Rio+20

To Enable Development, Start With Energy - Next week, world leaders, businesses, and civil society organizations will convene in Rio de Janeiro for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development -- known as Rio+20 in honor of the Earth Summit 20 years ago. (Timothy E. Wirth, The Huffington Post)

A Global Movement For Change - Next week, world leaders will gather for a momentous occasion — the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro. (Ban Ki-moon, Modern Ghana)

Clinton to attend Rio+20 conference - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will lead a delegation of officials to the United Nation's sustainability conference in Rio de Janeiro from June 20-22, the State Department said Tuesday, signaling a stronger U.S. commitment to the summit. (Reuters)

Linkin Park to Stream Performance from Rio+Social Event - Linkin Park are joining forces with the United Nations Foundation and several other organizations for  Rio+Social.  As part of their involvement, LP will stream a performance from Los Angeles on June 19. (Loudwire)

Rio+20, Sri Lanka and the future we want - Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Environment is reportedly pursuing active preparations for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, commonly known as Rio+20. (Senel Wanniarachchi, Asian Tribune)

NRDC Rates G20 on Renewable Energy, Urges Greater Action at Rio+20 - The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) yesterday released its 2012 Renewable Energy Scorecard, a report that ranks and analyzes G20 member nations’ renewable energy production and investment from 2002-2012. (Andrew Burger, Triple Pundit)

Energy access

Infographic of the Day: Universal Access to Energy - Sustainable Energy for All is a new initiative of UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon that sets three concrete goals for humanity to achieve by 2030. (Mark Leon Goldberg , UN Dispatch)

Rio+20 a chance to engage smallholder farms in sustainable agriculture – The draft outcome document of the Rio+20 summit mentions smallholder farmers – many of them women – in growing acknowledgment of their importance in terms of food security, with the continued threat of famine in the Sahel, and environmental sustainability, as farming accounts for at least 14% of global greenhouse emissions. (Mark Tran, The Guardian)

Energy efficiency

Mini Hydropower Project to Benefit Five Regions - FIVE regions are set to benefit from a mini hydropower project that targets to generate 3.2MW and boost economic development activities in Ruvuma, Iringa, Mbeya and Rukwa regions the nine target sites will produce. (All Africa)

Surat to have country's first sustainable building - The thrust to make Surat, Gujarat's second biggest city, country's first sustainable city has begun in earnest. After drawing a plan to make Surat an eco-city in five years’ time with the help of UK-based charity The Ecological Sequestration Trust (TEST), the Surat city climate change trust (SCCCT) consisting of local civic authorities, NGO members and other bodies decided to come up with the first sustainable building in the city. (Himanshu Bhatt, Times of India)

Renewable energy
How a Clean Energy Startup Used Social to Help Others Go Green - Sure, most of us would like to power our homes and businesses with renewable energy, but that doesn’t mean we know how to find a provider that can give us clean energy without much of a hassle. Clean Currents has created a simple solution for clean energy-seeking residents of the Mid-Atlantic. (Zoe Fox, The Huffington Post)\
Offshore wind power cost 'could fall one-third by 2020' - According to new reports by the wind industry and government, the costs of offshore wind power generation could be brought down by one-third by the end of the decade, making this form of renewable energy commercially viable in the UK. (Fiona Harvey, The Guardian)

U.S. Renewables Use Rose Faster than China in 2011: BP - The U.S. increased its use of renewable energy other than nuclear and hydroelectric by more than China last year, BP Plc said. (Mathew Carr, Bloomberg)

Sustainable energy policy

U.S. renewable energy investment jumps 57%, reports find - The U.S. increased renewable energy investment by 57 percent to $51 billion in 2011, as developers sought to take advantage of three incentive programs expiring in 2011 and 2012, two reports show. (The Business Review)

Report: UN to consider $1,300 green tax on US - Diplomats at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Conference in Rio de Janeiro next week will consider proposals that would levy taxes on American families and energy industries in order to support international efforts to combat global warming, according to a draft agenda for the conference. (Joel Gehrke, The Examiner)