19 April 2012: EU Environment Ministers convened in an informal Environment Council to discuss the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD or Rio+20), during which they underscored that long-term sustainable development can be reached via an inclusive green economy ensuring job creation, eradicating poverty and protecting natural resource bases.

European Commissioner for the Environment Janez Potočnik said the strong support for the approach suggested by the Commission would provide a clear negotiation basis in the negotiations leading to Rio+20. He also told the meeting, which took place in Horsens, Denmark, that responding to resource constraints requires focusing on goals for “five ‘pillars of life’: water; sustainable energy; oceans; land and ecosystems; and resource efficiency and waste.”

President of the EU Environment Council, Ida Aiken, called for the EU to pioneer the transition to an inclusive and green economy. The ministers agreed that the roadmap for an inclusive green economy should be closely linked to the discussions on a set of global goals for sustainable development (SDGs). [European Commission Press Release]