Rio+20  
  
Energizing Rio+20 - Economic growth and improved living standards require access to reliable, affordable, convenient, and safe cooking fuels and electricity. Today, 1.3 billion people lack access to electricity and roughly 2.7 billion are without access to clean, safe cooking fuel. (Center for Global Development)

David Cameron criticized for skipping Rio+20 Earth summit - The chair of an influential group of MPs slated David Cameron on Monday for not going to next week's Rio+20 Earth summit, saying it sent a signal to the world that Britain does not see sustainability as a priority and that the PM is not showing global leadership. (John Vidal, The Guardian)

Earth Summit: Can Rio +20 solve world's environmental problems? - Rio +20, a major international environmental conference held in Brazil this month, is being billed by its organizers as a "once in a lifetime" opportunity to safeguard our planet for generations to come. (Barry Neild, CNN)

TCA Abu Dhabi joins official UAE delegation to RIO+20 - Abu Dhabi's growing credentials as a sustainable tourism destination will be under the spotlight at the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 13-22 June with senior environmental advisors from Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) and its subsidiary Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) among the official UAE delegation to the event. (AMEinfo)

Swaziland team ready for Rio+20 Summit - The Swaziland team that will be participating at the Rio+20 Summit, which will be held in Brazil this month, has already made advanced preparations. (Hlengiwe Kunene, Swazi Observer)

Energy efficiency

We Need New Action on Renewable Electricity at Rio+20 - Since 2002 the amount of wind, solar, and geothermal electricity in the energy mix throughout the world has risen from nearly non-existent levels to something that shows up in energy statistics. (Jake Schmidt, NRDC Switchboard)

Engineering Societies Engage World Leaders on Sustainable Development - On 22 June, world leaders, along with thousands of participants from governments, the private sector, NGOs and other groups will gather in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil to participate in the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (aka Rio+20). (IEEE)

Schools need to champion a sustainability mindset - This week is the 20th anniversary of the UN’s 1992 Rio earth summit. (Anthony Buono, Jean-Christophe Carteron and Matthew Gitsham, Business Education)

Energy access

INFOGRAPHIC: Energy Access in the Developing World - Over a billion people worldwide have no access to the electricity that is a crucial facilitator of modern education, human health, economic development, etc. (Jared Anderson, AOL Energy)

Red light for green energy in Latin America and the Caribbean - Latin America and the Caribbean are failing to attract private capital to clean energy projects, raising questions about the extent to which market mechanisms can deliver sustainable development in the region. (Gavin O'Toole, The Guardian)

Renewable energy

New Solar Installation in Ghana - A 50-MW, ground-mounted tracking solar installation is being planned in Ghana with the recent announcement of a PPA between Canadian company Siginik Energy Ltd. and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG). (Alternative Energy Africa)

ScatecSolar to start photovoltaic solar energy project in Africa - IFC and ScatecSolar, a Norwegian company specializing in photovoltaic solar energy, have signed an agreement to develop solar power projects that will supply renewable energy in parts of West and Central Africa. (REVE)

Bank of America targets $50 billion for energy projects - Bank of America Corporation, which has faced criticism for dealings with coal companies in recent years, on Monday set a new 10-year, $50 billion goal to provide loans and other financing for environmentally friendly energy projects. (Rick Rothacker, Reuters)

Sustainable energy policy

A Global Dialogue on Sustainability: Rio+20 Kicks Off This Week - For the next two weeks, the city of Rio de Janeiro will host a truly global dialogue on sustainability. Though the main official event will not start until Wednesday, June 20, a 3rd ‘Prep Com’ begins this Wednesday. (Francis Vorhies, Forbes)

The wind tax credit does a whirl of good - Wind power is the second-fastest-growing energy source in the country, generating enough energy for 10 million homes. Since 1998, the amount of wind power generated in the United States has increased by nearly 40-fold. (Washington Post)