Scientific and Technological Community
Statement on Objectives and Themes of Rio 2012
(presented by Gisbert Glaser, International Council for Science – ICSU)
2nd Meeting of the Preparatory Committee
New York, 7 March 2011
Mr. Co-Chair,
The Scientific and Technological Community welcomes the SG
Report on the Objectives and Themes of Rio 2012. Sustainable
development must indeed integrate or be coupled with poverty
eradication. Only an integrated and balanced consideration of social,
economic and environmental goals in both public and private
decision-making will bring about the transition to a sustainable future
of humanity.
Allow me to begin with a comment on the objective of renewed
political commitment. Our Community is concerned that the Rio 2012
outcome might lack ambition and not reflect a sense of urgency. As
new scientific evidence shows, the current unsustainable consumption
and production patterns have started to put the natural functioning of
the earth system, as we know it, at risk. The Rio 2012 outcome must
be commensurate with the urgent need to move humanity back to a
sustainable path of development through the transition to a Green
Economy, as well as through broader societal transformations,
including poverty eradication.
If we have this ambitious goal in mind, policies and decision making
should necessarily be based on sound science and technology and
they must benefit from scientific advances and technological,
economic and social innovation. The Rio 2012 outcome will miss a
crucial element to progress if it does not include commitments to
large-scale investments in targeted science and technology, research,
and to innovation driven technological, policy and social responses to
achieve global sustainability. Targeted capacity building in science
and technology, including assistance to developing countries, will be
crucial.
As regards the objective of “assessing new and emerging challenges”,
Rio 2012 should emphasize a holistic and far-sighted approach to the
interlinked issues of, and possible multiple crises in, ensuring food
and water security, access to clean and affordable energy,
urbanization, climate change and safeguarding biodiversity and
ecosystem services. The S cientific and Technological Community is
committed to play its key role in contributing to solutions to these
challenges, including for dealing with the complexity of the
interlinkages. Rio 2012 must address the need for much enhanced
policy coherence, at national, regional and global levels, across
sectors and issues, not the least in efforts to reform and strengthen the
institutional framework for sustainable development.
Finally, the link between science, education and policy should be
strengthened in particular at the national level through different
mechanisms. One would be to establish national task forces on this
link issue, involving these three stakeholders, but also others.
Thank you
