United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development

GA Resolution 64/236• WHY? Renew political commitment, assess progress and

gaps, address emerging challenges• WHAT? Focused Political Document, with two thematic

focuses: A Green Economy in the Context of Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication; and the Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development

• WHO? Highest level of participation, including Heads of State or Government

• HOW? Calendar of preparation, inputs from all entities• WHERE? Rio de Janeiro• WHEN? 2012, Most Likely Dates Mid-May

Policy Relevance of Themes• UN System: GA (since 1997), UNEP-GC, inter-agency

coordination mechanisms (IACSD, UN-Energy, UN-Water, UN-Oceans), IEG process

• Developing countries: NSDCs, NSDSs, LA21s: ROK, China, Brazil, AMC

• Developed Countries: Focus on policy coherence:– EU GSDS 2006 (rev 2009), Sweden PGS, US Presidential

Decree (22 Sep 2010), Netherlands aid (WRR review)• Major Groups: greeneconomyinitiative.com, greeneconomics.net,

thegreeneconomy.com, newgreeneconomy.com, earthday.org, greeneconomynow.org, worldwatch.org, greeneconomycoalition.org, greenforall.org, etc

17/05/2010 31/05/2012

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5

17/5

Prepcom1

AgendaProcess

Calendar

May

Prepcom 3and

UNCSD

Adoption ofDeclaration

Jun - Oct

EGMs

SecretariatFormation

Technical Inputs

Questions

Nov - Dec

Inter-AgencyWork

EGMs

SG Report

SynthesisReport

3 - 8

National andRegional Preparations

National Submissions

Briefings on Critical Issues

ConferencesExpert Meetings

10/1

Inter Sessional 1

Elements ofZero Draft

7/3

Prepcom 2

ProcessDate

VenueParticipation

5/3

Inter Sessional 3

NegotiationsText

Circulated

7/11

Inter Sessional 2

Elements ofNegotiations

Text

9 - 9

SGReports

11 - 12SG Reports

1 - 4

High Level Consultations

ThematicMeetings

Sectoral andAgency-ledInitiatives

1 - 3 10 - 11

Preoparations Calendar

Secretary-GeneralAmbassador Sha ZukangDESA RIO+20 Task Force

Chair: Sha ZukangASGs: Jomo, Stelzer, Mayanja

ECs: TBDDirectors of DESA DivisionsSpecial Advisors to OCSG

Secretary ECESACluster Leaders

Secretary: Tariq Banuri

EC-ESA PLUSChair: Sha Zukang

Members: UN System Principals Deputies: UNCSD Focal Points

Secretary: Navid Hanif

High-level Panel on Climate Change and Sustainable

Development

Kathleen Abdalla Cluster Leader

Nikhil Chandavarkar Cluster Leader

David O’Connor Cluster Leader

Aslam Chaudhry Cluster Leader

Andrew YagerOIC

EXECUTIVE COORDINATORSTo Be Appointed

OFFICE OF Conference Secretary GeneralHead of Office: Tariq Banuri

Special Advisors: Adnan Amin, Nikhil Seth, Juwang ZhuInter-Agency Relations: Federica Pietracci

Sustainable Development Officer: TBDSecretary: Kanthi Jayawickrema

Bureau Support

Delegations Support

Assessment Analysis National Regional Major Groups

Media & Outreach

Logistics Fundraising

TL (P5): TL (P5): TL (P5): TL1 (P5):TL2: TBD

TL (P5): TL (P5): TL (P5/4): TL (P5): TL (P5): TL (P5):

Secretary (G5)

Secretary (G5)

Secretary (G5)

Secretary (G5)

Secretary (G5)

Secretary (G5)

Secretary (G5)

Secretary (G5)

Secretary (G5)

Secretary (G5)

P4P3

P4P3

P4P3

P4P4P3

P4P3

P4P3

P4P4P3

P4P4P3

P4P4P3

P4P3

What Can the UN System Do?

• UNCSD Dedicated Secretariat: Synthesize and coordinate UN System input

• All Entities: Provide technical inputs, assess lessons from experience, link with outcomes of their inter-governmental process, support national preparations, involve stakeholders

• RCs: Organize regional consultations in order to provide coordinated inputs

• Coordination Forums: Channel inter-agency coordination to develop concrete initiatives

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A G

lobal Pop

ulationB

% W

ith High

HD

IC

Use of S

ources/ Sink

s Cu

mulative Im

pact

O A

C O

O B

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What is at Stake?

Stylized Facts of Development

• Examples of “Developing to Developed”: Japan, Mediterranean/ Scandinavian, NICS, and BRICS

• Drivers: – Industry: productivity/ sectoral growth, linkages– Energy: Contribution to growth, HD, SD– Trade: scale economy, incentives, transparency– Technology: Especially ICTs, Renewable Energy

• Challenges: – Social inequity, jobless growth, rural poverty– Environmental degradation, pollution, climate– Agricultural (even if not driver), food security

Poverty

Pollution

Global Limits

Role of Energy

• The Modern Industrial Age was based on a Big Push of Investment in Fossil Energy

• Sustainable Development may require a Big Push on Renewable Energy: – Bring about a rapid reduction in unit costs of RE– Enable poor countries and poor households to

access modern energy services– Deploy energy to relieve pressure on renewable

as well as non-renewable natural resources

0.400.450.500.550.600.650.700.750.800.850.900.951.00

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

TPES (kWh/cap/day)

HD

I

LOW

MIDDLE

HIGH

From a Race BetweenGrowth and Catastrophe…

• We cannot live without growth (Rich and Poor)– Welfare: Full employment, social services– Development: end to permanent global inequality– Peace, security, democracy, and human rights

• We cannot live long with current growth pattern• contemporary history has become a race between

growth and catastrophe

…Integration, yet dissonance

• Does SD include the Environment or is it a subset of Environment?

• Is SD responsibility of MoE or of all ministries and agencies?

• Economic and fiscal decisions unrelated

• Who will coordinate?

Three Complementary Strategies

Strategies• Win the Race!

– Accelerate development and/or poverty efforts: food, water, health, etc

• Bend the Curve!– Internalize Externalities:

taxes, subsidies, prices and valuation

• Build a New Path– Technology (green

energy revolution, ICTs)– Infrastructure

Debates• Is there time? Growth

vs poverty. More MDGs or ambitious MDG+s.

• Scaling up, challenges/ risks, development, other actions.

• What are the new drivers (leading sector)? What investments?

Green Economy Perspectives

4. GE as Transition

2. GE as Good PracticeSCP, Integrated

Strategies, CSR, TBL, disclosure

3. GE as Good Policies Prices, taxes, subsidies,

public investment, education, R&D

1. GE as Economic

Sector

Forests, land, water, biodiversity,

energy, sanitation

5. GE as DestinationPractices universalizedPolicies mainstreamedIncentive compatibility

ensured Economic structure

supportive

Green Economy, Mark 1• 1989: Blueprint: “Economic underpinnings of SD and WCED.

(a) non-declining wealth; (b) Internalize externalities; (b) assessment, valuation, discounting

• 2008: Crises/ Stimulus: GGND, GEI, Green Jobs, EMG, Success Stories. Mostly similar to Blueprint

Concerns and Criticisms• Prepcom 1: Confusion over ambiguity

– Request to DESA, UNEP and other relevant organizations prepare a study to assess the benefits, challenges, and risks associated with a green economy transition.

• Concerns on top down approach (1) privatization of nature, (2) protectionism, (3) conditionality, (3) straightjacket, (4) loss of competitiveness, (5) linkage with growth, (6) linkage with poverty

• Emerging consensus over bottom up approach: Green Economy as “Optimal National Strategy”

GE Mark 2: The KE Analogy• Conceptual: Abstract concept, implementable vision, or just

a new name?• Scope: Economic paradigm or broader social vision? • Elements: How related to other concepts? • Rules/ Principles: How different from traditional ones?• Relevance: All countries or only some? Regional?• Action: How implemented? How to guide our actions?• GE Mark 2: Instead of concept/ vision, seen as description

of a central reality: Shift from industrial era to a new global economy—and a new calculus of profitability. What is the optimal growth strategy now? Will pioneers benefit? Will others follow?

Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development

• Scope: Environmental governance versus Sustainable Development institutional framework

• Challenge: Horizontal versus vertical coordination• UNEP: Enhanced Role, relation to MEAs, other

agencies and programmes, mechanisms• CSD: Review Structure, Relation to GA, ECOSOC• Other coordination mechanisms • National: NSDCs? NSDS (vs PRSP, 5-yr Plans, others)• Regional: Role, relationship to other processes

Make the old model

obsolete

Only

One

Earth

Less Taste for Destruction

Poverty! It adds up

Here

’s to th

e cra

zy

ones!

Spaceship Earth