Promise and Progress at Rio+20

S. Jacob Scherr Director, Global Strategy and Advocacy Natural Resources Defense Council September 12, 2012

NRDC’s Vision for Rio +20 (2011)

The Rio+20 “Earth Summit” must do more than just deliver another agenda with lofty goals for the distant future…Instead, Rio+20 should generate real actions on the part of governments at every level, as well as by businesses and civil society groups.

The Summit should produce a politically-binding outcomes document of not more than ten pages that recognizes the imminent threat of exceeding our planet’s natural boundaries and the need to move to a new green economy. The UN should create a registry of non-globally negotiated commitments made at Rio+20.

Rio+20 – One of the largest UN gatherings in history

•Total number of participants - 100,000 or more •Summit - about 100 presidents and prime ministers •UNCSD –

•12,250 accredited representatives of 191 nations •10,047 accredited representatives of NGOs •4,000 journalists

•Thousands of mayors, CEOs, experts, advocates, and activists •Thousands of events at venues around Rio

Actions Brazil Connectivity Denial

Reflections on Rio – A to D

KEY RIO+20 PLATFORMS

•Voluntary Commitments •Partnerships

The Road from Rio+20

1. Advocacy for the creation by the UN Secretary General of an “internet-based registry “ which should make “information about the commitments fully transparent and accessible to the public, and it should be periodically updated.” The Future We Want, para. 283.

2. Encouragement of a dialogue among commitment registries and platforms to establish improved metrics and mechanisms for enhanced accountability.

3. Creation of a network of civil society groups and individuals engaged in encouraging and monitoring implementation of “cornerstone commitments.”

4. Advocacy to assure that development of UN Sustainable Development Goals includes focus on action and accountability.