NDF participates in Rio+20

Twenty years after approving the Convention on Climate Change world leaders gather again in Rio de Janeiro

From the left: Tarja Halonen, former President of Finland; and Anita Brodén, Swedish Member of Parliament. Nordic seminar on “Gender Equality is Sustainability”. Photo: Michael Funch/norden.org

Rio+20 - the short name for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development - took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 20-22 June 2012. The Rio+20 Conference brought together governments, international institutions and major groups to agree on a range of smart measures that can reduce poverty while promoting decent jobs, clean energy and a more sustainable and fair use of resources.

NDF’s Managing Director Helge Semb and Deputy Director Leena Klossner attended the conference and also participated in the special “Climate Change and Sustainability Day” on June 20, organized by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). This event had five major sessions on the following topics: Climate change adaptation and mitigation actions; Low carbon resilient development; Biodiversity; Sustainable energy; and the challenge of local sustainability. The IDB event had almost 50 presenters and panellists including Luis Alberto Moreno, IDB President; Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary, UNFCCC; Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman, IPCC; and Andrew Steer, Special Envoy for Climate Change, World Bank. NDF’s Director Helge Semb was on the panel to comment on IDB’s adaptation and mitigation actions.

At Rio+20 NDF also participated in two seminars organized by the Nordic Council of Ministers, which formed part of string of events under the heading “Nordic Way at Rio+20”. The first seminar focused on the 'green' in green economy and brought together a range of international experts and policy-makers to discuss and debate the role of natural capital in green economy. The other Nordic seminar had the title: “Gender Equality is Sustainability” and focused on the interconnection between gender equality, welfare, green economy and the climate.

More information:
IDB Climate Change and Sustainability Day
Nordic Way at Rio+20
Equal Climate - Gender and Climate Change from a Nordic Perspective