27 June 2012: The Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development, which took place immediately prior to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20), aimed to provide a platform for the science, technology and innovation (STI) community to highlight key messages within the Rio+20 context, and to enter into dialogue with policy-makers and other stakeholders.
The Forum, which took place from 11-15 June 2012, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was organized by the International Council for Science (ICSU) in partnership with the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO), the International Social Science Council (ISSC), the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Brazilian Academy of Sciences.
Researchers, government and civil society representatives, and policy makers shared scientific knowledge on sustainable development issues, and drafted a set of thematic recommendations to prepare the way for implementation of a new global agenda after Rio+20, according to UNESCO. Participants engaged in sessions on: human well-being and population trends; sustainable consumption and production (SCP); climate and other environmental changes; food security; water security; urban well-being; ecosystem services and biodiversity; indigenous knowledge; disasters; energy; green economy and rethinking social and economic models. Each session concluded with the adoption of recommendations within the Rio+20 context.
The Forum also saw the launch of “Future Earth,” a 10-year initiative on global environmental change research for sustainability, backed by an alliance of international partners from global science, research funding and UN bodies. “Future Earth” will coordinate scientific research, designed and produced in partnership with governments, business and society.
In addition, various side events were part of the Forum, including on the crucial role that women scientists could play in sustainable development, and a number of initiatives towards the sustainable use of the ocean in support of the Future Earth initiative and the Rio+20 outcomes. [Forum Website] [Forum Recommendations] [UNESCO Press Release]