Stakeholders Along the Road to Rio+20 Call Upon Leaders for Action at Upcoming Earth Summit

Maggie Comstock
Policy Analyst
U.S. Green Building Council

On June 5, the Road to Rio+20 series made a final pit stop in Washington D.C., the North American host city for World Environment Day, to launch a new report, Advancing the Transformation to a Green Economy through Green Buildings and Resource Efficient Cities: Key Messages from North America. The series, a collaborative initiative between the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the United Nations Environment Programme’s Regional Office of North America (UNEP RONA) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s North American Office (WBCSD U.S., Inc.), kicked off in Toronto in October 2011 and visited six cities around the U.S. and Canada to raise awareness about Rio+20 and to engage North American stakeholders in promoting green buildings as a conduit of the green economy. Stakeholders and participants along the Road to Rio+20 identified obstacles and messages for decision makers, which were compiled into the final report.

Roger Platt, Jessica McGlyn, Amy Fraenkel & Jason Hartke

The launch of the report featured remarks by the Director of UNEP RONA, Amy Fraenkel, who introduced the Road to Rio+20 series and our goals moving towards Rio. USGBC’s Vice President of National Policy Jason Hartke presented the findings of the report including the top five messages for decision makers: 1. improve awareness, education and training; 2. empower local action and innovation; 3. increase financial resources and remove barriers to long-term investments; 4. encourage common metrics, methodologies and tools; and 5. promote stakeholder collaboration and public-private partnerships. 

UN Secretary-General: Rio+20 must provide Roadmap for the Future We Want

Maggie Comstock
Policy Analyst
U.S. Green Building Council

Last week, the Center for Global Development (CGD), in partnership with Climate Advisors and the Embassy of Denmark, hosted a high-level event on Delivering Sustainable Energy for All: Opportunities at Rio+20. The event, which boasted two panels of seasoned experts and keynote addresses by Christian Friis Bach, Denmark’s Minister of Development and Cooperation, and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, also featured the release of a CGD report, “Energizing Rio+20: How the United States Can Promote Sustainable Energy for All at the 2012 Earth Summit.”

The report by the Center for Global Development and Climate Advisors was released ahead of the upcoming Rio+20 in June with recommendations for U.S. engagement in the Earth Summit. The report explains realistic and measured expectations for Rio stating, “Few people following the preparations for Rio+20 have high hopes for the upcoming summit. No new treaties or financial mechanisms will be concluded.” However, it goes on to offer tangible and viable recommendations for U.S. engagement as part of the UN’s Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative. The SE4ALL initiative sets ambitious goals to achieve universal access to energy, double the rate of energy efficiency improvements, and double the share of renewable energy worldwide by 2030. Ideally, the provisions of SE4ALL will be incorporated into a suite of sustainable development goals, similar to the UN’s Millennium Development Goals adopted in 2000.

The Road to Rio+20: Houston is a city leading by example

Jason Hartke
Vice President, National Policy
U.S. Green Building Council

Note: this blog was originally published on The Guardian

When you think of Houston you might think of 10-gallon cowboy hats, Nasa and a terrific barbecue. But you might not necessarily think about green building and sustainability initiatives.

Houston has been employing several very impressive sustainability strategies to achieve the city's self-proclaimed goal of being the greenest city in the country. It was another great stop on our Road to Rio+20 series of events that focuses on exploring the role of cities and buildings in the green economy.

Last year, in partnership with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the UN Environment Programme, we launched the series as a way to foster local discussion about how innovation in the built environment can translate into a global movement for driving a green economy before the 20-year anniversary Rio+20 conference in June 2012.

Cities were a logical focus when you consider more than half the world's population lives in cities – and that will rise to 70% by 2030. In addition, our urban areas generate 80% of all greenhouse gases worldwide, 75% of all energy and 60% of all water use.

The Road to Rio+20 Reminds Us to Think Globally and Act Locally

Maggie Comstock
Associate, Policy
U.S. Green Building Council

On Monday, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) convened the fourth installment of the Road to Rio+20 series. The series was born out of the need for stakeholder awareness and input in the rapidly approaching Rio+20 conference in June. The main goal of the Summit—the growth of the green economy in the context of poverty alleviation and sustainable development—have implications for each of us. The Road to Rio series seeks to bridge the gap between global conversations on sustainable development and on-the-ground challenges and solutions in urban sectors and the built environment.

Roger Platt and Lawrence Gumbiner

The New York installment of the series, “Exploring the Role of Cities and Buildings in the Green Economy,” coincided with the UNCSD intercessional meeting (or preparatory meeting) underway at the UN Headquarters. Skanska’s flagship offices at the Empire State Building set the stage for a larger than life cast of experts as part of the program. Keynote remarks by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Department of State Lawrence Gumbiner (seated on the left of the photo), addressed the state of negotiations as well as the goals for it outcome:

 “Rio+20 should be a powerful, aspirational event that inspires a new generation like its predecessor did 20 years ago. To do so, we cannot simply repeat the constructs, negotiating positions and symbols of the past. We must be forward-leaning and inclusive, and utilize all of the technologies and tools available to us in 2012 to assure that not just those present in Rio, but all stakeholders have a voice and can participate.”

Green Building to be a Priority at Rio+20

Maggie Comstock
Associate, Policy
U.S. Green Building Council

Climate policy wonks are used to reading leaked draft text in advance of international negotiations. However, the 19 page draft text for the upcoming United Nations Convention on Sustainable Development Rio+20 Conference is unique for being leaked so far in advance of the June meeting. Climate policy nerds like me are pretty excited over this fortuitous accident.

The draft text, subject to substantive changes before it is officially presented in June, outlines policy prescriptions for nations to support sustainable development. The text is divided by the seven critical themes of the conference—jobs, energy, cities, food, water, oceans, and disasters. The programmatic recommendations under each theme speak to the two overall objectives of the meeting—a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication; and the institutional framework for sustainable development.

After an initial look at the text I am pleased with this initial draft, though I look forward to more forceful language regarding country commitments and fulfillment requirements in later iterations. I was thrilled to see green buildings included in language promoting sustainable cities. Yes, buildings are one piece of a larger puzzle contributing to a city’s sustainability; however, they are the keystone of the puzzle. On average, the on-going use and performance of buildings will contribute to a city’s environmental footprint for over half a century! Buildings are also one of the largest end-users of energy and, thus, should be a priority in any sustainability plan.

In October 2011, the U.S. Green Building Council and the Green Building Council of Brasil submitted a joint position paper to the Convention on Sustainable Development for consideration at the Rio+20 Conference. The submission, Building the Green Economy from the Ground Up: Sustainable Cities and the Built Environment, recommends four strategies to support the green economy and poverty eradication through green building programs: Foster Green Communities and Neighborhoods; Achieve Sustainable and Affordable Housing; Build Green Schools; and Pursue Resiliency as part of the Sustainable Built Environment. In the sustainable development context, buildings have the potential of addressing multiple birds with one stone. Acknowledging the role of green buildings in sustainable development is a positive first step; however, we look to the next iteration of the draft text to make green buildings the new global norm.

Please note that since this blog was written on January 10, the Convention of Sustainable Development has posted the leaked document as a zero draft on its official >Rio+20 website.