Ban sees need for sustainable development

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- The global community needs to find a way to strengthen the world economy while protecting the environment, the U.N. secretary-general said from Ethiopia.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said during a meeting on global sustainability in Addis Ababa that world leaders should embrace sustainable development models.

"We need to chart a new, more sustainable course for the future, one that strengthens equality and economic growth while protecting our planet," he said in a statement.

Major world economies have set benchmarks for renewable resources, though many governments have balked at international protocols on climate change.

Ban described sustainable development as a social, economic and environmental imperative.

"It is time that genuine global action is taken to enable people, markets and governments to make sustainable choices," he said.

A 22-member panel convened by the United Nations outlined 56 recommendations that define a new blueprint for sustainable development.