Roberto Dondisch, Director-General for Global Isuues, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mexico talks about striking the right balance between social and economic development and sustainable development and why Mexico must grow in a way that is sustainable.

He says the creation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has helped to bring together all of these facets in order to create a single agenda.

Dondisch explains how Mexico’s national programme for social and economic development includes sustainability in all of its policies. He believes programmes for social and economic growth do not have to substitute sustainable development programmes.

On the topic of the UN climate deal expected to be reached in Paris in 2015, Dondisch says the world needs to agree a new global document as it might be the last opportunity to do so. He says it will not be easy but the Conference of Parties (COP) in Peru in 2014 can set a good base to work on ahead of Paris. The challenge that remains, says Dondisch, is urgency as the world needs to act now.