Report on Rio+20Kyoto and Beyond

www.isciences.com July 27, 2012

The 9th installment in an ongoing series on multilateral agreements

related to climate change

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Introduction

Kyoto and Beyond is a series of presentations on the evolving international climate treaty process that began with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 1992.

Report on Rio+20 is a summary of the negotiations that transpired at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) called “Rio+20” in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil June 20-22, 2012.

2008 Kyoto and Beyond 2009 Kyoto and Beyond, Update 2009 Report on Copenhagen COP15 2010 Road to Cancun COP16

* Available at http://www.isciences.com/spotlight/kyoto_and_beyond.html

Other presentations in the Kyoto and Beyond series include*:

2011 Report on Cancun COP16 2011 Road to Durban 2012 Report on Durban 2012 Road to Rio+20

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Contents

NOTE: This presentation includes hyperlinks to additional information indicated by underlined text.

Overview

Outcome Document

Action at the UN High-Level Session

Action Outside of the UN Process

Looking Ahead

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Overview: Objectives

Rio+20, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), was held June 20-22, 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

UNCSD was promoted as “The Future We Want” and its stated purpose was to set a global sustainability agenda for the coming decade.

See also: www.uncsd2012.org

Objectives renew political commitment assess progress discuss emerging challenges

Priority Areas jobs, energy, cities, food,

water, oceans, disasters

Themes Institutional Framework for

Sustainable Development Green Economy

China’s Sha Zukang was Secretary-General of the Conference and the Conference President was host country Brazil’s President Dilma Rouseff.

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Overview: Global Conditions

The world has changed since Rio 1992.

THE ENVIRONMENT – a fate worse than debt? Average annual global temperature has increased 0.58F (0.32C) since 1992 based on 10-year running

averages.* Global levels of CO2 climbed 10%, from nearly 358 ppm in April 1992 to 394 ppm April 2012.* Since 1992, natural disasters have killed 1.3 million people, affected 4.4 billion people worldwide, and cost

$2 trillion in damages.** Since 1990, the world's primary forest areas have decreased about 740 million acres (300 million hectares).**

THE ECONOMY – tight purse strings for Mother Earth? The dismal global economy in 2012, evidenced by the Eurozone crisis, may have

upstaged Rio+20’s agenda and diverted some world leaders, including US President Barack Obama, to the G-20 summit in Mexico on June 18 instead.

G-20 is primarily an economic summit, but issues like climate change and a green economy (economic challenge/economic opportunity) have some traction. G-20 2012 recommitted to its 2009 declaration to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, but it did not establish targets or deadlines.

See also: G20 Leaders Declaration and Policy Commitments by G20 Members* US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration** United Nations

(Credit: NOAA via Wikimedia Commons)

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Overview: Tracking UN Progress

Historically, how effective has the official UN multilateral process been in addressing environmental and sustainability issues?

eliminating chlorofluorocarbons that punched a hole in the Earth's protective ozone layer,

the removal of lead from gasoline that caused human health problems, improved access to clean water, and boosting research to reduce ocean pollution.

UNEP Global Environmental Outlook Report 5, 2012

In its 2012 Global Environmental Outlook Report 5, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) examined more than 500 internationally agreed-upon goals and objectives adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit and other conferences and found “significant progress” in just four areas:

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Outcome Document: Evolution

Text for Rio+20’s proposed action plan, "The Future We Want,” underwent a slow and contentious pre-Conference negotiating process.

A preliminary draft was introduced Jan. 10, 2012 based on input from relevant stakeholders. Negotiations proceeded as scheduled at pre-Conference meetings where numerous and lengthy amendments were proposed.

Though the document is legally nonbinding, expectations were that any declaration by the Conference should succeed in clarifying goals for concrete policy steps.

Editorial responsibility was handed over to Brazil, which holds the Presidency of Rio+20. Finally, on June 19 Brazil set forth a 50-page document for the Conference.

Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Brazil

(Credit: UN Photo/Maria Elisa Franco)

After an additional meeting to consider a Co-Chairs’ Suggested Text, negotiators still failed to produce a consensus document for world leaders to approve June 20-22.

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Outcome Document: Unambitious

The final text sidestepped targets, timelines, and roadmaps.

In the final version of “The Future We Want” Brazil chose to strike text where no agreement could be reached. That, and the push for “Common But Differentiated Responsibilities” (CBDR) resulted in unambitious language which leaves specific goals, targets, and paths to individual countries.

“…the longest suicide note in history” – Kumi Naidoo, executive director, Greenpeace International

Some critics claim that CBDR guided the tepid language and does not support concrete, measureable outcomes and universal responsibilities.

Brazil, India, and China – the most powerful of the “Group of 77,” a UN bloc of 77 developing nations – were prominent in shaping the proposal.

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Outcome Document: Backwards?

“The Future We Want” inspired little enthusiasm and some severe criticism, especially from women’s rights activists who felt that it reversed progress.

Though the document committed to “reproductive health” it ignored the last twenty years of global progress in women’s reproductive rights since the Cairo Programme of Action 1994 and the Beijing Platform for Action 1995.

The words "reproductive rights" were deleted from the document after the Vatican persuaded some predominately Catholic and conservative Muslim countries to protest.

It also ignored the basic correlation between reproductive rights, population growth, and sustainability.

US Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton addresses UNCSD Plenary June 22, 2012(Credit: UN Photo: Maria Elisa Franco)

See also: Transcript of Clinton’s address at Rio+20; and, What’s Good for Women is Good for the Environment

US Secretary of State Clinton elicited applause when she assured that the US would work to ensure that women’s reproductive rights are respected in international agreements.

“…a step backward from previous agreements.”

– Gro Harlem Brundtland, UN Special Envoy

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Action at the UN: Overall Tenor

With modest outcomes preordained by the document text, the daily narrative of UNCSD’s High-Level Conference sessions never reached an inspired crescendo.

See also: Earth Negotiations Bulletin Vol. 27 No. 51 and UN Web TV archived videos at http://webtv.un.org/meetings-events/

On Friday June 22 at 8:41pm, Rio+20 – billed as the most important meeting in the history of our planet – quietly closed its doors.

(Credit: UN Photo/Guilherme Costa)

The three days of official sessions proceeded without drama, in contrast to late night huddles and last minute negotiations characteristic of other UN environmental conferences.

Ban Ki-moon opened the Conference, 191 national representatives addressed the meeting, representatives from 9 Major Groups made statements, rapporteurs from the Sustainable Development Dialogue Days offered recommendations, and four round table discussions took place on implementation of Conference outcomes.

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Action at the UN: Objectives

Did Rio+20 meet its stated purpose and objectives?

The stated purpose was “to set a global sustainability agenda for the coming decade.” “The Future We Want” includes few deadlines for time-bound targets associated with

agenda items. Few actionable items are articulated – instead, words like “encourage,” “reaffirm,”

“acknowledge,” “urge,” and “recognize” are used.

The stated objectives were to “renew political commitment, assess progress, and discuss emerging challenges.” Commitments were established as voluntary, not binding; Progress was assessed as “insufficient;” No agreements were reached on comprehensive mitigation to address emerging

challenges.

“An outcome that makes nobody happy.” – Sha Zukang, Rio+20 Secretary General

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Action at the UN: Green Economy

Did Rio+20 succeed in its stated theme of charting a path to a “green economy in the context of poverty eradication and sustainable development”?

The definition of a “green economy” has come to be known as economic engines that support sustainable consumption and production and that lower environmental impacts.

“We affirm that there are different approaches, visions, models and tools available to each country, in accordance with its national circumstances and priorities … green economy …should not be a rigid set of rules.” – Paragraph 56 The Future We Want, June 19, 2012

Operationally the path to a green economy could be paved with: national policy options, sector-based roadmaps, international instruments of finance, an international knowledge-sharing platform, and global measures of progress.

India and China, along with some African nations, successfully pushed back a proposal to set targets and timetables for a green economy, arguing that targets would lead to trade restrictions or other sanctions if developing countries did not move quickly enough.

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Action at the UN: IFSD & UNEP

During the Rio+20 discussions on the theme of Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development (IFSD) the role of UNEP was strengthened, but UNEP was not upgraded to a specialized UN agency as some had advocated.

“We are committed to strengthening the role of the United Nations Environment Programme as the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda …”

– Paragraph 88 The Future We Want, June 19, 2012

establish universal membership in the Governing Council of UNEP; ensure stable and increased financial resources from the regular budget of the UN

and from voluntary contributions; enhance UNEP’s voice by strengthening its engagement in key UN coordination bodies

and empowering it to lead efforts in UN system wide environmental strategies.

The Rio+ 20 agreement will:

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Action at the UN: IFSD & CSD

Discussions on the theme of IFSD also established a “universal intergovernmental high level political forum” to replace the Commission on Sustainable Development.

have a format defined by an inclusive negotiation process under the UN General Assembly;

“We decide to establish a universal intergovernmental high level political forum, building on the strengths, experiences, resources and inclusive participation modalities of the Commission on Sustainable Development, and subsequently replacing the Commission.” – Paragraph 84 The Future We Want, June 19, 2012

The new forum will:

harmonize global SD efforts and eventually replace the Commission on Sustainable Development;

encourage high-level system-wide participation of UN agencies; enhance the consultative role of Major Groups and other relevant stakeholders; strengthen the science-policy interface; convene in Fall 2014 at the 68th session of UN General Assembly.

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Action at the UN: SDGs

An “open working group” will begin creating Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – a set of sustainability indicators – at the 67th UN General Assembly session Sept. 18-Dec.31, 2012.

“We resolve to establish an inclusive and transparent intergovernmental process on SDGs that is open to all stakeholders with a view to developing global sustainable development goals to be agreed by the United Nations General Assembly.” – Paragraph 248 The Future We Want, June 19, 2012

The SDGs: will be integrated in the UN

Development Agenda beyond 2015; should not divert focus or effort from

achievement of the MDGs by 2015. will be developed by a group of 30 representatives nominated by Member States

through the five UN regional groups; the SDG working group will assemble by Fall 2012 and will submit its proposal in Fall 2014 at the 68th UNGA session.

But many questions remain. Can nations agree on ambitious yet workable SDGs? Can the global development community handle two sets of goals? What if MDGs are not met by 2015?

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Action at the UN: Climate Change

“The Future We Want” reinforced “common but differentiated responsibilities” in its reference to climate change.

While text in the Rio+20 declaration urged Parties to build upon UNFCCC progress at Durban, it also reinforced CBDR, contrasting with Durban’s movement toward shared climate responsibilities.

“We recall that UNFCCC provides that Parties should protect the climate system for the benefit of present and future generations of humankind on the basis of equity and in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.”– Paragraph 191 The Future We Want, June 19, 2012

“We urge Parties to the UNFCCC and Parties to the Kyoto Protocol to fully implement their commitments, as well as decisions adopted under those agreements. In this regard, we will build upon the progress achieved including at the most recent COP-17/CMP7 in Durban.”– Paragraph 192 The Future We Want, June 19, 2012

The Durban Platform noted that both developed and developing nations will have to negotiate a treaty, a “legal instrument or legal outcome” by 2015 that will reduce carbon emissions.

“Also decides to launch a process to develop a protocol, another legal instrument or a legal outcome under the Convention applicable to all Parties…” – Item 2, The Durban Platform for Enhanced Action, Dec. 10, 2011

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Action at the UN: Climate Change

Though “The Future We Want” supported the phase-out of HFCs, that pledge may already have been compromised or delayed at a recent meeting on the Montreal Protocol.

HFC (hydrofluorocarbons) have broadly replaced CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons), which were banned under the highly successful Montreal Protocol to protect the ozone layer.

“We recognize that the phase-out of ozone depleting substance (ODS) is resulting in a rapid increase in the use and release of high global warming potential hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) to the environment. We support a gradual phase-down in the consumption and production of HFCs.” – Paragraph 222 The Future We Want, June 19, 2012

At a recent meeting in Bangkok on the Montreal Protocol (July 27-30, 2012) a proposal to add HFCs to the Protocol was supported by the US, Micronesia, Mexico, Canada, and the EU, but contested by Brazil, China, and India who advocate addressing it through the UNFCCC.

Although better for the ozone layer, HFCs have a greater global warming effect than CO2 by a factor of 460-9100. Called ‘super greenhouse gases’ HFCs are used in refrigeration or air-conditioning units.

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Action at the UN: Other Issues

Progress on other issues was desultory and without transformational movement.

Corporate Sustainability ReportingCompanies are encouraged “to consider integrating sustainability information in their reporting cycle,” but there is no report-or-explain clause requiring them to do so or to explain if they do not. (The Future We Want Paragraph 47)

GDP+The UN Statistical Commission is charged with launching a program to develop GDP+, a broader measure of progress to complement GDP. (The Future We Want Paragraph 38)

FinancingAn intergovernmental process under the UN General Assembly will “assess financing needs” and propose options on a Sustainable Development Financing Strategy, to be implemented by 2014. (The Future We Want Paragraphs 255-256.)

Technology Transfer“Relevant UN agencies” are requested “to identify options for a facilitation mechanism” for tech transfer, after which the UN Secretary General will make recommendations to the 67th Session of the UN General Assembly, Sept. 2012. (The Future We Want Paragraph 273)

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Action Outside of the UN Process

Voluntary actions outside of the formal UNCSD process demonstrated more vigor and resolve than the official meetings.

The convergence at Rio offered an opportunity for sustainable development interests to galvanize, exchange ideas, and merge actions in the hope of effecting change beyond borders.

(Credit: Aliencow via Wikimedia Commons)

Though lacking the scale of high-level governments, diverse coalitions of businesses, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society groups, universities and others used Rio to push sustainability efforts forward.

Among the emerging trends was the rise of multi-stakeholder coalitions pushing to affect change.

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Action Outside: SE4ALL

Ban Ki-moon’s “Sustainable Energy for All” (SE4ALL) initiative received strong support from influential global sectors, in contrast to its weak endorsement in the Rio declaration.

(Credit: UN)

2030 SE4ALL Objectives: Ensure universal access to

modern energy services, Double the global rate of

improvement of energy efficiency,

Double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.

“We recognize that countries’ activities in broader energy-related issues are of great importance and are prioritized according to their specific challenges, capacities and

circumstances, including energy mix.” – Paragraph 129 The Future We Want, June 19, 2012

The UN declaration afforded SE4ALL just a single paragraph which omitted objectives and the 2030 target date, and included opt-out language: “prioritized according to their specific challenges…”

In contrast, the six largest multilateral development banks pledged $30 billion, investors and corporations pledged $50 billion, and the US announced its US-Africa Clean Energy Finance Initiative, among other governmental and private commitments.

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Action Outside: “Natural Capital”

“Natural capital accounting” – valuation of the stock of ecosystems that provides a renewable flow of goods and services – received support from corporate and banking sectors.

(Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Major multi-national corporations agreed to develop a methodology to assign value to natural systems (forests, freshwater and marine) in the Valuing Natural Capital Initiative.

The financial sector committed to work towards integrating natural capital criteria into financial products and services in the Natural Capital Declaration.

Several countries have agreed to create "natural capital accounting" rules including the United States, Britain, France and Germany, though China and Brazil declined.

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Action Outside: Other Initiatives

Sustainabililty“Friends of Rio+20,” a coalition of international business, scientific and civil society leaders, asked government leaders to engage them in sustainable development issues by: designing economies for sustainable development and SD goals for post-2015 and creating national and regional policies and frameworks to accelerate delivery of SD goals; and, enabling multi-country and multi-stakeholder coalitions of actors, including national and sub-national governments, to undertake explicit sets of actions now and in the near term to help achieve these goals.

SD EducationThe Higher Education Sustainability Initiative for Rio+20 was signed by 257 educational institutions in 52 countries who have agreed to support teaching sustainable development concepts and "ensuring that they form a part of the core curriculum across all disciplines.”

WaterForty-five major companies representing hundreds of billions of dollars in annual revenue called for greater action by Governments "to achieve global water security. These major companies endorse the U.N.'s Global Compact CEO Water Mandate, an initiative designed to assist companies in the development, implementation, and disclosure of water sustainability policies and practices.

TransportationThe Asian Development Bank and seven other multilateral lenders will provide more than $175 billion to improve transportation in developing countries over the next 10 years. The pledge to fund loans and grants is intended for all transport but will increasingly go to sustainable transport.

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Action In & Out: Commitments

Several online registries have evolved to record sustainability commitments made by governments, civil society and the private sector.

The Cloud of Commitments, Natural Resources Defense Council (http://www.cloudofcommitments.org/)

Voluntary Commitments, UNCSD (http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/allcommitments.html

Business.un.org, UN http://business.un.org/en/browse/commitments

In the absence of a binding multilateral agreement, these commitments are evidence of some actionable targets, and represent a “bottom-up” direction in movement instead of “top-down” state-centric.

The digital platforms for commitments may also help increase accountability and transparency.

(Credit: NRDC)

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Action In & Out: Opinions

“…although I think all the individual initiatives by companies and partnerships are interesting, they don’t deliver the scale that is necessary to address the global challenges we face on sustainability.”

Yvo DeBoer, former UNFCCC chair

”If current trends continue, if current patterns of production and consumption of natural resources prevail and cannot be reversed and ‘decoupled’, then governments will preside over unprecedented levels of damage and degradation.”

Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director

“We should be thinking about harnessing the power of the market.”

Hilary Rodham Clinton, US Secretary of State

“The ‘green economy’ promoted by the United Nations Rio+20 summit is a form of new colonialism.”

Evo Morales, President of Bolivia

“Those who have failed you, Mr. Sha, are the governments, not the CEOs, not the NGOs.”

José María Figueres, former president of Costa Rica

“…our collective capacity to destroy the planet's life-support systems is unprecedented. Yet the consequences of our individual actions are typically so far removed from our daily awareness that we can go right over the cliff without even knowing it.“

Jeffrey Sachs, Director, Columbia University’s Earth Institute

“I would like to applaud developing countries in particular, as they signed the document in the absence of any promise of financial support from developed countries.”

Dilma Rouseff, President of Brazil

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Looking Ahead

Still, in a “bottom-up” approach actors outside of the UN multilateral process found ways to generate commitments through initiatives built by public/private partnerships.

Watch for future installments of ISciences’ “Kyoto and Beyond” series at http://www.isciences.com/spotlight/kyoto_and_beyond.html.

What’s Next?Nov. 26-Dec.7, 2012: COP18 Doha, Qatar 18th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 8th Session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol

“Nature does not wait. Nature does not negotiate with human beings.“ – Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary-General

But without multilateral agreements can any initiative reach necessary scale and pace? And, what will happen between now and 2013 when final review of MDGs occurs and transition to SDGs begins?

Clearly, Rio+20 did not deliver a roadmap to sustainable development.

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Citation

When referencing this slide show please use the following citation.

ISCIENCES, L.L.C. Report on Rio+20. A slideshow; 9th installment in the series Kyoto and Beyond – the Evolution of Multilateral Agreements on Climate Change. July 27, 2012. Ann Arbor, Michigan. www.isciences.com.