The biggest disservice one can do to the mere notion of sustainability is to reduce it to a mere buzzword. While climate, the environment, sustainability and economic growth might initially give the impression they form part of a difficult balancing act, in fact, there should be no growth that is not sustainable growth while, on the other hand, any economic growth that is not sustainable can only lead – as Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz had long predicted – to growing inequalities.

I was pleased to note that my former colleague, European Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella recently stated that although the overall priority of the European Commission rightfully remains the creation of jobs and more economic growth, he acknowledged the fact that, despite Europe’s economic challenges, 95 per cent of its citizens still care deeply about the environment.

This explains why he has been given a mandate to assure the sustainability of our environment, the preservation of our natural resources, the conservation of our marine biological resources and the management of our fisheries policy.

We will have only passed the litmus test when, through our actions and policies, we can manage to convince one and all – from decisions-makers to key stakeholders and civil society itself, that these responsibilities are, need to be and must continue to be mutually beneficial. Working on these challenges, as we should all do in an integrated manner, is the only viable option ahead of us.

If we tackle each sector in isolation we will be acting insular at a time when interconnectivity is of the essence.

Economic growth on its own that turns its back on sustainability will soon succumb to short-termism’s limited gains.

On the other hand, by ensuring that such growth constantly evolves in a sustainable manner will ensure the long-term viability of our business models while rendering our own economies far more affordable, resilient and, yes, competitive too.

It was indeed a pleasure when I recently met, in New Delhi, the CEO and founding chair of the US Green Buildings Council and discussed at some length the innovative paths they are pursuing.

It was equally encouraging to have learnt, in the past months, that there are various eminent local personalities working on trying to set up such a council here with the realisation that greener buildings will not only green the economy further but also provide bottom-line benefits for their own commercial initiatives. That is as it should be.

Working as we have been doing on the green economy agenda, it is welcome news indeed that blue growth and the green economy are likely to feature even further up in the international agenda, the EU included, in the coming months.

Properly-applied resource efficiency policies can ultimately only enhance our competitiveness further.

The Post-2015 Development Agenda will remain stillborn if things will grind to a halt the moment the forthcoming UN summit on sustainable development draws to an end in September.

On the contrary, this must be the beginning of a new process that should go far beyond a mere redefinition of the future global development framework that will succeed the UN Millennium Development Goals while following up on the outcome of the RIO+20 conference on sustainable development.

While one would be debasing the environment were one to downplay or sideline its important role within a sustainable development context, it has long been evident that for the Post 2015 Development Agenda to succeed poverty eradication and sustainable development must be top priorities.

EU member states should all go beyond the rhetoric

Poverty cannot be eradicated through mere handouts.

One needs to think of creative, fair and just ways how to stimulate trade to eradicate such poverty and promote sustainable development. Likewise, we need to drive transformative change through science, technology and innovation.

Governments have a big responsibility to ensure the success of such a game-changing process. On the other hand, it would be a gross mistake for them to try and do it alone. It is essential to mobilise the domestic and international private sector. Irrespective of whether we might have small stakeholders and businesses in mind or major multinationals.

In this day and age, the private sector is best placed to serve as an important engine for innovation, sustainable growth, job creation, trade and poverty reduction.

It also plays a critical role in investing in resource efficiency and infrastructure.

The UN Secretary General recently told the India sustainability summit, which I attended, about the way massive investments in new infrastructure for cities, energy and even agriculture are directed towards low carbon goods, technologies and services.

It will only be then that we may consider ourselves to be on our way towards a more sustainable, equitable future.

All those among us who choose to keep their blinkers on will be playing a very dangerous and self-defeatist role were they to fail to realise – by design or default – that if we ignore the low-carbon pathway we may and will most likely fail to achieve the sustainable development goals.

The same way that climate change threatens to undermine hard-earned development gains, unless we accept that fact that the upcoming summits on sustainable development and climate change are both complementary and interdependent, we will risk turning our backs on the big picture itself.

To be fair, the EU has long been playing an active role in preparing for the post-2015 agenda.

Member states should all go beyond the rhetoric by ensuring that sustainability will not remain a buzzword while, at the same time, do their best to honour the spirit and substance of the EU’s second communication themed ‘A decent life for all: from vision to collective action’.

A new global partnership is forging ahead for implementing this demanding agenda. We must ensure that we will be key players and components of such a partnership.

Leo Brincat is Minister for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change.