What are they talking about at Rio+20?

15 June 2012

The winds came up a bit in Rio on the second day of the 3rd PrepCom, but will they be strong enough to get substantive outcomes by the end of today?

Given the number of issues on the table, it is not surprising that part of the formal discussions has focused on terminology. For example, regarding the role of biodiversity in the draft text on the green economy, should the text refer to ‘ecosystems’ or ‘ecosystem services’? Perhaps it should properly be referring to ‘biodiversity services’ so it can include the services from ecosystems, species and genetic resources. (ENB coverage)

Another group debated whether the text on biodiversity and CITES (the UN convention on wildlife trade) should include the term ‘non-detrimental export’. This term is central to CITES as it refers to the export of wildlife products that does not undermine the conservation of the species. The term, however, is close related the important CBD (the UN convention on biodiversity) term ‘sustainable use’. Which term should be included in the text? Or if both are used, will they be understood together?

Other terminology challenges relate to land. Should we speak of ‘sustainable land management’ as does the UNCCD (the UN convention on ​desertification) or ‘the ecosystem approach’ as used by the CBD? And how do we describe land – simply as ‘land’ or ‘landscapes’ or ‘ecosystems’? One contribution of Rio+20 might be to adopt a common set of terms across the all of the many issues. This would make it easier for everyone, including the business community, to figure out what we are talking about.

Economic Terms

Going beyond the use of words, a challenge being discussed across the Rio these days is how do we know what we are talking about in economic terms? Can we place an economic value on sustainable development commitments and actions? Regarding biodiversity, for example, can we put a value on sustainably or responsibly managed land?

In a workshop yesterday at the Rio Conventions Pavilion, the challenge of valuing sustainable land management was explored. (ENB coverage) For the business and investors, this question is material. If we can properly value responsibly managed areas, then this valuation could be factored into its marketability either as an investable asset or as the source of responsibly produced goods and services. Andy Seidl of IUCN noted wisely that this involves “recognising value, demonstrating value and capturing value.”

The importance of understanding sustainable development in economic terms is emphasised as well in the ICC’s just released “Roadmap for Green Growth”. The report explains that “For a ‘green economy’ to become operational, there is a need for indicators, metrics, accounting measures, and better disclosure and reporting that make sense in economic terms.”
