1972

Beginning of global environmental movement

Two major events relating to the environment took place in 1972. In March, the Club of Rome, a think tank bringing together scientists, economists, national and international public servants and industry representatives from 53 countries, published its first report. It called into question the benefits of growth, raising the alarm as to its impact on the environment and on the foreseeable shortage of energy resources. The report was accused at the time of being overly pessimistic, but now seems ahead of its time in several respects.

Three months later, the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment was held in Stockholm. It was the first time that the international community had devoted such a summit to the theme of the environment. The conference laid the foundations for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) created at the end of 1972.