Quickfix guide to Rio+20 (To go with Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil starts Wednesday)
June 19th, 2012 - 5:36 pm ICT by IANS What is Rio+20?
Rio+20 is the short name for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development at Rio de Janeiro June 20-22, twenty years after the landmark 1992 Earth Summit in the same city.
Why do we need Rio+20?
According to the United Nations, if we are to leave our children and grandchildren a livable world, the challenges of widespread poverty and environmental destruction need to be tackled now.
* The world today has seven billion people. By 2050, there will be nine billion.
* One out of every five people - 1.4 billion - currently live on $1.25 a day or less.
* A billion-and-a-half people in the world don’t have access to electricity.
* Two-and-a-half billion people don’t have a toilet.
* Almost a billion people go hungry every day.
* Greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise and more than a third of all known species could go extinct if climate change continues unchecked.
Theme
The official discussions will focus on two main themes - how to build a green economy to achieve sustainable development and lift people out of poverty; and how to improve international coordination for sustainable development.
Sustainability
Sustainability calls for a decent standard of living for everyone without compromising on the needs of future generations while protecting the environment.
- Urban populations expected to grow in Asia, Africa: UN - Apr 06, 2012
- Spotlight on Rio as Earth Summit kicks off Wednesday - Jun 19, 2012
- UNDP calls for energy access to all by 2030 - Jun 22, 2011
- Development banks pledge $175 bn for sustainable transport - Jun 21, 2012
- 100 mn Chinese live in poverty, says Wen Jiabao - Jun 21, 2012
- India to focus on infrastructure-led growth at G20 (Roundup) - Jun 16, 2012
- Mumbai scientist leads Indian chapter of Rio+20 conference - Jun 19, 2012
- India to push for green growth with equity at Rio+20 (Roundup) - Jun 20, 2012
- India's subsidies should not be grabbed by the rich: Jeffrey Sachs (Interview) - Aug 08, 2011
- Latin America's largest garbage dump closes in Brazil - Jun 04, 2012
- Community land rights unenforced in Third World - May 30, 2012
- PM to press for resolute action on eurozone crisis (Lead) - Jun 16, 2012
- Delhi Sustainable Development Summit to focus on resource protection - Jan 30, 2012
- IOC concerned over progress of work in Rio - Jun 07, 2012
- Earth Summit opens in Brazil - Jun 20, 2012
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