Economic Renaissance should take precedence over ecological imbalance

The recent financial crisis has put the great economies of the world under immense pressure to rebuild and restructure their financial structures. It demands a comprehensive strategy from all the major countries to restore the growth momentum of the earlier decade. At this stage of the economic cycle the emphasis should only be on kick starting an economic renaissance. Entangling ourselves in the hue and cry over environmental sustainability will only inhibit our efforts in restoring the economy.
We have almost half the world living at less than $2.5 a day. The main concern of these 3 billion people is food security and that can only be attained through economic growth. For poor countries ecological impact takes a back seat as human survival becomes a priority. Even for the developing countries maintaining their growth momentum involves building on their competitiveness which can be marred by environmental constraints. The pioneer in the field of sustainable development should be the rich developed countries which have the necessary resources and technological expertise to explore renewable energy resources and to utilize them efficiently. But sadly even the US, the largest economy in the world, has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol even though it is the largest contributor of greenhouse gases in the world.
We should understand that the topic here talks about giving precedence to growth aspects of the economy and is not concerned with underpinning the environmental sustainability. Both these aspects need to be considered while chalking out a successful business model. The government also needs to be proactive in its approach towards sustaining the environment. Any company which is losing out on its competitiveness due to environmental friendly policies should be provided with the required stimulus to sustain its eco friendly outlook. Giving precedence to environmental aspects without understanding the financial implications of the same can be catastrophic for any business.
The main concern of the environmentalists should not be to stall the growth process rather it should be to develop sustainable energy resources for the future generations. The focus should be on developing cost effective solutions which are competitive in the free market and do not require any subsidies for implementation. They should work towards making global energy supply more efficient while reducing consumer demand for polluting goods and promoting cleaner energy and transport technology.
Be it Kyoto or Copenhagen, there has never been a reconciliation between ecological concerns and economic growth. The current economic scenario is not potent enough to stand any further ecological restrictions. Any attempts to do so might prove to be catastrophic.