28 June 2012: The UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) Secretariat has reported receiving 715 voluntary commitments, including commitments that will mobilize more than US$500 billion in action towards sustainable development. These include 52 government commitments, 82 UN/IGO commitments and 581 Major Group and civil society commitments. Sha Zukang, UNCSD Secretary-General, said the voluntary commitments complement the official outcome, and “are a major part of the legacy of this Conference.”

Many commitments are part of larger initiatives, including: 243 commitments under the Higher Education Sustainability Initiative; 156 commitments under the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) Initiative; 124 private sector commitments under the UN Global Compact; 22 commitments under the Barbados Declaration; and 9 commitments to empower women entrepreneurs in green economy businesses in different regions and countries.

Island leaders – including from Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Colombia, Grenada, Indonesia and Seychelles – recently announced new conservation commitments.

UN-HABITAT and ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability committed to hosting the world’s first Eco Mobility Festival in Suwon, Korea. The five-week festival will illustrate car-free urban living and highlight the potential for a new urban lifestyle.

The Rio+20 Secretariat is compiling commitments in an online compendium on the Rio+20 website and welcomes registration of voluntary commitments throughout 2012. Commitment registration can be done at www.uncsd2012.org/commit. Username/password can be received by emailing uncsd2012@un.org. [Commitments Webpage] [UN-HABITAT Press Release] [The Nature Conservancy Press Release]