In June 2012, world leaders will gather in Rio de Janeiro for the United Nations Conference of Sustainable Development, better known as Rio+20 in reference to the landmark Earth Summit that was held in the same city in 1992. This was the first conference that explicitly brought environmental concerns to the forefront of the development agenda and is notable for the introduction of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that would eventually lead to the Kyoto Protocol.  Rio+20 will naturally serve as an occasion to review the successes and failures of the sustainable development community over the past twenty years and as an opportunity to develop new models and partnerships for the future. This year’s conference will focus on two themes: a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication (GESDPE) and the institutional framework for sustainable development. Within this, the following priority areas have been highlighted: food; water; energy; cities; jobs; oceans; and disasters.

For those hoping for a new sustainable development paradigm, expectations are already running low. Economic and electoral pressures in Europe and the US have sidelined environmental concerns and many of the major world leaders including Barack Obama and David Cameron are unlikely to attend. The “zero-draft” document, “The Future We Want”, circulated in advance of the meeting does not include any “hard-law” options and focuses on developing shared policy milestones and guiding countries towards voluntary national targets.  Some of the proposals include the creation of an Ombudsperson or High Commissioner for Future Generations and a request to reframe the GDP metric to integrate economic, social and environmental factors.

 

The world, of course, looks very different today from how it did in 1992. Widespread economic uncertainty and rising food prices are putting even greater pressure on natural resources with increasing degradation and deforestation. The BRIC/BASIC1 countries are the major drivers of production and capital today and India is expected to play an important role in representing the developing world at the summit. In preparation for the conference, four Inter-Ministerial Working Groups have been convened, guided by inputs from technical organizations and consultations with the private sector and civil society representatives. In October 2011, the Delhi Ministerial Dialogue on Green Economy and Inclusive Growth laid out India’s broad position for the negotiations. Primarily this includes a commitment to equity and “common but differentiated responsibilities”, and a continuation of the 1992 “Rio Principles”, which include an opposition to setting any quantitative targets. In establishing poverty eradication as the overarching goal, India has called for balance between the three pillars of sustainable development: social and economic development and environmental protection. Its key positions include a request for a fair and equitable global trading regime and for greater facilitation of international technology transfers to help developing countries leapfrog.

 

If successful, Rio+20 could mark a global transition towards a green economy: one that generates growth and creates jobs through a more effective channeling of the earth’s natural resources. The zero-draft acknowledges that there is a lack of definition around the concept of a “green economy” and that any such model needs to be country-defined. One of the conference goals will be to develop a toolkit for knowledge sharing and to facilitate policy coordination across countries. To guide the discussion, the UN Secretary General has provided a list of seven policy “tracks” within GESDPE: green stimulus packages; eco-efficiency; greening markets and public procurement; investments in sustainable infrastructure; restoration and upgrading of natural capital; getting prices right; and ecological tax reform. However, despite talk that frames investment in the green economy as a win-win solution, a UNEP report from November 2011 has found that the transition to a green economy would require an investment of 2% of global GDP across 10 key sectors. The zero-draft calls upon the international community to direct “new, additional and scaled-up” financing towards developing countries and India has proposed the creation of a Sustainable Development Fund to both fulfill current aid promises and to direct additional investments from the public and private sector.

 

The task of increasing food, water and energy security is central to India’s goal of poverty eradication. Efforts towards this have already begun with the “Sustainable Energy for All” initiative that was launched earlier this year by the Secretary-General. It sets out an ambitious vision: universal energy access, significantly improved rates of energy efficiency and to double renewable energy usage by 2030.  Rio+20 also aims to scale up and increase the role of the private sector in meeting sustainable development goals. The report includes a proposal to require all listed and large private companies to report on their sustainability activities. A business coalition led by Aviva and 40 “like-minded” organizations has provided their support for a mandatory disclosure regulation.

 

By developing an effective platform of knowledge sharing and by taking a multi-stakeholder, multi-theme approach to sustainable development, Rio+20 is aimed at guiding policy makers towards practical, national-level initiatives. For countries such as India, such a platform can provide critical inputs on technology and capacity building, providing opportunities for economic growth, poverty eradication and sustainability.  

 

 

 

[1] BRIC: Brazil, Russia, India and China and BASIC: Brazil, South Africa, India and China