The Rio+20 summit on sustainable development has begun with a warning from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. This summit marks 20 years since the famous Earth Summit took place in Rio, which led to important UN conventions on climate change, biodiversity and desertification.
However, 20 years on, Ban Ki-moon claims that progress has been too slow and that words must translate into action.
After negotiations to decide how to implement sustainable development, 191 countries reached an agreement on the conference's outcome document. This was something else that seemed to come as a disappointment to Ban Ki-moon. He said of the document, "I know some Member States hoped to have a bolder and more ambitious outcome document. I also hoped that we should have a more ambitious outcome document."
Perhaps the most challenging statement was made by 17-year-old Brittany Trilford, who won a competition to send a message to the summit on behalf of the World's youth. She said to the World leaders gathered at the summit, "You have 72 hours to decide the fate of your children - my children - my childrens' children - and I start the clock now. Are you here to save face - or are you here to save us?"
However, it still remains to be seen if words uttered at the summit will indeed turn into actions, or if the World leaders will take stock of Miss Trilfords challenge.
Aside from the summit, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg used the Rio+20 platform to announce that from next year, UK businesses will have to report their greenhouse gas emissions annually. Mr Clegg said, "Counting your business costs while hiding your greenhouse gas emissions is a false economy. British companies need to reduce their harmful emissions for the benefit of the planet, but many back our plans because being energy efficient makes good business sense too."
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