Australia at Rio+20 Seminar Facilitator, Rosemary Sainty Former Head, Secretariat UN Global Compact Network Australia and Adviser, Corporate Engagement, Transparency Australia

1. Australia at Rio+20
'Collective Action for
Sustainable Development:
Rio+20 and the transition to
a green economy.'
Convenor: United Nations Association of Australia (Vic)
Facilitator: Rosemary Sainty
Former Head, Secretariat UN Global Compact Network Australia and
Adviser, Corporate Engagement, Transparency Australia
Melbourne, Thursday 17 May, 2012

2. Milestones
• 1972 — United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, which led to the
establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme.
• 1983 - Brundtland Commission established and in 1987, handed down report ―Our
Common Future‖ - defining sustainable development. And its 3 pillars.
• 1992 – UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED or the Rio Earth
Summit) : the Rio Declaration, Agenda 21, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the
Forest Principles and the UN Framework for the Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) treaty to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations.
• 1992 — Launch of Australia‘s National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development.
• 1997 — Rio+5 Review Kyoto Protocol formally adopted at COP3- ―operationalizing ‖ the
Convention, to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions with binding targets (37 industrialized
countries) 5% emissions reduction compared to 1990 levels over the five-year period 2008
to 2012 and market-based mechanisms - Emissions Trading, the Clean Development
Mechanism and Joint Implementation.
• 1999 — Australia‘s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

3. Milestones contd
• 2002 – Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development 2006 – Australian
Business Roundtable on Climate Change
• 2007- An Inconvenient Truth, the 4th IPCC report and the ―Stern Review: The
Economics of Climate Change‖. In Australia –70% of population want action on
Climate Change
• 2007 — Australia‘s ratification of the Kyoto Protocol
• 2008- GFC
• 2009- COP15: Copenhagen Accord – but was not adopted by all governments. A 2
degree goal and fast-start climate financing
• 2011- COP17: Durban Platform for Enhanced Action, Now 195 Parties to the
Convention (including 48 developing) agree to second commitment period on the
Kyoto Protocol and its mechanisms and drawing up a new, post-2020 mitigation
framework. Saved the UNFCCC process but without defined targets until 2020 or
capital defined for the green climate fund. Continuing deep divisions between US,
EU, India and China
• 2012 – UNEP and WWF reflections

4. Stocktake
• Population now 7 billion- 2 billion more since Brundtland
• Biodiversity has declined globally by around 30 per cent between
1970 and 2008
• Demand on natural resources has doubled since 1966 - currently
using the equivalent of 1.5 planets
• High-income countries have a footprint five times greater than that of
low-income countries
• CO2 continue to rise: up 40 per cent on 1992 with two-thirds of the
increase in the second decade (UNEP, 2011).
Living Planet Report 2012, WWF

5. Forward Motion – A Green Economy.
On the Road to Rio+20:
• The Green Economy ―is one that results in improved human well-being and
social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and
ecological scarcities.‖ UNEP, 2011
• 2010 - UN Secretary General establishes High-Level Panel on Global
Sustainability and commends report : ―Resilient People, Resilient Planet: a
Future Worth Choosing‖ Recommendations taken up in the zero draft
• First draft of the Rio+20 outcomes document: ―Zero Draft on The Future We
Want‖
• Increasing consensus that economic reporting system has to shift to ‗beyond
GDP‘ mindset.

6. Process at
Rio+20 Earth Summit
20 - 22 June 2012
AKA the UN Conference on Sustainable Development
Objectives:
• to secure renewed political commitment to sustainable development;
• to assess progress towards internationally agreed goals on sustainable development
• and to address new and emerging challenges.
The Summit will also focus on two specific themes:
• a green economy in the context of poverty eradication
and sustainable development,
• and an institutional framework for sustainable development
and 7 priority areas….. decent jobs, energy, sustainable cities, food security and sustainable
agriculture, water, oceans and disaster readiness.
• Numbers: 80 heads of state and 40,000 + people from 1,000 organisations

7. Rio+20 On-Site Side events
• 13 -15 June - 3rd Preparatory Committee Meeting of UNCSD
• 16 -19 June - Sustainable Development Dialogue ‗s‘ - High level action-
oriented debate
• 13- 22 June - More than 500 on-site side events sponsored by
Governments, Major Groups, UN system and other Inter-Governmental
Organizations
– Eg: Transparency International on climate finance and the importance of anti-
corruption measures
• Off-site events from 20-22 June also include the Stakeholder Forum and
the Peoples Summit
Consultative status with ECOSOC provides an opportunity for non-
government stakeholders e.g. Major Groups (business, NGOs etc.) and
the United Nations to work closely towards a common global agenda.

8. Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum:
Innovation & Collaboration for the Future We Want
• From 15-18 June 2012 - Organised by the United Nations Global Compact, 2000+
delegates
• Private sector has a critical role to play in sustainability
• Innovative public-private partnerships, business contributions and new
commitments
• Business and investors - opportunity to meet with governments, local authorities, civil
society and UN entities
• 60 thematic sessions linked to the Rio+20 agenda
• Organized by a wide range of organizations e.g.
– Sustainable Stock Exchanges 2012 Global Dialogue - Global
Compact, UNCTAD, PRI, UNEP-FI
– Global Reporting Initiative – report or explain- Clause 24 of the Zero draft
– Climate Institute – Clean Revolution Launch
– UNEP FI: Launch of the Natural Capital Declaration (NAB)
– Global Compact Network Australia

9. Business Action for Sustainable
Development 2012 (BASD 2012)
• 19 June - BASD 2012 Business is the official UN Major Group
Business & Industry event
• Convened by the
– International Chamber of Commerce,
– the World Business Council for Sustainable Development,
– and the United Nations Global Compact
• A wide range of international industry associates eg International
Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM)
• Final business and industry leaders input to the Rio+20 Conference
• It is imperative that governments provide clear policies and
regulatory frameworks

10. Challenges
• Fallout from the financial crisis, the sovereign debt crisis,
many countries are preoccupied with their own affairs
• Rapid shift of economic growth and power from the traditional
centres towards the east and the south
• Two largest powers, the United States and China, are facing
leadership elections will weaken their ability to act decisively
• Challenges for Australian Government - Political instability ,
drop in community support
• Is the UN system best to drive change? Is global consensus
realistic? Better suited to role of convenor, consolidator of
global efforts and legitimator of these?

11. Opportunities
• UN process has demonstrated that it can birth ideas, projects, partnerships, and
organizations
• Heightened recognition of interconnectivity, integration, interdependence between the three
pillars – economic, social and environmental- reflected by the many events and
stakeholders in the lead up to the conference and by those of us here today!
• Engagement with the business community- whose collective capital now equals that of
the world‘s combined GDPs (from only 25% in 1980)
• Georg Kell: Even without government support, believes that collaboration and innovation
within the private sector can help create solutions to many of the world's problems.
• Secretary General: Fragmentation in terms of concepts, policies, practices and institutions
drives the sustainable development implementation gap. Need more coherent
approaches
• Wisdom in lowering the hype, recognising the constraints governments are under, and go
for the practical steps forward - rather than the Copenhagen ―turning point for mankind‖, a
sort of double or quits where the future of the planet is being played in the space of a few
days. Nonetheless, Rio+20 should mark a step forward. (Peoples Summit, 2012)

12. Government Perspective
• Donna Petrachenko
First Assistant Secretary
Australian Government Rio+20 Taskforce

13. Panel 1
• Nathan Fabian
Chief Executive, Investor Group on Climate Change
– Investor perspective
• Charles Berger
Director of Strategic Ideas
Australian Conservation Foundation
– NGO perspective
• Melanie Stutsel
Director, Health Safety Environment and Community Policy,
Minerals Council of Australia
– Mining Industry perspective

14. Panel 2
• Caroline Bayliss
Australia Director, The Climate Group
– Collective perspective
• Matthew Tukaki
Australian Network Representative
United Nations Global Compact (UNGC)
– UN Business-led perspective
• Victoria Whitaker
Network Manager
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Focal Point Australia
– Reporting perspective