EU pressed to lead Rio+20 Earth Summit

The European Parliament has called on the EU to take the lead in preparing global green actions for the UN Rio+20 Earth Summit next year.

MEPs on 29 September voted on a draft resolution prepared by the Parliament’s Environment committee on developing a common EU position ahead of the UN the Rio+20 Earth Summit next year.

The 2012 summit is expected to agree on a political document that will guide international action on sustainable development policy for decades to come and give birth to a World Environment Organisation.

The Parliament’s resolution supports the European Commission’s call for a global “Green Economy Roadmap” and stresses that sustainable growth needs new measures and “accountable targets,” including global goals to increase renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The Parliament’s draft resolution also called for a phase-out of existing nuclear power plants and opposed the building of any new nuclear power stations, but an amendment tabled by French MEP Françoise Grossetête (European People’s Party) removed such suggestions from the final text.

Original article published at www.uncsd2012.org