The presentation by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) emphasized the role of the Committee of the Regions and the Covenant of Mayors as key to the successful transition to a green economy.
Mercedes Bresso from the Committee of the Region stated that European leaders must adopt a “strong, unified position” on the future of international environmental policy, to ensure that Rio+20 results in “concrete actions and tangible targets.”
4 October 2011: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) presented a discussion paper on the role of local and regional authorities in the transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient green economy, in advance of the EU Environment Council’s discussions on Europe’s position at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20).
UNEP’s presentation at a seminar in Malmö, Sweden emphasized the role of the Committee of the Regions and the Covenant of Mayors as key to a successful transition to a green economy. Mercedes Bresso from the Committee of the Regions stated that European leaders must adopt a “strong, unified position” on the future of international environmental policy, to ensure that Rio+20 results in “concrete actions and tangible targets.”
According to UNEP, Bresso also called for establishing a new way of quantifying sustainable development, in particular looking at indicators other than gross domestic product (GDP), which he said is not an accurate measure of the ability of a society to tackle issues such as climate change, resource efficiency, quality of life or social inclusion.
The Committee of the Regions’ draft opinion on Rio+20, adopted at the Malmö seminar, places significant emphasis on the challenge of rapid urbanization. [UNEP Press Release]