Rio+20

Countries begin last round of talks on outcome document ahead of Rio+20 conference - Countries today began the last round of negotiations on an outcome document before they meet in Brazil next month at the United Nations Sustainable Development Conference (Rio+20), which seeks to shape new policies to promote prosperity, reduce poverty and advance social equity and environmental protection.(UN News Centre)

Road to Rio+20 continues to heat up - Negotiations on the outcome document of Rio+20 are on their final stretch. (Ivy Mungcal, DevEx)

Rio+Social Invites the World to Make History and Help Write the Next '6-Minute Speech' - Today the organizing partners Rio+Social launched the “6-Minute Speech Project,” a platform for a worldwide dialogue around the upcoming Rio+20 Summit in support of the UN’s theme of “The Future We Want.” (PRWeb)

Can self-interest drive sustainable energy for all? - A bold plan to bring every person on Earth sustainable energy within 18 years will face its first test of international acceptance at the Rio+20 Earth Summit (the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development) next month (June 20-22). (Smriti Mallapaty, SciDevNet)

Rio+20 is Everyone's Conference - The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, otherwise known as Rio+20, is a once-in-a-generation opportunity.(Sha Zukang, IPS)

Energy efficiency

Energy-Saving Solution Monitors Individual Appliances - Two PhD students at the University of Sydney have developed a solution to monitor the energy use of individual appliances in an effort to help consumers decide how and when to use or replace them. (Joshua S Hill, CleanTechnica)

Sustainable development flourishing in Wales's green economy - Wales is fast becoming Europe's test bed for sustainable development and what the UN would call "the green economy". (John Vidal, The Guardian)

Energy access

We won’t achieve the MDGs without tackling energy access - Ban Ki-moon recently announced that the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water had been halved, meeting target 7.C of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the international development goals that world leaders agreed back in 2000 to achieve by 2015. (Sarah Butler-Sloss, Ashden Blog)

Electricity Program Expands Access to Energy for Ethiopians with Support from the World Bank - The Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank today approved a US$200 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA*) to the Government of Ethiopia to increase rural coverage and to provide access to affordable, modern, cost-effective electricity services to its citizens. (Press Release, The World Bank Group)

Africa: Is Environmentally Sustainable Water, Energy and Land for All Possible? - How do you ensure access to safe water, energy and land in a way that benefits the poorest people on the planet but does not harm the environment? The latest European Development Report (EDR), launched in Brussels on Wednesday, sketches out a few broad ideas, but the big question is how do we translate this 200-page document into practical action? (All Africa)

Renewable energy

Renewable energy offset increase in greenhouse gas emissions - A new study released today shows that renewable energy has off set an increase in greenhouse emissions in 2010. Were it not for renewable energy, greenhouse gas would have increased towards the 1990 level. (Robert Bowen, Examiner)

Australia Renewable Energy Fund Set to Invest in Solar, Biofuels - Australia’s A$200 million ($196 million) renewable energy venture capital fund is set to unveil its first two investments in the solar and biofuels industries by the end of September.(James Paton, Bloomberg Businessweek)

On Clean Energy, Time To Follow Where Google, GE, Buffett Lead - Google is backing it. So is Warren Buffett, America’s most-watched investor. GE, one of the world’s biggest manufacturers, is too. Each of these corporate icons is placing big bets and hundreds of millions of dollars on a future powered by wind and solar power. (Manish Bapna, Forbes)

Sustainable energy policy

Wind turbines plan near Broads rejected by High Court judge - Sea & Land Power and Energy Limited's wanted to erect four 344ft (105m) turbines near Hemsby, Great Yarmouth. The borough council refused the plan in 2009, over concerns about the adverse impact on the landscape. (BBC)

Distrust could hamper Green Deal - Public mistrust of the "big six" energy firms may undermine the UK government's planned Green Deal, according to the International Energy Agency. The energy firms are supposed to deliver a mass program of home insulation under the Deal. (Roger Harabin, BBC)