Rio +20: Towards the Green
Economy and Better Governance
Outputs of Rio +20 Consultation
Consultation Process
DECLG circulated a consultation document
in July 2011 and invited stakeholder input
as part of Irelands’ national contribution to
the Rio +20 preparatory process.
 Comhar SDC summarised the received
responses and will shortly produce a
report highlighting the main issues raised
in the submissions
 DECLG will submit this to the UN as part
of Ireland’s input to Rio +20 (Deadline 1st
November)
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Stakeholder Responses (23)
CDBs
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Donegal
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Fingal
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Kerry
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Kilkenny
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Laois
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North Tipperary
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South Dublin
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South Tipperary
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Waterford County
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Waterford City
Social/Development
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Dóchas
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Goal
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Irish Aid
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Irish Presentation Justice Network
State
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Department of Agriculture Fisheries
and Food
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Department of Jobs, Enterprise and
Innovation
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Department of Transport, Tourism and
Sport
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Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental
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Environmental Pillar
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Friends of the Environment
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VOICE
Energy
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Bord Gáis Éireann
Independent
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Elizabeth Cullen
Outline
Introduction
 Progress since Rio 1992
 Green Economy
 Comments on existing proposals
 Implementation
 Expectations from Rio +20
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Introduction
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The United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development takes place from 4-6th June 2012
Marks 20th anniversary of the Earth Summit held
in 1992, main outcomes of which included:
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Agenda 21
Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
Statement of Forest Principles
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
UN Convention on Biological Diversity
Progress Since Rio 1992: Successes
Aarhus
Convention, 1998
International Millennium Development Goals, 2000
EU
European
level
Strategy for Sustainable Development
EU Emissions Trading System
Europe 2020 Strategy
Roadmap to a Low Carbon Economy
EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and
Trade Action Plan
National
National
Energy Efficiency Plan 2009-2020
Water Framework Directive and River Basin
District Management
National Waste Prevention Programme
Strategic Environmental Assessment
Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland schemes
Progress Since Rio 1992: Successes
Progress
Local
under Local Agenda 21
South Dublin and Waterford County
Councils Climate Change Strategy
Waterford City Council and others
Environmental Awareness Officer and
Sustainable Neighbourhood Unit
Development Officers
Waterford County Council Economic
Plan 2010-2014
Progress Since Rio 1992: Failures
International
fight against poverty
International Failure to halt Biodiversity Decline
Energy
National
consumption in Transport Sector
Energy Security
GHG Emissions
Failure to decouple waste generation from
economic growth
Failure to halt biodiversity decline
Inadequate designation of SACs
Poor planning of development during
‘boom’
Green Economy: Advancing SD
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Rising fuel prices
Ireland is over-dependent on
fuel imports
 Leaves the country exposed
to market price fluctuations
 Green economy will result in
greater investment into
energy efficiency, renewables
and transport technology
which will decrease carbon
emissions and increase
energy security
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Advancing SD
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Meeting renewable energy and
emissions targets
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16% of all energy from renewable
sources by 2020
Reduce emissions by 20% of 1990
levels by 2020
Ireland is well placed to exploit
renewable energy but several hurdles
have limited progress
Green economy must overcome
hurdles to reduce dependence on
fossil fuels
This will make it easier to reach
targets
Advancing SD
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Green Public Procurement
Involves including economic, environmental
and social criteria in the public procurement
process
 Recognises the need to decouple economic
growth from resource use
 Takes account of legislation put in place to
protect biodiversity and ecosystem services
 Will help drive the green economy forward
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Green Economy: Advancing SD
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Consumer preferences
Recent years have seen changes in consumer
preferences
 Clean technology, resource efficiency, ecodesign, secondary resource standards and
innovation could all be enhanced by focus on
green economy
 Still a way to go in breaking consumer cycle
 Need to change consumers’ expectations
regarding products
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Advancing SD
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Other comments
The green economy alone does not guarantee
sustainable development
 A green economy is one which is low carbon,
resource efficient and socially inclusive
 Need an economy that secures growth and
development while respecting environmental
boundaries and improving human well being
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Development Aid
Ireland has a good track record in fighting
poverty and hunger
 Has committed to raise development aid
to 0.7% of GDP by 2015
 Main issues are food security, climate
change, access to quality resources and
insufficient knowledge on how to manage
resources sustainably
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Development Aid
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Food security
Rio +20 must deal with the
issue of agriculture and food
security
 Agroecology links ecology,
economics and society with the
aim of providing sustainable
agricultural production, food
security and environmental
protection
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Development Aid
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Climate Change
Developing countries are often hit hardest
by climate change, despite contributing the
least to it
 Ireland has an obligation as a developed
country to set a positive example as a
successful low carbon country
 Must minimise our contribution to climate
change
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Development Aid
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Access to resources and knowledge on
how to use them efficiently
A move towards the green economy should
reduce irresponsible resource use by
developed countries
 The green economy also continues to bring
advances in key technologies and research
capabilities which developing countries could
benefit from
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Comments on Existing Proposals
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Green Economy Roadmap
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Would be useful in informing and shaping national and
local policies and responses to global issues
Resource Efficient Europe Flagship Initiative
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Would aid progress on renewable energy, reduce
dependence on energy imports, reduce emissions and
provide energy security
Sectors within Ireland’s renewable energy mix could
become more economically competitive
Could provide sustainable employment
Will promote sustainable development by outlining
targets for all member states
Implementation: Closing the Gap
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Framework
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Bottom up
CDBs and local authorities must cooperate to implement
action in all areas of sustainable development
At national level, governments must provide direction
and resources required to implement sustainable
development
Targets decided at Rio +20 should be incorporated into
all national and regional plans and policy decisions
There must be cohesion between global initiatives
UN institution is required to deal with sustainable
development issues, would fall under the UN Delivering
as One initiative
Implementation: Closing the Gap
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Measure of success
We must decouple economic progress from
resources exploitation
 The way that we measure growth and success
must change
 A new economic model should embrace all
three pillars of sustainable development
 Progress indicators must be redefined
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Implementation: Closing the Gap
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Knowledge dissemination
Need a stronger commitment to increasing
understanding of sustainability and involving
the community in decision making
 Ireland has yet to ratify the Aarhus Convention
 There are some positive community-based
initiatives
 Need collaboration between government, nonstate actors and marginal groups to close
implementation gap
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Implementation: Mechanisms and Tools
Implementation of existing sustainable
development strategies
 Adoption of policy framework that
promotes a low carbon, resource efficient
and socially inclusive society
 Formation of national Environmental
Governance Network
 Appointment of sustainable development
Ombudsperson at UN and national level
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Implementation: Mechanisms and Tools
Sustainability workshops run by CDBs
 New set of indicators for well being
 Resources specifically aimed at promoting
sustainability
 More support for NGOs
 Use of incentives to promote change
 Set of legally binding rules
 Enforcement of compliance
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Expectations for Rio +20: Outcomes
Reiteration of commitment to Principles
contained in the Rio Declaration, 1992
 Commitment from all sectors to ensure
understanding of SD and communication
and cooperation between communities and
government
 Shift in focus from the current economic
model
 International commitment to halt climate
change
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Expectations for Rio +20: Outcomes
Targets set based on what needs to be
achieved
 Commitment from all nations to the
implementation of action
 An enhanced governance framework to
promote and monitor progress

Expectations for Rio +20: Outcome
Document
Set of specific goals
 A clear pathway of implementation
 An agreed timeline for achieving targets
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Thank You
Email: Sheila.George@environ.ie
Phone: 018882909