Rio+20

Rio+20 Feature: Seven Issues, Seven Experts – Energy - World leaders, along with thousands of participants from governments, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and other groups will come together next week in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to take part in the UN Sustainable Development Conference (Rio+20). (UN News Centre)

Going to Rio to improve the world - Next week, world leaders gather for a momentous occasion - the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro. (Ban Ki-Moon, The Canberra Times)

Rio+20: Seizing the Opportunity for a Sustainable Future - The 1992 Earth Summit was a bright moment for the environmental movement. For the first time, presidents and prime ministers—more than 100 in all—were “coming together to save the earth,” as a headline on the cover of Time magazine put it. (Manish Bapna, World Resource Institute)

229 Voluntary Commitments Reported to Date at Rio+20 - The UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) Secretariat has reported on the latest submissions of voluntary commitments, which it is compiling in an online compendium on the Rio+20 website. (IISD)

The Road To Rio Goes Through Mexico: Connecting the G-20 Summit to the Rio+20 Conference - The Group of 20 developed and developing nations will meet Monday in Los Cabos, Mexico, for their seventh meeting since the initial G-20 summit in November 2008, hosted by the George W. Bush administration in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Light and Rebecca Lefton, Think Progress)

Virgin Unite and the United Postcode Lotteries Celebrate Businesses Protecting Mother Nature at Rio+Social - Today, the United Nations Foundation, Mashable, 92nd Street Y, Ericsson, Energias de Portugal (EDP), LiveAD, and Planeta Sustentável announced the support of Virgin Unite and the United Postcode Lotteries as additional sponsors of Rio+Social, a global event about the nexus of social media, technological innovation, and sustainable development. (Yahoo! News)

Rio+20 Earth summit is too important to fail, says Ban Ki-Moon - The UN secretary general said the international community was in danger of squandering a once-in-a-generation opportunity. (Suzanne Goldenberg, The Guardian)

Energy access

Sustaining Women - The United Nations “Rio+20” Earth Summit this month will be a staging ground to chart the course for inclusive economies, social equality, and environmental protection. For that reason, it must place sustainable development at the forefront of the global agenda. (Kandeh K. Yumkella, Michelle Bachelet, and Margaret Chan, Project Syndicate) 

IRENA publishes new report on Renewable Energy Access and Jobs - The report, released by the International Renewable Energy Agency examines job creation in the context of rural access to energy, a topic which to date has received insufficient attention. (Alliance for Rural Electrification)

Africa: Seizing the Opportunity for a Sustainable Future - The 1992 Earth Summit was a bright moment for the environmental movement. For the first time, presidents and prime ministers - more than 100 in all - were "coming together to save the earth," as a headline on the cover of Time magazine put it. (Manish Bapna, All Africa)

Energy efficiency

Energy efficient ratings to be made mandatory for TV sets - The energy efficiency ratings, which are currently seen on refrigerators and air-conditioners, will soon be applicable to LCD, plasma and CRT categories in television sets. (Times of India)

It's Summertime and Energy Is on Our Minds - As the days get longer, more and more Americans are cranking up their air conditioners and turning on their fans. (Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, The Huffington Post)

Renewable energy

Harnessing Energy for Sustainable Development in Africa - A great amount is at stake for Africa at the upcoming United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), or Rio+20, to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Joe Gurowsky, Africa.com)

Renewable energy seminar to focus on cutting dependence on conventional fuels - “It is natural to think about transport when you talk about diesel consumption. But, nearly one-third of the 65 million tonnes of the fuel is used to generate electricity,” asks Mr Narasimhan Santhanam, Director, Energy Alternatives India. (The Hindu)

Sustainable energy policy

The Government of Samoa Shows the World the Way With Renewable Energy and Awards Contract to Sunlogics Power Partner Group - DayStar Technologies, Inc. and Salamon Group, Inc., under contract with the Government of Samoa, shows the world the way on renewable energy in a bold and historical initiative. (MarketWatch)

Make Greening the World Your Foreign Policy: Green Transatlantic Relations - Amartya Sen gave us a good definition of a universal value: something that most people would agree with. (Jerome Simons, NRDC Switchboard)

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)

Rio+20

Volkswagon, Siemens and Deutsche Bank join rallying call at Rio+20 - The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has issued a call for greater collaboration between business and governments in order to maximize the impact of the Rio+20 summit. (John Parnell, RTCC)

Governments Need to Act in Rio for a Sustainable Energy Future - Friday 15 June is Global Wind Day, when thousands will experience the power of wind energy at more than 200 events in at least 40 countries around the world. (Windfair.net)

Why The Rio Earth Summit Matters More Than Ever - From June 13 – 22, an estimated 50-to-100,000 people will be present for the United Nations Conference on Sustainability and Development in Rio de Janeiro, at RioCentro, 20 years after the first Rio Summit in 1992 (hence the name, Rio+20). (Michael Charles Tobias, Forbes)

Getting Down to Business in Rio - For governments in the West, this has been a common refrain of the financial and economic firefighting over the past four years. (Nader Mousavizadeh and Georg Kell, The New York Times)

Scientists urge Rio moves on population and consumption- More than 100 science academies around the world have called on world leaders to take action on population and consumption at the Rio+20 summit. They say past failures on these issues threaten the natural world and prospects for future generations. (Richard Black, BBC)

Road to Rio: Improving energy use key challenge for world’s food systems - Agriculture’s heavy dependence on fossil fuels is undermining the sector’s ability to feed the world, perpetuating poverty and undermining efforts to build a more sustainable world economy, FAO said today. (Odisha Diary)

Renewable energy

The Zayed Future Energy Prize invites submissions for the 2013 award - The Zayed Future Energy Prize is inviting submissions for the 2013 award before the deadline of July 16, 2012, for an opportunity to be awarded with part of a US$4 million fund. (News Blaze)

Renewable energy: Green electricity sector will grow faster when it gets head of wind - High quality global journalism requires investment. At first glance, Poland’s renewable energy sector appears to be doing quite well, and the government’s target of producing 10.4 per cent of the country’s final energy consumption from renewable energy by 2012 has already been exceeded. (Adam Easton, Financial Times)

U.S. Solar Industry Booming Despite China Trade War - The solar industry may be in turmoil, what with the U.S.-China photovoltaic trade war and a growing roster of companies tipping into bankruptcy, but business continues to boom, according to a report released Wednesday. (Todd Woody, Forbes)

Sustainable energy policy

U.S.-India Bilateral Cooperation on Energy and Climate Change - Recalling the 2009 U.S.-India MOU on clean energy, energy efficiency, energy security, and climate change, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Minister of External Affairs S.M. Krishna reaffirmed their countries’ strong commitment to work collaboratively in bilateral and multilateral fora to help ensure mutual energy security, combat global climate change and support the development of low-carbon economies that will create opportunities and fuel job growth in both countries. (Press Release, US Department of State)
UN Urges Africa to Create Green Economy - The United Nations said African countries can avoid the mistakes of early-industrialized countries by growing their societies in an environmentally sound way. (Lisa Schlein, Voice of America)

EU agrees energy savings text, still needs to sign it - European Union negotiators agreed early on Thursday the text of a law designed to make governments and utilities improve energy efficiency and lower the bloc's fuel bills. (Reuters)

Energy efficiency

Deputy Prime Minister Launches ‘Observatoire de l’Energie' - The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Public Utilities, Dr Rashid Beebeejaun, proceeded this morning to the official launch of the  ‘Observatoire de l’Energie’ at the seat of the Mauritius Institute of Training and Development House in Phoenix. (Press Release, Government of Mauritius)

Crown Estate study says wind costs could drop by a third – The costs of offshore wind farms could be cut by almost a third by the end of the decade, according to a new study. A report by the Crown Estate said measures such as building bigger turbines and improving design could reduce costs by 30%. (BBC)

Corporate energy conservation effort adds participants - Starbucks and Staples plan today to join the growing ranks of a voluntary Obama administration program to slash energy use at least 20% by 2020. The companies will post their annual power usage and details on their conservation projects on a U.S. Department of Energy website, aimed at becoming a "playbook" for others to follow. (Wendy Koch, USA Today)

Energy access

Africa: Improving Energy Use Key Challenge for World's Food Systems - Agriculture's heavy dependence on fossil fuels is undermining the sector's ability to feed the world, perpetuating poverty and undermining efforts to build a more sustainable world economy, FAO said today. (African Seer)

Welspun Energy to invest $1 billion in wind energy projects - Welspun Energy has decided to develop 1.7 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy with investments exceeding $1 billion (Rs 5675 crore) in the state of Karnataka. (Piyush Pandey, Times of India)

Players bet big on solar water heater business - With India facing electricity shortage coupled with the ministry of new and renewable energy promoting the use of solar energy devices with a 30% subsidy on solar products, water heater companies like Racold Thermo expect solar water heaters to become big growth drivers over the next few years. (Aparna Ramalingam, Times of India)

Rio+20

Rio+20: megacities strive to survive – and thrive - In Rio de Janeiro, a gray-green river running thick with waste is flanked by the squatter settlement of Mandela on one side and the ornate turrets of the national public health ministry on the other. Kids paddle on hoods of cars and swim in the murky water, which the state environmental service condemned as having "pathological contamination" from sewage. (Taylor Barnes, Christian Science Monitor)

The pace of the talks still needs to be accelerated - Negotiators concluded on 2 June the last round of Rio+20 preparatory talks in New York on the Rio+20 Outcome Document, a round that had been added to give negotiators additional time to resolve differences before they arrive in Rio. (UN News Centre)

Rio+20: The Young Can't Wait - It was 20 years ago this month that Severn Suzuki, then 12, gave the speech of her life. As she stood on the podium at the first Earth Summit, Severn's admonition to dignitaries from 178 nations also became the speech of her generation. (William Becker, The Huffington Post)

Despite agreed environmental goals, world still on unsustainable path – UN - The United Nations environment agency today warned that the world “continues to speed down” an unsustainable path in spite of hundreds of internationally agreed goals to protect the planet, and stressed that drastic actions and big-scale measures are needed to reverse this pattern. (UN News Centre)

Rio+20 goes social for change - The UN conference on Sustainable Development taking place in Brazil, in June, will take advantage of social media to foster global conversation on 21st-century sustainability issues. (Lezette Engelbrecht, ITWeb)

Rio+20 conference's search for green solutions hampered by deep divisions - Twenty years after trying and failing to halt humanity's destruction of our planet, the governments of the world will gather again in Rio this month for a "once-in-a-generation" Earth Summit that will open with great fanfare but low expectations of success. (Jonathan Watts, The Guardian)

Will Rio+20 Advance Sustainable Development? - Expectations are high for Rio+20, but the outcomes are likely to be very different from the first Rio conference twenty years ago. (Francis Vorhies, Forbes)

Energy access

Linkin Park and Music for Relief Launch "Power the World" Campaign Through Imani's Story About Energy - Linkin Park and Music for Relief have pledged to support UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon’s Year of Sustainable Energy for All through Power the World. (Yahoo! News)

Rio+20 Business Focus: Ditching diesel in Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest - Politicians make the policy. But it’s often left to business to implement it. For this reason RTCC is featuring submissions from business across the globe in the lead up to Rio+20. (RTCC)

Renewable energy

Global Investment in Renewable Energy Powers to Record $257 Billion - Solar energy generation (photovoltaic and concentrating solar thermal power) surged past wind energy to become the renewable energy technology of choice for global investors in 2011. (REVE)

Natural Gas: An Important Part of a Sustainable Energy Future - Last week I had the opportunity to attend and participate in the 25th World Gas Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Peter Voser, Environmental Leader)

Energy efficiency

Rebuilding Together and National Center for Healthy Housing Announce Strategic Alliance at CGI America Meeting in Chicago - Rebuilding Together, along with the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH), today announced their Energy+Health program--committing to make 2,400 older, run-down homes of low-income homeowners, safer, healthier, and more energy efficient. The team will also train 500 Rebuilding Together volunteers nationwide in the Energy+Health practices. (MarketWatch)

Green Economy In The Context Of Sustainable Development - From June 20 to 22 this year, the United Nations will once again convene a major summit, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, also referred to as RIO+20, in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro to deliberate on the important issue of environment and development. (Joshua Awuku-Apaw, Daily Guide)

Sustainable energy policy

Who's funding the green energy revolution? - Money invested in renewable energy reached new heights last year, topping $257 billion. So is the world finally going green? The figures come from The Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2012 report, a UN Environment Program backed study that has tracked the finance flowing into green energy across the world since 2004. (Eoghan Macguire, CNN World)

What’s holding up Rio+20 outcome document talks? - A leaked copy of the draft Rio+20 outcome document provides the most detailed glimpse yet at priority issues to be highlighted at the conference, as well as key sticking points holding back talks to finalize the document. (Ivy Mungcal, DevEx)