Leaders Evaluate Sustainability Goals at Rio+20

Final negotiations of Rio+20, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, began on Wednesday as over 100 heads of state and representatives from 190 cities descended on Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Intended to serve as a landmark event on global sustainability, food security, and energy goals, the summit was seen as a next step to a similar UN conference held in Brazil 20 years ago. But a number of hurdles marked the event, including the looming eurozone crisis, the absence of several key heads of state, and a resolution that many say lacks substance.

Rio+20 comes two decades after the 1992 Earth Summit, also held in Rio de Janeiro. That conference was achieved after years of negotiations and resulted in historic commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Now, with Europe facing increasingly severe economic problems and other major economies facing ongoing uncertainty, some believe leaders are less invested in the summit. "The financial and economic problems that some countries face don't make it easier for them to agree on things that they would have agreed to before 2008,” said former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, one of the key leaders of the 1992 summit. Several heads of state decided not to attend, including U.S. President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Obama’s absence could also be put down to the upcoming U.S. elections, as he could have faced “substantial criticism” from potential voters for attending, reports The New York Times.

Leaders are considering agreements on a compromise text completed this morning, based on the Rio+20 document drafted Tuesday. However, the document has caused widespread disappointment, including among summit leaders. Rather than set binding targets or mandatory goals, the text uses terms like “recognizes” and “notes” and encourages countries to pursue a number of loosely defined UN objectives ranging from environmental protection to social inclusion. The resolution also does not include a proposed $30 billion fund for green initiatives.

At the June 20 opening, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said, "Let me be frank: Our efforts have not lived up to the measure of the challenge… Nature does not negotiate with human beings." He added that he had hoped for a more “ambitious” document. A June HSBC Global Research report on climate change said the resultion had “ballooned into a baggy and fractious document…[and] marks precious little forward movement.” Environmentalists were especially critical. Jim Leape, head of the World Wildlife Fund, said the document was “pathetic” and that if agreed upon, "the last year of negotiations has been a colossal waste of time.”

There were, however, positive outcomes. Some pointed to the Rio+20 side events as a success, bringing together members of non-profits, the private sector, and government. Known as the C40, nearly 60 of the world’s largest cities formed a pact to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 248 million tons through 2020. A number of corporations made pledges to become more sustainable, ranging from Microsoft’s goal to become carbon-neutral by 2013 to Dupont’s $10 billion R&D investment to increase global food supply and reduce waste. In addition, the proposed Rio+20 declaration does not include the creation of a World Environment Organization, which would have been a “giant step backwards” and could have undermined existing institutions like the UN Environmental Program (UNEP), wrote environmental expert Stanley Johnson. In fact, the resolution gives more power to the UNEP, calling for increased support and financial resources. Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio de Aguiar Patriota defended the final document, saying, "If everyone is equally dissatisfied, it's because it is the result of compromise. Given the difficulty we were facing…we did accomplish a lot."

Tensions between emerging economies and industrialized countries contributed in part to the weakened document. Critics say Brazil, which led the final negotiations, allowed for a watered-down agreement, while China avoided language around environmental monitoring commitments. Meanwhile, Canada and the United States blocked a clause to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, as well as joining Japan, Russia, and Venezuela to oppose a governance structure for oceans.

Leaders will vote on the final document on Friday.

Learn More:

• Access the official portal of Rio+20.
• Read the final document under negotiation, entitled “The Future We Want.”
• Read an overview about Rio+20 in an Americas Quarterly blog post.