Felix Dodds

World Environment Day - One Year out from Rio+20

2011-06-05T01:12:00.000-07:00

June 5th is World Environment Day. In an article by Juan Somavia and Achim Steiner Heads of the ILO and UNEP respectively on the BBC web site explores the role of the G8, Rio+20 and the role of the green economy.

Greenpeace have brought out a challenge for Rio+20 as have Christian Aid and Stakeholder Forum on Monday the 6th.

We are one year from Rio+20 and my prediction is that Rio will result in:

On Green Economy:

1. A set of principles for the Green Economy;
2. A set of Sustainable Development Goals with particular focus on sustainable development goals under the green sectors - Potentially 5-9 green economy sectors will be addressed. This would include energy, agriculture, urbanization, water, biodiversity. These could then be fed into the MDG Summit in 2015.

On Governance

1. In International Environmental Governance:
a. WEO: Probably not a WEO – maybe a process of clustering towards a point where governments feel comfortable with a WEO – this could be a 5-10 year processes starting with chemicals and biodiversity
b. Reform of UNEP with an Executive Board
2. In Sustainable Development Governance:
a. Sustainable Development Council: As the CSD isn’t working there is interest in the sustainable development council idea. This would upgrade the CSD to a Council of the UN GA similar to Human Rights. The Agenda for such a council might be new and emerging issues and part of Committee 2 of the UN GA might be folded into it.
b. IACSD: The re-establishing of the Interagency Committee on Sustainable Development to deal with UN coordination on SD.
c. Principle 10: The start of regional conventions on P10 starting with Latin America.

Many other issues are alive but this would be a firm outcome from 2012. Plus a convention on Corporate Environment and Soical Responsibility.

One Earth

2010-05-23T15:54:00.000-07:00

The first prepcom for Rio+20 has finished and has given people much food for thought. The Summit will need to have some time to discuss the key issues: review of commitments, sustainable development governance, green economy and emerging issues.

On review of commitments there needs to be a list of those commitments taken from 1992 to now and where we are on implementing them. As we heard no country has delivered on the biodiversity target for this year. This follows a list of many others but we need to know where we are before new commitments are made.

On suustainable development governance -- there needs work on the global level reform of the CSD, financial instituions to mainstream sustainable development governace and maybe two conventions on corporate accountability and principle 10 of the Rio Declaration. Green Economy needs a strong social pillar and some principles and emerging issues is starting to focus on the environment and security agenda.

A lot to address in now 14 days of negotiations -- the addtion of 6 days by this prepcom will be a first stage expect more additions in future prepcoms.

Aril issue of MEA Bulletin article on Rio+20p

2010-03-31T16:41:00.000-07:00

The April issue of MEA Bulletin has a guest article by Felix Dodds on Rio+20.

Stakeholder Forum and UN NGls to host Rio+20 Conference in New York on the 15th of May just before the first preparatory meeting. It will cover

One Planet Living: Green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication
Emerging Issues
Scenarios for 2032
Sustainable Development Governance
Role of Stakeholders

Register through Hannah Stoddart at hstoddart (at) stakeholderforum.org

Revamped 2012 Web site launched

To help people and organizations keep abreast of 2012 developments the web site has undergone a transformation have a look at it click here.

US NGOs support Earth Summit and write to President Obama

2009-10-06T07:17:00.000-07:00

United States groups representing over millions people write to President Obama endorsing the call for an Earth Summit in 2012.

Those supporting it include NRDC, WEDO, Sierra Club, Greenpeace, World Watch Institute, Centre for Environmental International Law, Union of Concerned Scientists and National Wildlife Federation.