Reflections on the Race to Rio - April Newsletter

REFLECTIONS ON THE April 12, 2012 Newsletter www.Race2Rio.orgRACE TO RIO Twitter @NRDCRioDear friends and colleagues,After participating in Rio+20 preparatory meetings last month at the United Nations, it appears to us that governments willspend thousands of hours this spring arguing over a draft Rio+20 output document now more than 200-page long. We heardfor the first time people worried that Rio could turn intoanother Copenhagen.We have been struck by the lack of urgency and energy in theformal discussions. In contrast, Luis Ubiñas, President, FordFoundation opened a Rio+20 side event with these words: Weknow that we are at a crossroads. Will we live in world defined byunsustainable growth and social and economic inequity? A world thatis literally burning, both physically and politically? Or, do we want tofight for a more Just world?”In March, more than 3000 scientists, policy makers and civilsociety members gathered at the Planet Under Pressureconference in London. They declared: A strong contribution fromall stakeholders should make the UN’s Rio+20 conference a definingmoment that sparks global innovation to move us towards a Source: Correio do Brasilsustainable future. We urge the world to grasp this moment and makehistory.In other words, Rio+20 could be about “crowdsourcing sustainability.” There is growing support for stakeholders to cometo Rio with specific, measurable commitments, which would contribute to globally-negotiated goals. There are already anumber of initiatives, including the UN Secretary General’s Sustainable Energy for All, which are seeking such pledges.We have just launched the Earth Summit Watch 2012 to track what each national government is doing to get ready for Rio. Go toSummitWatch.org to see if your president or prime minister has publically committed to going and what actions they will be bring withthem.We are only 10 weeks away from Rio+20, and the gathering has gained little attention with the media and the public. TheArab Spring and Kony 2012 have demonstrated the power of social media and connectivity to make real change – we arenow calling for an Earth Spring. As a result of a UN side event on “Communicating Rio+20”, we are hopeful that there willbe more cooperation among all the engaged offices and organizations (Here are the presentations and watch NY Timesreporter Elisabeth Rosenthal’s interview).Recent NRDC blogsThis Junes Rio 20 Earth Summit in Brazil is an Olympic challenge the U.S. cant ignore - When Brazil’s PresidentRousseff met President Obama in the White House on April 9th, they undoubtedly discussed the upcoming 2014 World Cupand the 2016 Olympics. But the Earth Summit will require an Olympic spirit and deserve both Presidents’ fullattention.

Turning Rio+20 into Kony 2012: sustainable development for the facebook generation - We need to utilize the powerof the Internet and social media to inject a sense of hope and optimism that Rio+20 can be a truly transformative Summit.This is why NRDC proposes the Global Registry of Sustainability Commitments: an online, user-friendly platform that willhighlight both local and global commitments toward sustainable development.From "Earth Hour" to "Earth Summit": can we do more than just celebrate this spring? - From the symbolic globalmovement to Rio+20 Earth Summit, we need our leaders to take more substantial actions to change the status quo. We needto harness the connectivity power of social media to bring about an Earth Spring in 2012.James Camerons record dive exposes need for global protection of the high seas - Filmmaker James Cameron’ssuccessful one-man venture to the ocean’s deepest point comes at a pivotal time for the deep ocean. As world leadersprepare for Rio+20 to discuss the future of our planet’s resources, the fate of the deep ocean is at stake.NRDC & Kyra Sedgwick take global call to end plastic pollution to U.N. - Actress and environmentalist KyraSedgwick joined with NRDC to launch a Global Call to End Plastic Pollution. NRDC attorny Leila Monroe and Kyra startedthe day on MSNBC’s Morning Joe and ended it at a side event during the Rio+20 March meeting at the UN. See also LisaBoyle’s Huffington Post blog from inside the side event."Twenty Years After Rio, Why are We Not There Yet?" Opening Remarks from the US/Canada Citizens Summitfor Sustainable Development - The summit kicked off with a panel with three veterans of the 1992 Earth Summit – DanEsty, Jacob Scherr, and Kimo Goree. They reflected on why more progress has not been made in the last 20 years and whatneeds to be done to make the next Earth Summit a success.Weathering extreme heat in Ahmedabad, India: protecting residents from increasing temperatures - Indian citygoes ahead to prepare for the hotter and hotter days. Disaster readiness efforts like this are highlighted as a “critical issue” atRio+20.Global HighlightsPolitical Will and Urgency for ActionJoint statement by President Obama and President Rousseff - Regarding Rio+20, both Presidents underscored theimportance of innovation, broad stakeholder engagement, attendance of top leaders at the High-Level meeting, as well asmobilizing investments in smart and sustainable infrastructure. (White House, April 9, 2012)Brazil stresses need for world consensus at Rio+20 meet -Brazil: Rio+20 must yield a commitment to manage the worldeconomy in a way that respects the environment and fights poverty and deliver instruments to make sustainabledevelopment a paradigm for the economy and environment. (AFP)Kenya boosts preparedness to Rio+20 Summit - Kenya is utilizing diplomatic arsenals to rally the internationalcommunity towards a consensus on accelerating growth options that are eco-friendly, inclusive and socially conscious.Kenya is among African Union member States that have pledged to elevate Rio+ 20 Summit in national policy agendas.(Africa Science News)The greatest challenge of our species – “Human ingenuity should be up to the challenge. But it has to recognize theproblem and address it with immediacy and at scale,” Thomas Lovejoy wrote commenting on Rio+20 and the Planet underPressure conference. (New York Times)Shadow of Anthropocene falls over Rio Summit – “This century is special in the Earths history. It is the first whenone species – ours - has the planets future in its hands," said Martin Rees of Britains academy of sciences. (Mother NatureNetwork)

Rio+ 20 suffers leadership void weeks ahead of summit - The current negotiation in the UN poses less of a North-Southconfrontation. Rather, the conflict dwells on the definition of green economy and attacks on human rights and equity. (IPS)Green EconomyWorld’s leading economies to push for action on clean energy - Energy ministers from 23 of the worlds leadingeconomies will meet in London from 25-27 April, to work together on accelerating the transition to clean energy technologiesahead of Rio+20. (Renewable Energy Focus)Whats new for Rio +20? - Carl Pope, former executive director of Sierra Club, recognizes that Rio+20 will not produce afurther agreement on climate, but is excited about the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moons call for "Sustainable Energy forAll" campaign. (Huffington Post)Itália quer apresentar projeto para remodelar favela do Rio - The Italian embassy in Brazil has announced that PrimeMinister Mario Monti will go to Rio+20, accompanied by a group of entrepreneurs. Italy and Brazil also recently joined forceon a project to remodel the Leme favela in the city of Rio de Janeiro to improve its accessibility and integration with the restof the city. (In Portuguese: Terra Brazil)Rio+20: an opportunity for the World Bank to help solve energy access for poor nations - Its clear that if energyaccess is going to be honestly and effectively addressed in Rio, another approach is desperately needed – financialinstitutions need to put their collective weight on distributed clean energy systems. (Energy Bloom)Innovative ApproachesChange the approach to sustainable development - The rates of global environmental change are accelerating but it isnot clear that another conventional assessment will catalyze swifter action. The research community should rally behind anintegrated analysis but do it differently. (Nature)Rwandan: make broadband access a global priority -Rio+20 presents an opportunity to mobilize the worlds leaders tomake broadband more widely accessible and affordable for the millions of unconnected people, said President Kagame. (AllAfrica)Climate change: understanding Rio+20 - IRIN analyzes the trending ideas being proposed around Rio+20: the“doughnut” concept of social capital, sustainable community resources management, planetary boundaries, etc. (IRIN)About the Rio+20 Earth Summit About the Natural Resources Defense CouncilIn June, the Brazilian government expects some 150presidents and prime ministers to join 50,000 leaders and The NRDC is a non-profit environmental advocacycitizens in Rio de Janeiro for the Rio+20 Earth Summit, organization with more than 1.3 million members andcommemorating the 20th anniversary of the historic Earth online activists. Since the 1972 UN Conference on theSummit in 1992. It is anticipated that countries, Human Environment in Stockholm, NRDC has activelycorporations and communities will make promises there to engaged in a range of international sustainability issues. Ourtake action on clean energy, green economy jobs, oceans, current priorities include green economy and jobs, climatecities and other key areas. change and energy, oceans, and toxics. In the 1990s, NRDC organized Earth Summit Watch to report on the implementation of commitments made at the 1992 Earth Summit. For more information about the newsletter and our campaign, please contact Yiting Wang: yiting.wang@nrdc.org. We welcome your feedback to our newsletter service.

Reflections on the Race to Rio - April Newsletter

by NRDC Race to Rio

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