Australia at Rio+20 'Collective Action for

Sustainable Development: Rio+20 and the transition to a

green economy.'Convenor: United Nations Association of Australia (Vic)

Facilitator: Rosemary Sainty

Former Head, Secretariat UN Global Compact Network Australia and

Adviser, Corporate Engagement, Transparency Australia

Melbourne, Thursday 17 May, 2012

Milestones• 1972 — United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, which led to the

establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme.• 1983 - Brundtland Commission established and in 1987, handed down report “Our

Common Future” - defining sustainable development. And its 3 pillars. • 1992 – UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED or the Rio Earth

Summit) : the Rio Declaration, Agenda 21, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Forest Principles and the UN Framework for the Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) treaty to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations.

• 1992 — Launch of Australia’s National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development.• 1997 — Rio+5 Review Kyoto Protocol formally adopted at COP3- “operationalizing ” the

Convention, to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions with binding targets (37 industrialized countries) 5% emissions reduction compared to 1990 levels over the five-year period 2008 to 2012 and market-based mechanisms - Emissions Trading, the Clean Development Mechanism and Joint Implementation.

• 1999 — Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Milestones contd • 2002 – Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development 2006 – Australian

Business Roundtable on Climate Change • 2007- An Inconvenient Truth, the 4th IPCC report and the “Stern Review: The

Economics of Climate Change”. In Australia –70% of population want action on Climate Change

• 2007 — Australia’s ratification of the Kyoto Protocol • 2008- GFC • 2009- COP15: Copenhagen Accord – but was not adopted by all governments. A 2

degree goal and fast-start climate financing • 2011- COP17: Durban Platform for Enhanced Action, Now 195 Parties to the

Convention (including 48 developing) agree to second commitment period on the Kyoto Protocol and its mechanisms and drawing up a new, post-2020 mitigation framework. Saved the UNFCCC process but without defined targets until 2020 or capital defined for the green climate fund. Continuing deep divisions between US, EU, India and China

• 2012 – UNEP and WWF reflections

Stocktake

• Population now 7 billion- 2 billion more since Brundtland• Biodiversity has declined globally by around 30 per cent between

1970 and 2008 • Demand on natural resources has doubled since 1966 - currently

using the equivalent of 1.5 planets • High-income countries have a footprint five times greater than that

of low-income countries • CO2 continue to rise: up 40 per cent on 1992 with two-thirds of the

increase in the second decade (UNEP, 2011).

Living Planet Report 2012, WWF

Forward Motion – A Green Economy. On the Road to Rio+20:

• The Green Economy “is one that results in improved human well-being and

social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities.” UNEP, 2011

• 2010 - UN Secretary General establishes High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability and commends report : “Resilient People, Resilient Planet: a Future Worth Choosing” Recommendations taken up in the zero draft

• First draft of the Rio+20 outcomes document: “Zero Draft on The Future We Want”

• Increasing consensus that economic reporting system has to shift to ‘beyond GDP’ mindset.

Process atRio+20 Earth Summit

20 - 22 June 2012

AKA the UN Conference on Sustainable Development

Objectives: • to secure renewed political commitment to sustainable development; • to assess progress towards internationally agreed goals on sustainable development• and to address new and emerging challenges.

The Summit will also focus on two specific themes: • a green economy in the context of poverty eradication

and sustainable development, • and an institutional framework for sustainable development

and 7 priority areas….. decent jobs, energy, sustainable cities, food security and sustainable agriculture, water, oceans and disaster readiness.

• Numbers: 80 heads of state and 40,000 + people from 1,000 organisations

Rio+20 On-Site Side events • 13 -15 June - 3rd Preparatory Committee Meeting of UNCSD • 16 -19 June - Sustainable Development Dialogue ‘s’ - High level action-

oriented debate• 13- 22 June - More than 500 on-site side events sponsored by

Governments, Major Groups, UN system and other Inter-Governmental Organizations

– Eg: Transparency International on climate finance and the importance of anti-corruption measures

• Off-site events from 20-22 June also include the Stakeholder Forum and the Peoples Summit

Consultative status with ECOSOC provides an opportunity for non-government stakeholders e.g. Major Groups (business, NGOs etc.) and the United Nations to work closely towards a common global agenda.

Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum: Innovation & Collaboration for the Future We Want

• From 15-18 June 2012 - Organised by the United Nations Global Compact, 2000+ delegates

• Private sector has a critical role to play in sustainability

• Innovative public-private partnerships, business contributions and new commitments

• Business and investors - opportunity to meet with governments, local authorities, civil

society and UN entities

• 60 thematic sessions linked to the Rio+20 agenda

• Organized by a wide range of organizations e.g.

– Sustainable Stock Exchanges 2012 Global Dialogue - Global Compact, UNCTAD, PRI, UNEP-FI

– Global Reporting Initiative – report or explain- Clause 24 of the Zero draft

– Climate Institute – Clean Revolution Launch

– UNEP FI: Launch of the Natural Capital Declaration (NAB)

– Global Compact Network Australia

Business Action for Sustainable Development 2012 (BASD 2012)

• 19 June - BASD 2012 Business is the official UN Major Group Business

& Industry event

• Convened by the – International Chamber of Commerce,

– the World Business Council for Sustainable Development,

– and the United Nations Global Compact

• A wide range of international industry associates eg International Council

on Mining and Metals (ICMM)

• Final business and industry leaders input to the Rio+20 Conference

• It is imperative that governments provide clear policies and regulatory

frameworks

Challenges • Fallout from the financial crisis, the sovereign debt crisis, many

countries are preoccupied with their own affairs

• Rapid shift of economic growth and power from the traditional centres

towards the east and the south

• Two largest powers, the United States and China, are facing

leadership elections will weaken their ability to act decisively

• Challenges for Australian Government - Political instability , drop in

community support

• Is the UN system best to drive change? Is global consensus

realistic? Better suited to role of convenor, consolidator of global

efforts and legitimator of these?

Opportunities • UN process has demonstrated that it can birth ideas, projects, partnerships, and organizations

• Heightened recognition of interconnectivity, integration, interdependence between the three

pillars – economic, social and environmental- reflected by the many events and stakeholders

in the lead up to the conference and by those of us here today!

• Engagement with the business community- whose collective capital now equals that of the

world’s combined GDPs (from only 25% in 1980)

• Georg Kell: Even without government support, believes that collaboration and innovation

within the private sector can help create solutions to many of the world's problems.

• Secretary General: Fragmentation in terms of concepts, policies, practices and institutions

drives the sustainable development implementation gap. Need more coherent approaches

• Wisdom in lowering the hype, recognising the constraints governments are under, and go for

the practical steps forward - rather than the Copenhagen “turning point for mankind”, a sort of

double or quits where the future of the planet is being played in the space of a few days.

Nonetheless, Rio+20 should mark a step forward. (Peoples Summit, 2012)

Government Perspective

• Donna PetrachenkoFirst Assistant SecretaryAustralian Government Rio+20 Taskforce

Panel 1 • Nathan Fabian

Chief Executive, Investor Group on Climate Change– Investor perspective

• Charles Berger

Director of Strategic Ideas

Australian Conservation Foundation– NGO perspective

• Melanie Stutsel

Director, Health Safety Environment and Community Policy, Minerals

Council of Australia– Mining Industry perspective

Panel 2

• Caroline Bayliss

Australia Director, The Climate Group

– Collective perspective

• Matthew Tukaki

Australian Network Representative

United Nations Global Compact (UNGC)

– UN Business-led perspective

• Victoria Whitaker

Network Manager

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Focal Point Australia

– Reporting perspective