News

Here you can find all the latest updates in relation to Earth Summit 2012, as well as archived news.

Memo to Rio+20: 'green economy' doesn't mean monetising nature

Official support for marketising nature to stop its destruction means the practical action at Rio+20 will be at People's summit

Children's Sustainable Development Goals

The following ten Children’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) were developed by participating secondary school students from the Seychelles, Malta, Nigeria, Canada and the UK at the International Schools Debate held at The Living Rainforest, Berkshire, UK on 17 May 2012. The goals, which appear in descending order in terms of number of votes received, are offered as a preliminary input from schoolchildren around the world into future discussions on Sustainable Development Goals held at Rio+20 and beyond.

U.N. Chief Disappointed Over Deadlocked Rio+20 Negotiations

UNITED NATIONS, May 23, 2012 (IPS) - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has invested heavily in the success of the upcoming U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), is publicly expressing his frustration at the lack of substantial progress on a final plan of action for a greener economy and a sustainable future worldwide.

INFORMAL THEMATIC DEBATE THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON ROAD TO RIO+20 AND BEYOND

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) is scheduled to take place in Rio de Janeiro from 20 to 22 June 2012. The GA resolution 64/236 calling for the Conference stipulates that its objective is to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable development and in achieving that it should focus on two themes: green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, and the institutional framework for sustainable development (IFSD). Subsequently in the preparatory process for Rio+20, a proposal has emerged for agreeing to sustainable development goals (SDGs) as an outcome of the Conference.

International Year (2012): Cooperatives Advance Sustainability and Social Responsibility

Rio+20 coincides with the International Year of Cooperatives (2012), and the conference's proceedings offer an opportunity to highlight the contributions of cooperatives to sustainable development. Cooperatives embrace and embody a vision of enterprise that fosters inclusion, equity, and dignity. As UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recently said: “Cooperatives are a reminder to the international community that it is possible to pursue both economic viability and social responsibility.”

Rio+20 Side Events Announced

More than 500 on-site side events organized by Governments, Major Groups, Organizations from the UN system and other International Organizations will take place in RioCentro during Prepcom III (13-15 June), the Sustainable Development Dialogue Days (16-19 June) and the Summit (20-22 June). Please see below the preliminary programme of on-site side events in RioCentro. For questions, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Postponed decision to accredit new NGOs

The General Assembly (GA) has postponed its decision to accredit new NGOs.

Water policy needs 'radical' change to protect people and environment

The international community needs to "radically transform" the way it manages water, energy and land to ensure the needs of the poorest people are met and the environment is protected, according to the European Report on Development, published on Wednesday.

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