This week will see the 2012 Earth Summit take place in Rio de Janeiro, twenty years after the largest gathering of heads of state in history at the 1992 Earth Summit. Thousands of participants from governments, the private sector, NGOs and other stakeholders will gather in Rio to discuss the issues of sustainable development. The 2012 earth summit will take place from June 20th-June 22nd. Ahead of the conference, Secretary-General of the UN, Ban Ki-moon has said “Rio+20 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make real progress towards the sustainable economy of the future”.
The discussions will focus on two main issues:
How to build a green economy to achieve sustainable development and alleviate poverty, including support for developing countries that will allow them to find a green path for development; and how to improve international coordination for sustainable development.
The preparations for Rio+20 have highlighted seven key areas which need urgent attention; these include jobs, energy, sustainable cities, food security and sustainable agriculture, water, oceans and disaster readiness.