Friday, August 26, 2011

Towards Rio + 20: 'Stockholm Statement' on Green Economy from the 2011 World Water Week

The 2011 World Water Week in Stockholm closed with assembled participants supporting a "Stockholm Statement to the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro (Rio+20 Summit)".

The 'Stockholm Statement' calls on leadership at all levels of government that will participate at the Rio+20 Summit (4-6 June 2012) to commit to achieving "universal provisioning of safe drinking water, adequate sanitation and modern energy services by the year 2030" and to adopt intervening targets to increase efficiency in the management of water, energy and food.

The targets include to be achieved by the year 2020:

* 20% increase in total food supply-chain efficiency
* 20% increase in water efficiency in agriculture
* 20% increase in water use efficiency in energy production
* 20% increase in the quantity of water reused
* 20% decrease in water pollution


With regard to Green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, the Stockholm statement strongly urge that the following outcomes feature prominently within the Rio+20 Summit’s thematic focus areas:

o All governments commit to sufficient investments in safe drinking water and sanitation services and hygiene education for its people

o The current measurements of economic performance are expanded and complemented by indicators on environmental and social sustainability

o Economic and social incentives are created to promote water use efficiency and protect freshwater ecosystems

The 'Stockholm Statement' has been supported by UN-Water, the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and endorsed by a number of international organisations, including: Conservation International, International Water Management Institute, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, Stakeholder Forum, Stockholm International Water Institute, Wateraid and Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), among others.

Read the full Stockholm Statement from the World Water Week August 21 - 27, 2011

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