Rio +20: UN Conference for Sustainable Development
ZSL took part in Rio +20, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in June.
The conference in June 2012 was at the highest possible level of governance, and was attended by heads of state from across the globe.
A major theme of the conference was the green economy - the intersection between the environment and economy, and how this can be developed to safeguard a sustainable future.
ZSL Films: Oceans Through the Ages
ZSL presented a series of short films at Rio +20 to help bring home our key messages.
One of these is the ‘Oceans through the Ages’ film made by ZSL & Pew Environment Group
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It highlights issues in fisheries management and marine conservation, and the dissapointing gap between the international commitments made since the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio and actual action. This film will help people see what is happening in the oceans, and hopefully inspire action. Find out more about why our ocean needs protecting.
The film weighs five promises against real developments:
- Reducing the number of fishing boats to a sustainable level by 2005,
- Managing fish stocks at a sustainable level by 2015,
- Eliminating harmful fisheries subsidies,
- Reducing the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010 (now 2020), and
- Implementing a network of marine protected areas that cover 10% of our oceans by 2012 (now 2020).
The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development this June (Rio+20) brought representatives from around the world to Rio, giving us the chance to put these messages forward.
Learn why global leaders must seize this opportunity for action to protect our oceans.
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ZSL events at Rio +20
ZSL ran a series of events before the Conference itself, highlighting some of the most important issues that we focus on.
These include:
1. Presenting the Pledge for a Better Planet
More than 4000 people signed the Pledge in the run up to Rio+20. ZSL presented the Pledge at the GLOBE Forum, where 80 legislators from around the world signed the Pledge
2. GLOBE Legislator's Forum: Natural Capital
300 legislators from 85 countries convened at the first World Summit of Legislators. 35 of the delegations were led by the President or Speaker of their national legislature.
ZSL's Jonathan Baillie, as chief scientific advisor to GLOBE, gave the keynote speech on the Status of the world’s Natural Capital and Ecosystems.
3. Presenting the WWF/ZSL Living Planet Report
In collaboration with WWF, ZSL produced a special edition of the report for Rio, giving the state of our planet’s biodiversity and ecosystem health, focusing on natural capital and the future relationship between humans and the globe.
4. 'Oceans for the Future': The Marine Reserves Coalition (MRC) event
On Saturday, 16th June we brought together a mixture of scientists, policy experts and decision-makers to review current progress towards international targets to protect the oceans, and highlight which countries are leading the way in marine protection.
We discussed marine reserves as conservation tools such as Marine Protected Areas , reinforce the science behind targets and look at turning commitments into action.
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