Felix Dodds comments on sustainable development, coffee & life

Panel I: How Can Rio+20 Foster the Global Development Agenda? Panel II: The Role of the General Assembly in Supporting the Rio+20 Objectives With the much-anticipated United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development just a month away, and with intergovernmental negotiations on an outcome mired in minutiae, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called today for ambitious leadership to seize this “once in a generation opportunity” to transform ideas and aspirations into bold action “for the sake of our planet and our children”. “We do not have a moment to waste”, the Secretary-General said, opening the General Assembly’s informal thematic debate convened to re-energize talks on possible outcomes of the Conference — known as “Rio+20” after the Brazilian city that will host the event from 20 to 23 June.  The debate, “The Road to Rio+20 and Beyond”, featured two round-table discussions dealing with issues at the heart of the Rio process, including ways the ...

Visiting number 10 Downing Street after Planet Under Pressure . The PuP conference had over 3000 scientists, policy makers and stakeholders attending. It launched Future Earth a new scientific platform which will help integrate a number of previous science bodies into a coherent one that can produce information for decision makers in a coherent way.Also producing some excellent policy briefs.

The worlds scientists meeting at the excel in London 3000 of them to discuss input to rio+20. Planet Under Pressure will publish a  CO2 concentration is increasing in rate over the last ten years.  Caroline Speldman the UK Minister of Environment calls for Rio+20 to agree SD Goals, new GDP+ and action on agriculture.  Follow the negotiations for Rio+20 with Outreach the Stakeholder Forum newsletter Stakeholder Forum team at the UN working in the Vienna Cafe.

One Only Earth by Felix Dodds, Michael Strauss with Maurice Strong will be out end of May. The book looks at the history since Stockholm and the challenge on a number of key policy fronts. Published by Earthscan and worth reading by all those intending to go to Rio. New paper by Anabella Rosemberg of the IFTU on Green Jobs and Skills available from the Global Transition 2012 web site. Second Global Transition Dialogue for Rio+20 17th and 18th of March.

The European Economic and Social Council Confernce Go Sustainable Be Responsible opening panel with Felix Dodds Executive Director, Brice Lalonde , Exeuctive Coordinator for Rio+20, Staffan Nilsson EESC President and Janez Potcnik Commissioner for Environment European Commissioner. I called for: " I would like to echo that call by a quote from a different time about a different issue but which rings so clear today for our challenges. Senator Robert Kennedy in April 1968 said: “A revolution is coming— a revolution which will be peaceful if we are wise enough; compassionate if we care enough; successful if we are fortunate enough. But a revolution is coming whether we will it or not. We can affect its character; we cannot alter its inevitability”. For Rio let us choose to work together for a world that is built on sustainable societies, responsive citizens and accountable governments.

Part of a European tour starting with the first stop Paris for the French government conference: 'Towards a new Global Governance' on the 31st of January. Other speakers included the French Minister Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet , the great Danish Minister Ida Auken . Her uncle Svend Auken was also environment Minister and helped get WSSD off the ground. Brice Lalonde Executive Coordinator Rio+20 , Andre Correa de Lago Rio+20 Brazilian Ambassador and Cherif Rahmani Algerian Minister of the Environment. The event looked at the idea of upgrading the UNEP into a World Environmental Organization and the creation of a Sustainable Development Council of the UN General Assembly. In my presentation i supported both and the call by industry for a Convention on Corporate Sustainability. The Dutch Platform for Rio+20 invited me to address a Rio+20 event (February 2nd 2012). Chairing is the Dutch Ambassador for Sustainable Development Kitty Vander Haijden. The...

Rio+20 informal meeting finishes (Jan 27) with a feeling of hope. The Sustainable Development Goals idea is gaining interest and support from many countries. Of course the devil is in the detail. How will they relate to the MDGs? What can be done for Rio? How many? are some of the questions which will be the discussions ahead. Stakeholder Forum release their analysis of the zero draft for groups to use in their lobbying process. UNDESA released the study Stakeholder Forum have undertaken for them for Agenda 21 and Rio Declaration - a twenty year review. The idea of a new Sustainable Development Council for the United Nations General Assembly is also gaining traction in the corridors. The questions are mostly around the Green Economy. Monday (30th Jan) the UN Global Sustainability Panel Report will be released calling for sustainable development criteria for credit rating agencies and sovereign wealth funds. Also support for a global framework on sustainability reporting...