What is Rio+20?
Rio+20 is the short name for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development at Rio de Janeiro June 20-22, twenty years after the landmark 1992 Earth Summit in the same city.
Why do we need Rio+20?
According to the United Nations, if we are to leave our children and grandchildren a livable world, the challenges of widespread poverty and environmental destruction need to be tackled now.
* The world today has seven billion people. By 2050, there will be nine billion.
* One out of every five people - 1.4 billion - currently live on $1.25 a day or less.
* A billion-and-a-half people in the world don't have access to electricity.
* Two-and-a-half billion people don't have a toilet.
* Almost a billion people go hungry every day.
* Greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise and more than a third of all known species could go extinct if climate change continues unchecked.
Theme
The official discussions will focus on two main themes - how to build a green economy to achieve sustainable development and lift people out of poverty; and how to improve international coordination for sustainable development.
Sustainability
Sustainability calls for a decent standard of living for everyone without compromising on the needs of future generations while protecting the environment.
|
|
Comments:
