Many people argue that globalizations has served to bring the world closer together creating a more cooperative environment. Contrary to this praise however is the opposing views that globalizations is in fact the effect of the exploitative tendencies of developed nations whereby developing nations governments lose their ability to act autonomously. Therefore, sustainable development in the midst of the age of globalizations becomes more of a battle of wills and power based on economic and political clout than anything else.

When one begins to look at the alarming statistics which relate to globalizations and sustainable development the differing opinions become obvious. Statistics such as: 20% of the population in the developed nations consumes 86% of the worlds goods and 51% of the worlds 100 wealthiest bodies are corporations. These figures merely serve to illustrate the obvious; the gap between rich and poor is widening. This trend does not seem as though it is slowing, on the contrary, it is gaining momentum and as a consequence, efforts to create sustainable development efforts world wide are being thwarted.

Sustainable development has more to do with political will than a

Technological feat. The disposition of governments and interested corporations needs to be that of restraint and extreme caution. Propelling further in the quest for rapid technological advancement and modernization has yielded few fruits to the nations who have chosen this route and yet it is the path that developed nations often encourage developing nations to take. This is a symptom of globalizations, and consequentially, the root cause of failed sustainable development endeavors.
The 1992 Rio Earth Summit was attended by 152 world leaders, and sustainability was enshrined in Agenda 21, a plan of action, and a recommendation that all countries should produce national sustainable development strategies. Despite binding conventions and numerous detailed reports, there seems to have been little known about the details to ordinary citizens around the world.

In the 10 years since Rio, there has been little change in poverty levels, inequality or sustainable development. "Despite thousands of fine words the last decade has joined the 1980's as another 'lost decade for sustainable development' with deepening poverty, global inequality and environmental destruction", as the World Development Movement describes.

Sustainable development needs to be viewed and adhered to as the type of development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This goes further in pointing out that future generations should have the same right to a healthy environment as we ourselves. But sustainable development means more than conservation. A healthy economy is just as essential in satisfying our material and non-material needs as preserving the natural foundations of life. And only a society that displays a degree of solidarity is able to distribute its goods and opportunities fairly, preserve that society's values and efficiently and effectively organized the use of natural resources. Sustainable development therefore relates equally to the three domains of economy, environment and society.

Sustainable Development and globalization are subjects of growing global significance and may emerge as the dominant policy paradigms of the future. It is the grand idea focused upon improving the life of all people everywhere without consuming the earths resources beyond their replenishing rate while at the same time balancing global free market trade and increased communication and information exchanges among nations. It recognizes that many of the earths resources are finite and the consequences of inaction and unchecked consumption are dire. However, the actual process of implementing sustainable development has been slow as countrys short-term economic goals supersede that of sustainable development and create a greater push toward globalizations without sustainable development projects in place.

The world is becoming more globalizes; there is no doubt about that. While that sounds promising, the current form of globalization, neoliberalism, free trade and open markets are coming under much criticism. The interests of powerful nations and corporations are shaping the terms of world trade. In democratic countries, they are shaping and affecting the ability of elected leaders to make decisions in the interests of their people. Elsewhere they are promoting narrow political discourse and even supporting dictatorships and the "stability" that it brings them. This is to the detriment of most people in the world, while increasingly fewer in proportion are prospering.