Environmental issues and sustainable development

A two-day conference to be held in New York City later this month, “Envision 2012: Stories for a Sustainable Future”, will focus on developing a better global future with opportunity for all, building on three key issues: just and sustainable cities; clean water; and green energy.

United Nations and Brazilian officials on 5 April signed the key legal agreement that allows Brazil to host the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, “Rio+20”, in Rio de Janeiro, in June.

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.

Member States concluded the latest round of negotiations on a “ Rio+20” outcome document with proposals that would expand the length and scope of the issues under consideration as they moved towards defining a global action agenda for a sustainable future.

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.

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.

People who have made special contributions towards protecting forests and forest communities will receive the Forest Heroes Award at a special ceremony hosted by the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) Secretariat to mark the conclusion of the International Year of Forests, on 9 February at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

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.

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.

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.