Much has changed since the first "Rio" Earth Summit in 1992. Human alteration of marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems has continued to accelerate at a more intense pace than in any other period in history. While our use of ecosystems has led to gains in physical and human capital, it has depleted natural capital (the stock of ecosystems that yield flows of ecosystem goods and services).
At Rio+20, 193 nations have a critical opportunity to renew their commitments to sustainable development and adopt new efforts to alleviate poverty and move toward a global green economy — one that is built on the sustainable use and management of nature's precious but fragile goods and services.
The summit's two main themes have already generated their share of passionate debate:
Green economies. This relatively new element within the formal international agenda has already provoked broad discussions around its definition. A small group of developing countries remain skeptical of the term "green economy," convinced that the developed world is pushing this concept in order to safeguard their own global economic growth. CI believes that the development of healthy, sustainable, "green", economies is absolutely essential to the future well-being of communities, ecosystems and entire nations.
An institutional framework for sustainable development. This has been under political discussion for more than 10 years, with no clear solution on the horizon. Whether the focus is sustainable development goals or new measures of growth, many governments seem unwilling to make substantial changes to their policies and the U.N. system.
While complete success at the informal negotiations has proven elusive, it is worth noting: Negotiating the road to Rio has already had positive repercussions around the world. It has brought sustainable development into sharper focus, and galvanized citizens' groups with a renewed desire to sway government negotiations.
With an estimated 50,000 participants, observers, leaders, activists and journalists gathering in Rio, this summit offers a key opportunity for governments, businesses and organizations like CI to connect with each other, exchange ideas and prioritize funding for new and existing projects. More than 30 members of CI’s global team, including many of our Brazilian colleagues from CI-Brazil, will be there, sharing our technical expertise and advocating for the value of ecosystems to be incorporated into national and corporate accounting systems.
It remains to be seen whether the renewed spirit of activism will be reflected in an ambitious outcome that gives hope to future generations. The improved knowledge we have gained since 1992 — about how to redesign growth and alleviate poverty — is our strongest tool. Urgency for Earth's strained ecosystems and disadvantaged people is our collective rally cry.
Rio+20 is not the end of a process. It is the beginning. CI's team will be in Rio to ensure that 20 years from today, in 2032, we have built healthy sustainable economies founded on the careful use of our planet's natural gifts in order to support our children and children's children for many generations — and summits — to come.
See a list of CI presentations at RIO+20 »
CI and Partner Events
THURSDAY, JUNE 14
Rio Conventions Pavilion: Africa + Indigenous and Local Communities Day
Location: Athletes' Park, Rio Conventions Pavilion
The Contribution of Traditional Knowledge to Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Indigenous communities have developed local knowledge to manage their lands, including both dry lands and forested regions. Indigenous representatives will discuss the use of traditional knowledge, ranging from adaptation in Africa to forest management in Latin America. Representatives from the Government of Guatemala and UNESCO will complement these presentations by sharing their experiences with communities in the use of traditional knowledge.
CI Speaker: Johnson Cerda
Conservation International
Time: 13:15 – 14:45
TEEB for Business Launch
Businesses have a significant role to play in how we manage, safeguard and invest in our natural capital. The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) for Business and Enterprise report provides practical guidance on the issues and the opportunities created by the inclusion in mainstream business practices of ecosystem- and biodiversity-related considerations.
Conservation International, Brazil National Industry Confederation
Time: 12:00 – 14:30
Location: Sofitel Hotel, Copacabana
Kayapo Fund Seminar
Learn more about the Kayapo Fund, a fund aiming to support conservation and development enterprises in Kayapo indigenous communities, in an event presented by representatives of CI-Brazil, Amazon Fund/Banco Nacionalde Desenvolvimento Economico e Social (BNDES), Brazilian Biodiversity Fund (Funbio), and Kayapo leaders.
CI Speaker: Fabio Scarano
Conservation International-Brazil
Time: 11:00 – 13:00
Location: Arena da Barra, Auditorio ARN-3
Marine Protected Areas Roundtable
A roundtable discussing the challenges Brazil faces to reach the target of 10% Marine Protected Areas.
CI Speaker: Guilherme Dutra
Tara Exhibitions
Time: 14:00
Location: MAM Museum - Blue Pavilion
SATURDAY, JUNE 16
Natural Capital Declaration Launch
In addition to a thorough introduction to the Natural Capital Declaration (NCD), the launching event will feature a presentation of all financial institutions that have endorsed the NCD at CEO-level, a discussion with financial industry senior executives on their motivations for endorsing the NCD and ways to further hardwire natural capital into finance.
Natural Capital Declaration
Time: 14:00 - 16:30
Location: Winsor Barra Hotel (during the Corporate Sustainability Forum)
SUNDAY, JUNE 17
Building Inclusive Green Economies: Towards a Shared Policy Agenda
This session will facilitate a dialogue on the building blocks of an inclusive green economy that can reduce poverty and inequality, and the role of development cooperation in supporting low-income countries to make the transition.
Poverty-Environment Partnership (PEP), WAVES, UN Poverty Environment Initiative, ESPA
Time: 11:30 – 13:00
Location: Pontifica Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC), Rio Datacentro
Environment and Development Challenges: The Imperative to Act
In 1992, the year of the Earth Summit, the Asahi Glass Foundation established the Blue Planet Prize, an award presented to individuals or organizations worldwide in recognition of outstanding achievements in scientific research and its application that have helped provide solutions to global environmental problems. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Blue Planet Prize, the Asahi Glass Foundation will hold a panel discussion by past prize laureates. Conservation International was a recipient of the award in 1997.
CI Speaker: Russ Mittermeier
Asahi Glass Foundation
Time: 15:30-17:05 (lecture and discussion), 17:20-18:30 (reception)
Location: Athletes’ Park, Japan Pavilion
GoodPlanet Foundation Film Festival: Water Day
Screening of Yann Arthus-Bertrand's film Le Soif du Monde (The Thirsty World), followed by a panel discussion on fresh water issues.
CI Speaker: Fabio Scarano
GoodPlanet Foundation
Time: 20:00 (film), 21:30 (discussion)
Location: Odeon Cinema, Pc Floriano, 7 – Centro, Rio de Janeiro, Metro Cinelandia
MONDAY, JUNE 18
Rio Conventions Pavilion: Business Day
Location: Athletes' Park, Rio Conventions Pavilion
Private Sector Engagement in the Last 20 Years: Successes and Challenges
CI Speaker: Bambi Semroc
Time: 12:00
Managing Corporate Externalities: Public-Private Partnership and Ways Forward
CI Speaker: Pavan Sukhdev
Time: 14:15
Bringing Industry into the Green Economy - Sustainability
Panel discussion including Kelly Goodejohn of Starbucks, discussing CI's work with Starbucks.
Time: 15:45
Natural Capital Declaration - Roadmap to Account for Nature
f CI Speaker: Peter Seligmann
Time: 17:15-20:00
Natural Capital Accounting: Why do we need it and how can we implement it?
This event will showcase the technical foundation for natural capital accounting as wells as discuss several countries’ experience in piloting national accounting. It will also set the set the stage for global leaders to express commitments to natural capital accounting at the Summit.
CI Speaker: Peter Seligmann
The World Bank, Brazil Ministry of Environment, Conservation International
Time: 13:00 – 17:00 (followed by reception)
Location: Jardim Botanico, Rua Jardim Botânico, 1008, Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Blue Economy - The Driving Force for Chinese Sustainable Development
CI Speaker: Jonas Rupp
State Oceanic Administration
Time: 15:00
Location: TBA
TUESDAY, JUNE 19
Amazon in Debate: Guiana Shield Challenges and Opportunities
The Guiana Shield (including Northern Brazil, Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana) is the largest remaining block of pristine tropical forest in the world. It maintains important carbon stocks, produces 18% of the Earth’s freshwater and houses vast amounts of unique biodiversity in the Amazon. The event will build upon existing regional collaboration and multiply its benefits to ensure increased positive impacts on the socio-economic development of the region.
CI Speaker: Russ Mittermeier, André Guimarães
Government of Amapá, Suriname and Guyana, FFEM, KFW, FAO, Fundo Vale Time: 11:00 – 14:00
Location: Athletes' Park Auditorium
Organization of American States Rio+20 Dialogue Series: Governance
This dialogue is to share experiences, best practices and ideas related to institutional structures, policies, and procedures that facilitate public participation in sustainable development initiatives. Additionally, participants will discuss recommendations on the implementation of basic governance principles that have emerged from the OAS-DSD RIO+ 20 Dialogue Series.
CI Speaker: Carlos Manuel Rodriguez
Organization of American States - Department of Sustainable Development (OAS-DSD)
Time: 12:30 – 13:45
Location: Fundacao Getulio Vargas, Praia de Botafogo 190
Pacific Islands: Applying the Green Economy in a Blue World
This event discusses the Pacific Regional Oceans Policy and the Pacific Oceanscape Framework for implementing the policy. It highlights the challenges for small islands in managing the planet’s largest resource – the Pacific Ocean – not only for themselves but for the global community and, in particular, raises the special case of small islands in terms of their vulnerabilities, location, size, remoteness and capacities.
CI Speaker: Russ Mittermeier
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
Time: 15:30 – 17:00
Location: Riocentro, T-10
Starbucks/CI Coffee Salon: The Evolution of Starbucks' Ethical Coffee Sourcing, C.A.F.E. Practices
For 13 years, Starbucks and Conservation International have partnered to develop Starbucks’ ethical coffee sourcing guidelines. C.A.F.E. Practices is a continuous improvement program that focuses on encouraging and supporting coffee farmers' efforts to protect the environment and human well-being. Learn about our strategies for monitoring and supporting social and environmental outcomes, results achieved to date, and what's next for the program.
CI Speaker: Bambi Semroc
Starbucks, Conservation International
Time: 16:00 – 17:30
Location: Starbucks, Rua Goncalves Dias, 51, Centro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Natural Capital - from Regional Insights to a Global Partnership
This event will bring together a range of international key experts and policy-makers to discuss how the experience gained in the Nordic and European countries and elsewhere could best support a global transition to green economy, inspired by concrete examples and lessons learned.
CI Speaker: Carlos Manuel Rodriguez
Nordic Council of Ministers (Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland)
Time: 17:00-19:00
Location: JW Mariott Hotel
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20
Measuring What Matters: A Coherent Global Framework
The high-level event will focus on the three major proposals in the negotiating text: The momentum for a set of goals at the global level that focus on sustainable development; Proposals for a set of national performance metrics that go beyond GDP; The call for more integrated and robust corporate reporting that helps to redefine business value. Our proposition is that in order for these metrics to be transformational, they need to be aligned against the same broad objectives such that they work together to drive change.
The Prince's Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S)
Time: 9:00 – 10:30
Location: Riocentro, T-4
Natural Capital Accounting: Better Decisions for Sustainable Development
This session will include perspectives from the public sector, private sector, as well as NGOs. In conjunction with this event, the Bank will launch a report on WAVES. Government of UK, World Bank, Natural Capital Declaration, Botswana, Colombia, Madagascar, Brazil, National Australia Bank, Sovereign, CPSL, Unilever, Natura, TEEB for Business, Conservation International, WWF, Bioregional
Time: 13:15 – 14:45
Location: Riocentro, T-4
Starbucks/CI Coffee Salon: Adapting to and Mitigating Climate Change: The Role of Coffee Farmers
Starbucks and Conservation International have joined forces to identify strategies and incentives that coffee farmers may utilize to adapt to and mitigate climate change, while ensuring a sustainable and productive source of coffee for years to come. Find out what we learned and how these projects will serve as case studies and models for similar projects in other regions, including Brazil's state of Minas Gerais.
CI Speaker: Bambi Semroc
Starbucks, Conservation International Time: 16:00 – 17:30
Location: Starbucks, Rua Goncalves Dias, 51, Centro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Equator Prize Gala
This is the 10-year anniversary of the Equator Prize which recognizes 25 outstanding local initiatives that are working to advance sustainable development for people, nature and resilient communities. The 2012 Prize focuses on local innovation and excellence in promoting community wellbeing and sustainable livelihoods, environmental conservation, and sustainable natural resource management.
Equator Initiative
Time: 19:00 – 21:00
Location: Rio Vivo (Club Monte Libano)
THURSDAY, JUNE 21
Global Partnership for Oceans: Coming Together for Healthy and Productive Oceans
During this workshop, the following topics will be discussed from the point of view of sustainable ocean management: energy (production of green, ocean, solar and wind energy); food security (sustainable management of fish resources); tourism (promotion of green tourism).
Monaco, World Bank
Time: 17:00 – 18:30
Location: Riocentro, T-6
Business + Biodiversity Reception
Reception for high-level government, corporate and NGO leaders. Peter Seligmann will open the reception and CI Board Member Pavan Sukhdev will give a brief keynote about the importance of protecting natural capital and our ecosystem assets so humans can thrive.
CI Speakers: Pavan Sukhdev, Peter Seligmann
Conservation International
Time: 19:00 – 21:00
Location: Costa Brava Clube, Rua Sargento Jose da Silva, 3621-Joa
Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security
The marine and coastal ecosystems of the Coral Triangle region provide significant actual and potential economic benefits to over 360 million people within the region, and many more beyond. With its focus on people-centered biodiversity conservation, this event will help to deliver a strong outcome for oceans, fisheries and biodiversity in the light of economic, social and environmental significance.
WWF
Time: 19:00 – 20:30
Location: Riocentro, P3-B
FRIDAY, JUNE 22
Eye on Earth Declaration Secretariat Announcement and Signing Ceremony
Press conference to announce the Eye on Earth Declaration endorsement at Rio+20 by more than 20 UN member countries and the UN major groups.
Environment Agency, Abu Dhabi
Time: 11:00 - 15:00
Location: Riocentro Convention Center Media center