to promoting a new form of development – 'sustainable development' – that would not only be measured in terms of economic growth, but would also take into account social equity and the protection of the environment.

Twenty years later, our political systems have failed to deliver the integrated action that is so urgently needed – the vision is yet to become a reality.

In this Alert, The Elders call for bold action to address the fundamental challenges facing humankind, and suggest three proposals they hope will be endorsed by world leaders at the ‘Rio+20’ Conference on Sustainable Development.

Download the Elders' Alert