HISTORY OF THE EARTH SUMMIT
Rio + 20 as Part of a Lineage:
Rio + 20 is the most recent milestone in a series of United Nations conferences prioritizing and promoting sustainable development in the international community. Below is a summary of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, the inaugural Earth Summit and the most important of these UN conferences, followed by a history of related UN conferences on sustainable development and the environment, from 1972 onwards:
Rio + 20 is the most recent milestone in a series of United Nations conferences prioritizing and promoting sustainable development in the international community. Below is a summary of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, the inaugural Earth Summit and the most important of these UN conferences, followed by a history of related UN conferences on sustainable development and the environment, from 1972 onwards:
1992 Rio Earth Summit – Summary
The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Rio Summit, Rio Conference, Earth Summit was a major United Nations conference held in Rio de Janeiro from June 3rd to June 14th 1992.
172 governments participated, with 108 sending their heads of state or government. Some 2,400 representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) attended, with 17,000 people at the parallel NGO "Global Forum" (a.k.a. Forum Global), who had Consultative Status.
The issues addressed included:
The Convention on Biological Diversity was opened for signature at the Earth Summit, and made a start towards redefinition of measures that did not inherently encourage destruction of natural ecoregions and so-called uneconomic growth.
Twelve cities were also honoured by the Local Government Honours Award for innovative local environmental programs. These included Sudbury in Canada for its ambitious program to rehabilitate environmental damage from the local mining industry, Austin in the United States for its green building strategy, and Kitakyūshū in Japan for incorporating an international education and training component into its municipal pollution control program.
The Earth Summit resulted in the following documents:
Moreover, two important legally binding agreements were opened for signature:
Critics, however, point out that many of the agreements made in Rio have not been realized regarding such fundamental issues as fighting poverty and cleaning up the environment.
Green Cross International was founded to build upon the work of the Summit.
172 governments participated, with 108 sending their heads of state or government. Some 2,400 representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) attended, with 17,000 people at the parallel NGO "Global Forum" (a.k.a. Forum Global), who had Consultative Status.
The issues addressed included:
- systematic scrutiny of patterns of production — particularly the production of toxic components, such as lead in gasoline, or poisonous waste including radioactive chemicals
- alternative sources of energy to replace the use of fossil fuels which are linked to global climate change
- new reliance on public transportation systems in order to reduce vehicle emissions, congestion in cities and the health problems caused by polluted air and smog
- the growing scarcity of water
The Convention on Biological Diversity was opened for signature at the Earth Summit, and made a start towards redefinition of measures that did not inherently encourage destruction of natural ecoregions and so-called uneconomic growth.
Twelve cities were also honoured by the Local Government Honours Award for innovative local environmental programs. These included Sudbury in Canada for its ambitious program to rehabilitate environmental damage from the local mining industry, Austin in the United States for its green building strategy, and Kitakyūshū in Japan for incorporating an international education and training component into its municipal pollution control program.
The Earth Summit resulted in the following documents:
Moreover, two important legally binding agreements were opened for signature:
Critics, however, point out that many of the agreements made in Rio have not been realized regarding such fundamental issues as fighting poverty and cleaning up the environment.
Green Cross International was founded to build upon the work of the Summit.
Chronology and Summary of UN Conferences on Sustainable Development
CONFERENCE ON HUMAN ENVIRONMENT, STOCKHOLM 1972
“Man is unlikely to succeed in managing his relationship with nature unless in the course of it he learns to manage better the relations between man and man.”
- From Maurice Strong’s opening statements at the 1972 Stockholm Conference on Human Environment
The 1972 Stockholm Conference put environmental issues on the international agenda for the first time and laid the groundwork for progress in the environment and development. Under the leadership of Canadian Conference Secretary-General Maurice Strong, government officials from industrialized and developing nations met alongside NGOs to create The UN Environment Programme (UNEP). UNEP would address environmental problems humans have created that contribute to economic injustices, mass poverty, and racial prejudices.
BRUNTLAND COMMISSION, OUR COMMON FUTURE 1987
“Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
- From Part One of the Brundtland Report, Our Common Future
With the release of Our Common Future, the World Commission on Environment and Development gave sustainable development a concrete definition for the first time. Known more commonly as the Brundtland Commission named for its Chair Gro Harlem Brundtland, the Commission addressed a new generation of environmental issues directly linked to development. The Commission’s 1987 report highlighted how growth rates, in both developing and industrialized nations, would prove to be unsustainable in the long run.
UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT AKA EARTH SUMMIT, RIO DE JANEIRO 1992
“Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development. They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.”
- Principal 1 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
Economic and environmental issues could not be addressed independently. The result of the Rio Conference, known as the Earth Summit 1992, was a series of agreements including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and Agenda 21. Agenda 21 is the most comprehensive plan to date outlining necessary actions for sustainable development at local, national and international levels.
EARTH SUMMIT +5, NEW YORK 1997
“The special session should take a hard, honest and critical look at what has been done and what has not been done since Rio,” says Mr. Razali Ismail, President of the General Assembly. “We need to recall and re-emphasize the compact that brought about the Earth Summit.”
A special session of the UN General Assembly was held in June 1997. The purpose of the New York summit was to review and accelerate the implementation of Agenda 21 and other agreements made in Rio. Although there had been some successes since the Earth Summit 1992, members who met in New York were frustrated with degrading environmental conditions and rising levels of poverty worldwide. Leaders recommitted to the goals of Agenda 21, and it was agreed that considerable work was yet to be done, especially to address the effects of climate change.
WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, JOHANNESBURG 2002
“From the African continent, the cradle of humankind, we solemnly pledge to the peoples of the world and the generations that will surely inherit this Earth that we are determined to ensure that our collective hope for sustainable development is realized.”
- From the Johannesburg Declaration
There was broad stakeholder participation in the 2002 summit, from governments, businesses and industries, children and youth, farmers, indigenous people, local authorities, non-governmental organizations, scientific and technological communities, women, workers, and trade unions. The result was the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, which sought to strengthen the implementation of Agenda 21 and the role of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development with special regard to developing countries.
“Man is unlikely to succeed in managing his relationship with nature unless in the course of it he learns to manage better the relations between man and man.”
- From Maurice Strong’s opening statements at the 1972 Stockholm Conference on Human Environment
The 1972 Stockholm Conference put environmental issues on the international agenda for the first time and laid the groundwork for progress in the environment and development. Under the leadership of Canadian Conference Secretary-General Maurice Strong, government officials from industrialized and developing nations met alongside NGOs to create The UN Environment Programme (UNEP). UNEP would address environmental problems humans have created that contribute to economic injustices, mass poverty, and racial prejudices.
BRUNTLAND COMMISSION, OUR COMMON FUTURE 1987
“Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
- From Part One of the Brundtland Report, Our Common Future
With the release of Our Common Future, the World Commission on Environment and Development gave sustainable development a concrete definition for the first time. Known more commonly as the Brundtland Commission named for its Chair Gro Harlem Brundtland, the Commission addressed a new generation of environmental issues directly linked to development. The Commission’s 1987 report highlighted how growth rates, in both developing and industrialized nations, would prove to be unsustainable in the long run.
UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT AKA EARTH SUMMIT, RIO DE JANEIRO 1992
“Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development. They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.”
- Principal 1 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
- Agenda 21, UN Conference on Environment and Development
- Rio Declaration, UN Conference on Environment and Development
Economic and environmental issues could not be addressed independently. The result of the Rio Conference, known as the Earth Summit 1992, was a series of agreements including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and Agenda 21. Agenda 21 is the most comprehensive plan to date outlining necessary actions for sustainable development at local, national and international levels.
EARTH SUMMIT +5, NEW YORK 1997
“The special session should take a hard, honest and critical look at what has been done and what has not been done since Rio,” says Mr. Razali Ismail, President of the General Assembly. “We need to recall and re-emphasize the compact that brought about the Earth Summit.”
A special session of the UN General Assembly was held in June 1997. The purpose of the New York summit was to review and accelerate the implementation of Agenda 21 and other agreements made in Rio. Although there had been some successes since the Earth Summit 1992, members who met in New York were frustrated with degrading environmental conditions and rising levels of poverty worldwide. Leaders recommitted to the goals of Agenda 21, and it was agreed that considerable work was yet to be done, especially to address the effects of climate change.
WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, JOHANNESBURG 2002
“From the African continent, the cradle of humankind, we solemnly pledge to the peoples of the world and the generations that will surely inherit this Earth that we are determined to ensure that our collective hope for sustainable development is realized.”
- From the Johannesburg Declaration
There was broad stakeholder participation in the 2002 summit, from governments, businesses and industries, children and youth, farmers, indigenous people, local authorities, non-governmental organizations, scientific and technological communities, women, workers, and trade unions. The result was the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, which sought to strengthen the implementation of Agenda 21 and the role of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development with special regard to developing countries.