The 8th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Summit

The 8th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Summit held in Goa recently, a fair share of focus was laid upon issues relating to energy and environment. The last couple of weeks have highlighted India’s commitment towards addressing global environmental concerns. First, it ratified the Paris climate change agreement; second, it signed the Kigali agreement to amend the Montreal Protocol (in order to cut down its hydrofluorocarbons by 85% of the values in 2024-26 by the year 2047); and now it has agreed to cooperate on a whole lot of sustainability issues through the Goa Declaration.

BRICS Summit 2016: Goa Declaration adopted by India, China, Russia, Brazil and South Africa

Here is the excerpt from the Goa Declaration adopted by the BRICS member nations:

We, the Leaders of the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Russian Federation, the Republic of India, the People's Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa, met on 15-16 October 2016 in Goa, India, at the Eighth BRICS Summit.

Recalling all our previous declarations, we emphasize the importance of further strengthening BRICS solidarity and cooperation based on our common interests and key priorities to further strengthen our strategic partnership in the spirit of openness, solidarity, equality, mutual understanding, inclusiveness and mutually beneficial cooperation. We agree that emerging challenges to global peace and security and to sustainable development require further enhancing of our collective efforts.

Brazil Pushes for Sustainable Development Goals

Image by US Mission Geneva 

With seven months to go until the Rio+20 conference on sustainable development, Brazil is uniting in support of proposals to be included in the summit's draft final document, which aim to transfer its successful national social and environmental sustainability programmes to the global scale.

The Brazilian national commission for drawing up the proposals, created in June and made up of 30 ministerial delegates and 40 representatives of civil society, has delivered its document to the United Nations, as have 70 other countries and a number of NGOs, making a total of 600 documents to be discussed at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, better known as Rio+20, to be held in June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro.

Small States have key role to play at sustainable development summit Rio+20

Image from Wikimedia

The participation of small States in Rio+20, next year’s United Nations conference on sustainable development, is vital, given many are already experiencing the effects of climate change, General Assembly President Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser said today.

Speaking to the Forum of Small States (FOSS) in New York, Mr. Al-Nasser said the conference would provide a great opportunity for small countries to contribute their ideas and proposals on climate change and sustainable development.

Brazil and Latin America gear up for Earth Summit 2012

It wouldn’t be Rio if there wasn’t a party. The Municipality of Rio de Janeiro announced that this year the city’s famous New Year’s celebration will focus on sustainability and highlight the Rio +20 Earth Summit coming up in June 2012. However, officials, business leaders and the public aren’t waiting until the end of the year to get the ball rolling on Rio+20, when over 50,000 people, including 120 heads of state and government officals*, are expected to descend on the city. Earlier this month, the national commission charged with preparations for Rio+20 gathered for the first time

Sustainable development, poverty eradication to be Brazil's top concerns for Rio+20 conference

Image by United Nations Photo via Flickr

Sustainable development and poverty eradication may be the main topics Brazil will propose to discuss during the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20).

Rio+20, also known as the 2012 Rio Earth Summit, is slated to open in June next year. Brazil's National Commission for Rio+20 is co-chaired by Environment Minister Izabella Teixeira and Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota. After the meeting, Teixeira told local press that they will "work on issues that Brazil wants to develop in the context of poverty eradication, green economy and arrangement of additional governance and sustainable development."

Agencia Brasil, Brazil's official news agency, said the group will further discuss with government agencies and civil society issues to be addressed at Rio+20 and will present their proposals to the United Nations in November.

The 2012 Rio Earth Summit will mark the 20th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). 

 

Source:peopledaily.com.cn