Rio+20 is the "short" name for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development which takes place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 20-22 June 2012. This is 20 years after the original Earth Summit which also took place in Rio, in 1992. Rio+20 is an opportunity to look ahead to the world we want in 20 years.
At the Rio+20 Conference, world leaders, together with thousands of participants from governments, the private sector, NGOs and other groups, will come together to shape how we can reduce poverty, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection on an ever more crowded planet to get to the future we want.
Here are a selection of teaching resources and websites that can help you explore Rio+20 in class.
The Guardian - Rio+20 Interactive - Is the world getting better or worse? - view evidence on a range of issues and decide whether things have improved, deteriorated or stayed the same since the first Earth Summit.
National Geographic - Sustainable Earth: Road to Rio+20 - brings together presentations and photo galleries around the themes of Rio+20.
Practical Action's blog features a teaching resource on energy and the Millennium Development Goals - a hot topic at Rio+20.
Rio+20 Messages of the World - an online message board where you can post your own thoughts and/or agree on your favourite message.
Official Rio+20 website
The future we want - website bringing together visions of what a sustainable future might look like.
The first half of this short film may also be useful:
https://vimeo.com/37579437
