Accountability-Central.com AC Alert for June 26, 2012 Reviewing Rio Plus 20 - Which Ended with "The Future We Want"

Over 50,000 people participated...that's more than the New York Yankees can squeeze into Yankee Stadium for a "subway series" game against the New York Mets. Rio+20 attendees came from all parts of the globe with a host of ideas and suggestions. In addition to the usual official government delegations, there were thousands of people advocating all kinds of needs and ideas.

We saw Latin American indigenous groups, Asian women rights' proponents and corporations teaming with celebrities to lend support for environmentally-friendly proposals as just as a few examples. This was the United Nations Summit on Sustainable Development (Rio Plus 20) convened last week in Brazil.

Now that the dust has settled and participants are returning home, what was really accomplished? How are the post conference reviews coming in? AC editors have been closely monitoring the action and delivering news and commentary for you via our special Hot Topic Section "Road to Rio" -- and in this week's AC ALERT we offer a sampling of opinion regarding the conference.

Perception regarding these types of events as a success or failure can often be found in the eyes of the beholder, and positions they advocate. This one was no exception, as these excerpts indicate:

Activists slam Rio+20 sustainable development summit as a 'hoax'
(Source: CNN) As delegates ended the three-day Rio+20 summit with a 53-page statement called "The Future We Want," activists slammed the U.N. conference on sustainable development as a "failure of epic proportions."

UNDP reveals template for human sustainability index at Rio+20
(Source: The Guardian) The UN Development Program (UNDP) has unveiled its "conceptual framework" for a human sustainability index that would recognize rates of human development while also weighing up the cost of progress to future generations. Khalid Malik, director of the UNDP's human development report office, says alternative approaches will be the key to a new human sustainability index.

How Business Can Respond to Rio+ 20
(Source: Triple Pundit) The world is waiting to see just how business responds to Rio+20. More companies understand that continued prosperity vitally depends on how they treat the environment. As a result, many are pursuing a wide range of “green” business initiatives aimed at reducing fossil fuel consumption.

Economy casts shadow on Rio+20 environmental summit
(Source: Christian Science Monitor) World leaders gathered in Brazil for the three-day meeting on sustainable development, but the US election and Europe's economic woes made the conference a subdued affair.

UN Sustainability Drive Draws China, Bolivia Criticism
(Source: Bloomberg) The United Nations plan to harmonize economic growth with environmental protection drew criticism from Chinese and Bolivian leaders, underscoring a rift that limited the ambition of the Rio+20 summit.

As Host to Rio+20, Brazil Faces Own Environmental Struggles
(Source: Earth Island Journal) As leaders from 130 countries gathered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last week for the “Rio+20” United Nations environmental summit, the host country continued to face its own increasingly volatile struggles between economic growth, ecosystem conservation, and human rights protection.

This is just a sampling of the information in our Accountability-Central.com Alert. Go here for the full text of this alert, and more information on Sustainability, and other Accountability related topics.