Earth summit

Presentation by

Hari Sharma

Message

• The Summit’s message — that nothing

less than a transformation of our

attitudes and behaviour would bring

about the necessary changes

Basics

• The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)/ Rio Summit/Rio Conference/Earth

• Date 3-14 June 1992.• Number of Governments participating:172, 108

at level of heads of State or Government.• Principal themes:Environment and sustainable

development• Previous conference: UN Conference on the

Human Environment, Stockholm (1972)

The issues addressed

• Patterns of production — particularly the production of toxic components, such as lead in gasoline, or poisonous waste — are being scrutinized in a systematic manner by the UN and Governments alike.

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• Alternative sources of energy are being sought to replace the use of fossil fuels which are linked to global climate change;

• New reliance on public transportation systems is being emphasized in order to reduce vehicle emissions, congestion in cities and the health problems caused by polluted air and smog;

• There is much greater awareness of and concern over the growing scarcity of water.

Results

• Agenda 21• The Rio Declaration on Environment and

Development• The United Nations Framework Convention on

Climate Change • United Nations Convention on Biological

Diversity.• The Statement of Forest Principles.• United Nations Convention to Combat

Desertification

Rio Declaration

• The Rio Declaration consisted of 27 principles intended to guide future sustainable development around the world.

Principle 4

In order to achieve sustainable development,environmental protection shall constitute anintegral part of the development process andcannot be considered in isolation from it.

Principle 8

To achieve sustainable development and a higher quality of life for all people, States

should reduce and eliminate unsustainable patterns of production and consumption and

promote appropriate demographic policies.

Principle 11

States shall enact effective environmental legislation. Environmental standards, management objectives and priorities should reflect the environmental and developmental

context to which they apply. Standards applied by some countries may be inappropriate

and of unwarranted economic and social cost to other countries, in particular

developing countries.

Principle 12

States should cooperate to promote a supportive and open international economic system that would lead to economic growth and sustainable development in all countries, to better address the problems of environmental degradation. Trade policy measures for environmental purposes should not constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on international trade. Unilateral actions to deal with environmental challenges outside the jurisdiction of the importing country should be avoided. Environmental measures addressing transboundary or global environmental problems should, as far as possible, be based on an international consensus.

Principle 13

States shall develop national law regarding liability and compensation for the victims

of pollution and other environmental damage. States shall also cooperate in an expeditious and more determined manner to develop further international law regarding

liability and compensation for adverse effects of environmental damage caused by activities within their jurisdiction or control to areas beyond their jurisdiction.

Principle 14

States should effectively cooperate to discourage or prevent the relocation and transfer to other States of any activities and substances that cause severe environmental

degradation or are found to be harmful to human health.

Principle 15

In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely ap-plied by States according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or

irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for

postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.

Principle 16

National authorities should endeavour to promote the internalization of environmental

costs and the use of economic instruments, taking into account the approach that the

polluter should, in principle, bear the cost of pollution, with due regard to the public

interest and without distorting international trade and investment.

Principle 17

Environmental impact assessment, as a national instrument, shall be undertaken for

proposed activities that are likely to have a significant adverse impact on the environment and are subject to a decision of a competent national authority.

Principle 19

States shall provide prior and timely notification and relevant information to potentially

affected States on activities that may have a significant adverse transboundaryenvironmental effect and shall consult with those States at an early stage and in good

faith.

Principle 23

The environment and natural resources of people under oppression, domination and

occupation shall be protected.

Principle 24

Warfare is inherently destructive of sustainable development. States shall therefore

respect international law providing protection for the environment in times of armed

conflict and cooperate in its further development, as necessary

Principle 25

Peace, development and environmental protection are interdependent and indivisible.

Principle 26

States shall resolve all their environmental disputes peacefully and by appropriate

means in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.

Principle 27

States and people shall cooperate in good faith and in a spirit of partnership in the

fulfillment of the principles embodied in this Declaration and in the further development

of international law in the field of sustainable development.

AGENDA 21

• Agenda 21 is a non-binding, voluntarily implemented action plan of the United Nations with regard to sustainable development

• Agenda 21 is a 300-page document divided into 40 chapters that have been grouped into 4 sections

• Global National Local

• The "21" in Agenda 21 refers to the 21st Century

• Signed by 178 countries

• What we do locally …

• … affects what happens nationally…

• …affects what happens globally.

Section I

• Social and Economic Dimensions is directed toward combating poverty, especially in developing countries, changing consumption patterns, promoting health, achieving a more sustainable population, and sustainable settlement in decision making.

Section II

• Conservation and Management of Resources for Development Includes atmospheric protection, combating deforestation, protecting fragile environments, conservation of biological diversity (biodiversity), control of pollution and the management of biotechnology, and radioactive wastes.

Section III

• Strengthening the Role of Major Groups includes the roles of children and youth, women, NGOs, local authorities, business and industry, and workers; and strengthening the role of indigenous peoples, their communities, and farmers.

Section IV

• Means of Implementation: implementation includes science, technology transfer, education, international institutions and financial mechanisms.

Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

• The objective of the treaty is to "stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system“

• Nearly every country is party to the UNFCC.

• Its urges the signatory nation to reduce green house gases emission to 1990 level by 2000

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• The signatory nation meet every year to discuss climate change strategy.

• First COP/COP1 was held in Berlin .

• The third COP was held in Kyoto Japan (Kyoto protocol )

• In detail later……….

404.65 ppmApril 7 2015**402.20 pmApril 7 2014

Earth Summit 2002

• Johannesburg, South Africa, from 26 August to 4 September 2002.

• agreement was made to restore the world's depleted fisheries for 2015

• means to achieve the Millennium Development Goals was discussed .

• Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight international development goals that were established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000.

8 goals

• To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

• To achieve universal primary education

• To promote gender equality and empower women

• To reduce child mortality

• To improve maternal health

• To combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases

• To ensure environmental sustainability

• To develop a global partnership for development

Latest :::RIO +20 Summit

• Rio+20 – the short name for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.

• It took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 2012

• Since there is twenty years of gap (2012-1992) between these two summits, the latest RIO Summit is nicknamed “RIO +20”

To be continue with ……

Continue with ……..

• Rio 20: India’s stand

• Why US didn’t ratify kyoto protocol?

• Where does India and China stands?

• Criticism