What to Read – A “Rio+20” anthology

The 1992 Rio summit on “Sustainable Development” was a seminal event: Inspired by the Brundtland report, world leaders recognised that – in a world of finite resources – economic development had to go hand-in-hand with social progress and protecting the environment.

It can be argued (as does this article) that in the past two decades, the idea of sustainable development has revolutionised the thinking of millions. The understanding of our shared responsibility helped lead to 189 world leaders agreeing to the millennium declaration in 2000, which paved the way to the millennium development goals.

In June 2012, world leaders meet again in Rio, twenty years later, to take stock of progress made, and to set new targets for a sustainable shared future for all.

Rio+20 will focus on two specific themes:

1) Developing a green economy in the context of poverty eradication and sustainable development, and

2) Establishing an institutional framework for sustainable development.

In this blog post, we have gathered articles and materials to provide a sense of the key issues, and key view points, ahead of the summit. We have grouped them as follows:

(If you prefer, you can access all documents through Pearltrees in stead)

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1) What is “Sustainable Development”?

• Sustainable = social, environmental and economic
• IISD briefing sheet
• World Bank on Sustainable Development
• An overview of the road to Rio, and the key issues (IISD)
• Can we live inside the Doughnut? – Why the world needs planetary and social boundaries (Oxfam)

2) What is “Rio+20”?

• Ban Ki-moon on Rio and “The Future We Want”
• UN briefing on Rio+20 summit
• Highh Hopes, Low Expectations”
• “Bringing Rio+20 Closer”
• Earth Summit 2012
• Felix Dodds presentation on Rio+20
• UN web page with Resources for the summit
• UN Issues Briefs
• The Road to Rio
• Mobilising for Rio+20
• Update on the preparatory negotiations process (and another one here)
• NGOs warn that ‘Business As Usual’ won’t do
• “Rio+20 can make a difference”
• NGOs must play a key role at Rio summit
• European Economic and Social Committee opinion on Rio+20

3) Ireland and “Sustainable Development”

• Our Sustainable Future – A framework for Sustainable Development in Ireland
• Ireland’s draft framework for Sustainable Development
• Ireland’s Strategy for Renewable Energy and accompanying Action Plan (2012)
• Ireland’s 1997 strategy on Sustainable Development
• Comhar on Sustainable Development
• ‘Stop Climate Chaos’ letter to Taoiseach Enda Kenny on the preparations for Rio+20

4) Dóchas on “Rio+20” and Climate Change

• Dóchas resources on Rio+20 and Climate Change
• Dóchas submission to the Dept. of Environment on Rio+20 (Sept. 2011)
• Trade, Growth and Development (blog)
• Can the world feed 7 billion people? (blog)
• Irish EU Presidency and the MDGs
• Dóchas presentation to Oireachtas on EU Presidency and MDGs

5) The “Green Economy” & the value of Nature

• UN Briefing sheet on the Green Economy
• UK Govt’s Department of Environment on the value of Nature
• Monetising Nature
• “Green Economy” – New name for old tricks?
• Will Rio+20 spark a Green Revolution?
• “Green Economy” or “Greedy Economy”? (WDM)
• “Rio+20: What Would Business Do?”
• EC corporate governance framework

6) Themes

• Agriculture: FAO report says No Sustainable Development Without Hunger Eradication
• Agriculture: UK Minister’s point of view
• Agriculture: Rice farmers on Rio agenda
• Agriculture: Guidelines on access to land
• Agriculture: “Farm Smarter, not to Plow More Land” (CGIAR)
• Water: UN Water
• Water: Oceans and carbon capturing
• Water: NGOs force Governments to treat Water as a human right
• Water: the bloodstream of the Green Economy
• Water: Water policy needs ‘radical change’ to protect people
• water: Water For The World
• Environmentally sustainable water, energy, food?
• “Cities will determine Success after Rio+20″

7) A new global agenda for “Development” / Beyond 2015

• “Sustainable Development is the only way forward”
• The Changes we Need for the Future we Want (CIDSE, May 2012)
• People & Planet First – Alternative ideas about Development (CIDSE, 2011)
• What comes after the MDGs?
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the MDGs
• Development = Inclusion: Disability issues moving up the agenda
• Beyond2015.org
• BOND on post MDGs