In progress at UNHQ

Environmental issues and sustainable development


ENV/DEV/1270
The United Nations will observe “Earth Hour” on Saturday, 31 March, by turning off the lights for one hour at its New York Headquarters and other facilities around the world, and joining scores of other international landmarks that are participating in the event. In 2011, more than 5,200 cities and towns in 135 countries worldwide switched off their lights for Earth Hour to show support for action on climate change.
ENV/DEV/1264
Negotiations on the outcome document for “Rio+20” resume today, with countries advancing many new proposals that will shape the direction of how the world will move the sustainable development agenda forward. Countries have submitted additional comments since the initial round of negotiations for the Rio+20 outcome document began in January.
ENV/DEV/1261
The 100-day countdown to this June’s “Rio+20” Conference started today with calls for a sharp increase in the level of ambition by Governments, businesses and civil society to reach an outcome in Rio that will effectively accelerate the move towards more sustainable solutions to many of the world’s most pressing problems.
ENV/DEV/1255
The Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Sha Zukang, today welcomed the publication of the first draft of recommendations titled, “The Future We Want”, that will form the basis for negotiations by countries in the lead-up to the Rio+20 meeting in Brazil in June this year.
ENV/DEV/1252
The Preparatory Committee for the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development today elected three members of its Bureau. Elected by acclamation were Kim Sook (Republic of Korea) from the Group of Asian States as Co‑Chair; and Bedrich Moldan (Czech Republic) from the Group of Eastern European States and Keith Christie (Canada) from the Group of Western European and Other States as Vice-Chairs.
ENV/DEV/1253
After months of collecting inputs and suggestions from countries, regional groups, civil society organizations and international organizations, United Nations Member States will meet 15‑16 December to discuss the structure and format of the outcome document that will be finalized by world leaders at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development — Rio+20 — to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012.