Posts Tagged: Rio+20

It’s 10 days since my plane touched down in the UK after my return from Rio+20. Only 10 days have passed but, as the world quickly moves on, the immediacy of my experience and perspectives diminishes. Still it’s important to use that distance to reflect on what happened at Rio and what we can learn [...]

The Rio+20 Conference has drawn to a close. There is unanimous agreement on one thing – the outcome is far from what anyone wanted and fails to measure up to the scale and urgency of the challenge. So as the delegates and media begin to depart – after a day at the beach, perhaps, if [...]

I went to Rio in the spirit of both determination and hope. While all of us were aware of the difficult international politics, exacerbated by global financial crises and the increasing human demands on natural resources, Rio+20 was a moment of opportunity. As Jim Leape, director general of WWF, put it: “A conference about life: [...]

Tomorrow afternoon (1pm, Friday 22 June), on the final day of the UN’s Rio+20 conference in Brazil, we’re taking part in an unmissable question-and-answer session organised by the Stop Climate Chaos coalition and hosted at the Guardian website. And we want you to add your own searching queries to the hot Rio debate – for [...]

Images from Wednesday’s ‘People’s Summit’ march during the UN Rio+20 conference – more details below. More on the march and the view on the streets – with thanks to WWF’s Franko Petri… Rio has been a bit like a fortress under siege this week – more than 15,000 policemen are here, plus heavily armed soldiers, [...]

While world leaders stood up to deliver their pre-prepared statements at the UN conference in Rio – and in the process failed to step up to meet the sustainable goals of the world’s people – it’s been the side events on the edges of the conference that have provided the real hope and promise for the future.

Good news is a bit thin on the ground here at the Rio+20 talks, what with negotiators dragging their heels and very non-committal language in the text. But one positive story seems to stand out from the crowd… A key talking point here is how to move towards a green economy – finding ways to [...]

WWF boss explains our disappointment with developments so far at Rio+20 – and has a stark warning for politicians and negotiators meeting over the next two days.

Rio+20 summit side-events are where people show what they’ve done, present partnerships, say what they want to say – and build political capital. At the Sabah-Acre side event yesterday two states, from Malaysia and Brazil respectively, gave their opinions. Both have committed to holding the line on where the forests should stand in the future. [...]

Some of the language and terminology of UN processes like Rio+20 can be cumbersome, and sometimes belie the subtle, and as often not-so-subtle, realities of wider geopolitics. So in this slightly technical blog post I’ll be exploring, as an example, the differing interpretations of the delightful phrase “common but differentiated responsibilities”… “Common but differentiated responsibilities [...]