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Home » What we do » Working with the Welsh government and the Assembly » What can an Earth Summit do for Wales?

What can an Earth Summit do for Wales?

In June 2012, world leaders will come together to reaffirm their commitment to a sustainable future for our planet at the Rio+20 summit.

Watch our 5 minute video below to find out what impact previous summits have had on Wales or click here to read the report.



This year, WWF Cymru has been investigating how the previous Earth Summits – Rio 1992 and Johannesburg 2002 – had an impact in Wales. We’ve been speaking to people involved in projects to make Wales more sustainable, from politicians to young people who represented Wales on the world stage.

We believe that Wales must rediscover the enthusiasm for sustainability sparked by the original summit in 1992. We want the Welsh Government to introduce a strong sustainable development law for the sake of the planet and future generations.

Looking back – the impact of previous summits

 

Rio Earth Summit

We've commissioned a new report - ‘What Can An Earth Summit Do For Wales?’ - written by Dr Alan Netherwood and Dr Andrew Flynn.

The report reveals how the Earth Summits influenced Welsh politicians, organisations and the public, paving the way for the Assembly’s duty to produce a Sustainable Development Scheme and the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Development Bill. However, the report also warns that there is still a gap between process and delivery.

Key sustainability milestones since the 1992 Rio summit include:

Flatholm

  • 1998 – Sustainable Development embedded in the foundation of the Welsh Assembly as part of the Government of Wales Act
  • 2002 – Rhodri Morgan attends the Johannesburg Summit, a major development in Wales being represented on the world stage
  • 2008 – Wales becomes first Fairtrade nation
  • 2009 –Assembly Members vote unanimously to reduce emissions by 40 per cent by 2020 against the 1990 baseline
  • 2011 – Welsh Government introduces a 5p levy on single use carrier bags
Find out more from these case studies of Welsh people whose lives have been affected by the summits:

Kirsti Davies attended Johannesburg 2002 with the Centre for Alternative Technology


Kirsti Davies, Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth
Alun Evans, Teacher at Ysgol Gyfun Llanhari in Rhondda Cynon Taf
Rhys Davies, Sustainable Transport Advisor, Canberra, Australia

Download the full report (PDF)

What can an Earth Summit do for Wales?