The first ripples of change often begin with civil society. Over time NGOs have used their speed, activism and collaborative approaches to influence actors within the UN process, as well as private sector players.
The onus falls on government to give us the systems, incentives and regulatory frameworks to enable sustainable development. We hope to see a sense of shared vision and objectives by governments at Rio+20, but historically, governments have shown a lack of courage.
Since the 1992 UN Summit, the philosophies of business, NGOs and governments have evolved – often at the expense of sustainable development goals. What has been constant is the desire to motivate people to act.
Joanna wins a Whitley Award for her work to reduce the impact of small-scale fishing on non-target marine species and encourage more sustainable fishing practices in Peru. The video narrated by Sir David Attenborough, describes her work.
Lisel wins a Whitley Award for her work to unite local stakeholders to protect Belize’s species rich Maya Golden Landscape. The video narrated by Sir David Attenborough, describes her work.
Pioneers Nitin Desai, Bill Ford, Yolanda Kakabadse, Maurice Strong and others, highlight the historic nature of the original Rio Earth Summit, while acknowledging its shortcomings. Rio+20 takes place in June 2012.