It wasn’t until arriving in Rio de Janeiro (1) that participants to Rio + 20, United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, could see the effect this event was having on the lives of local Cariocas and their city. Even though the main venue of the conference, Rio Centro, was about...
Read more
Category Archives: Rio+20 Blog
First Impressions of The Future We Want
In a brief email from I2UD senior research associate Alejandra Mortarini, she tells us about the reaction to The Future We Want, the international agreement on sustainable development that everyone has been waiting for. After months of negotiations it is supposedly complete, and will be signed by world leaders on...
Read more
Update from Alejandra in Rio: Humanidade 2012
In an old fort on the trendy Copacabana beach, a side event called “Humanidade 2012” opens a conversation as large as civilization itself. Walking through this three-storey pavilion, the visitor traces a path through human and natural history, encountering a wealth of flora and fauna as well as stunning visual...
Read more
Agreement Reached
A press release from the United Nations announces that 191 countries have agreed on a document to be presented and signed by world leaders on Friday. The new document promises to strengthen the UN Environmental Program, promote gender equity, encourage corporate sustainability reporting, and detail a green economy. However, critics...
Read more
What’s on the Agenda?
Much hype surrounds the UN Conference on Sustainable Development: thousands will attend, including business and industry representatives, delegations of native peoples, the heads of state of about 130 countries, and countless civil society groups (including the I2UD, represented by Alejandra Mortarini). The objective of the Conference is for UN member...
Read more
Sustainable Development vs. Sustainability
Next week’s “Rio+20” Conference is an opportunity for world leaders to refocus and commit to bold measures that alleviate poverty, protect the environment, and strengthen the economy. The conference’s chief organizer, the United Nations, hopes to achieve this wealthier, greener world through the process of “sustainable development.” But what exactly...
Read more
Two Decades of Sustainable Development
The upcoming Conference on Sustainable Development is called “Rio+20” because it is the follow-up to the landmark Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), which convened 20 years ago in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The integration of human development, environmental sustainability, and economic growth – at the time a young concept...
Read more
Spotlight on Urban Sustainability for Rio+20 Conference
The I2UD is excited to announce an interactive program ahead of this month’s landmark United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development! Next week, leaders from around the world will assemble in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to negotiate the future of international environmental policy. Commonly referred to as Rio+20, the UNCSD hopes...
Read more