From 14-23 June, Future Cape Town is heading to Rio de Janeiro.
Future Cape Town is visiting this Brazilian hub to attend the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development- also known as the Rio+20 Conference. The conference presents Future Cape Town with the opportunity to interact and engage with participants from governments, the private sector and NGOs from around the world.
The conference’s primary objective is to “secure renewed political commitment for sustainable development, assess the progress to date and the remaining gaps in implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development, and address new and emerging challenges”.
Centering on two main themes:
- A green economy in the context of sustainable development poverty eradication
- The institutional framework fro sustainable development,
Rio+20 will draw focus to seven priority areas: decent jobs, energy, sustainable cities, food security and sustainable agriculture, water, oceans and disaster readiness. Of particular interest to Future Cape Town is how cities are being given importance in the context of these themes, and in relation to the overall goal of sustainable development.
While in Rio, Future Cape Town will also be checking up on the progress being made towards the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. The city is also embracing sustainability in a variety of forms, from BRT systems to public spaces, and Future Cape Town will be on the lookout for inspiration, motivation and workable processes to bring back to South Africa.
Articles for this feature:
- 7 Ideas from #CityTalk for Rio+20 : Jobs, Energy & Cities
- Brazil Stadia Report #1
- Brazil Stadia Report #2
- Brazil Stadia Report #3
- Brazil Stadia Report #4
- Brazil Stadia Report #5
- Rio +20 The basics by the Financial Times’ environmental correspondent, Pilita Clark.