Felix Dodds comments on sustainable development, coffee & life

By Felix Dodds Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future, Executive Director Thank you for inviting me to speak today and share my thoughts on Rio+20. Although I have been asked to speak on the contribution that stakeholders might play, I do want to start by making comments on the agenda for Rio+20 as well. In doing so I will draw on the article Maurice Strong and I did for the BBC in May this year. To start with, I would like to commend Brazil for the leadership they have shown in persuading the world that another Earth Summit is needed. Unfortunately, some developed countries have had to be dragged to the table. There is a simple question we should all ask ourselves - is the world going in the right direction? If the answer to this question is no, then we should ask what are the current challenges that the world needs to address, how can we address the challenges together and how long do we have to address them? Broken promises The answer to the last question is “not long”. Most of...

Special event Second Committee, 65th Session of the General Assembly “Advancing Sustainable Development: What Should Rio+20 Achieve?” Friday, 29 October 2010 Background The concept of sustainable development is like a bridge. It seeks to bring together not only the three domains — economic, social and environmental — but also developed and developing countries, Governments, businesses and civil society, scientific knowledge and public policy, the city and the countryside, and present and future generations. It has also created the awareness that the environment and development are not two separate agendas, but two faces of the same agenda. Development is the midwife of sustainability, just as sustainability is the life support system for development. In order to secure a renewed political commitment for sustainable development, Member States decided at the 64th session of the General Assembly to organize, in Brazil in 2012, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) . The Con...

We are doing a round table discussion on Green Economy. UNEP Green Economy coordinator Steven Stone suggests that the green economy is ‘low carbon and social inclusive’. I suggested it might be more like the WWF vision of ‘One Planet Living’ offers us the vision and what our economic system needs to support within planet boundaries. Lots of people seem to focus on the carbon part of the discussion but it must be more than this. Others here to find out what the green economy might be --- ‘a set of ? marks’….. Its going to be a long road to Rio+20!! The presentations by IISD -- they are saying that to create an enabling environment for the green economy should include: • Green public investment and incentives • Sustainable public procurement • Legislation, institutions and enforcement • Leveling the playing field of prices • Supporting actions: capacity building and transitional arrangements Questions to be asked for moving to a green economy: • Prioritizing between policies?...

Geneva 25 th of October UNEP are hosting a discussion for stakeholders to discuss how to reform the International Environmental Governance. Bradnee Chambers of UNEP is presenting on the fragmentation of the IEG system. He identifies as key problems: Use of financial resources Inconsistency in interpretation of rules Neglect of interlinkages Structural inefficiencies There is no coherent system wide environmental strategy Lack of implementation and capacity Lack of monitoring, review and accountability UNEP are suggesting that the environmental pillar is the foundation of sustainable development The 2009 and 2010 Consultative Group set up under UNEP GC decision 25/4 and SSXI/1 respectively is the process now leading up to Rio+20 on IEG. This identified that present IEG discussion should be based that form should follow function. There needed to eb a set of functions that were critical.   Creating a strong, credible and coherent science base Developing a global authority for the environ...

Dear Friends, Stakeholder Forum is launching Earth Summit Network News, the newsletter that will keep you informed about developments by the UN, governments and stakeholders in the buildup to Rio+20. SF will manage and distribute this publication each month so that various stakeholders remain connected, up-to-date and can share information via our network as we work towards the Summit. You can also stay informed by joining our Earth Summit 2012 group on Facebook (click here to join) or by following developments around the Summit on Twitter at @RIOPLUS20 If your organisation has news or an announcement you would like to make please send your proposed entry to earthsummit2012@stakeholderforum.org. The entry could share information about an event, meeting, report or article. You can also make contributions to our blog about your experiences in the build up to Rio+20. Earth Summit and intersessional dates announuced The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) has confi...

hi looks like the national report guidlines will be out this week from the UN with a date of completition of October 31st. There will be a chance for all stakeholders to input directly as well. So contact your government find out what process they are setting up to consult and participate in Rio+20. All information will be posted as we have it on our Earth Summit 2012 site .

The UN has redesigned its web site for 2012 ---its much more user friendly and information richer. Have a look at it here. The Stakeholder Forum web site has a diary of events up to 2012 -- have a look at that here.