Rio+20: $513 billion in sustainable development commitments
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Sha Zukang
Governments, companies, universities, other institutions and UN agencies, have pledged more than $500 billion to support sustainable development programmes around the world.
The announcement was made in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Friday the final day of the Rio+20 conference.
Sha Zukang, Secretary-General of the conference, said these commitments will be the legacy of the event, the largest ever in UN history.
"From the very beginning, we have said Rio+20 is about implementation. It is about action. It is about concrete action. And the commitments that we share with you today demonstrate that governments, the UN system and the nine major groups are committed and serious about implementation. The voluntary commitments are a major part of the legacy of this conference. They complement the official outcome of the conference which will be adopted later this afternoon at the concluding meeting."
The nearly 700 voluntary commitments range from supporting low carbon transport in developing countries, to empowering women-run green businesses in Spain and Poland.
