Rio+20

«Green Economy» at the Swisstainability Forum in Lausanne

rom — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:16:19 +0000

26 April 2013 – On 28 and 29 May 2013 the third G21 Swisstainability Forum on sustainable development strategies will take place in Lausanne. The aim of the event is to encourage the exchange of information and ideas on best practices among stakeholders from science, business, politics and civil society. It involves both an economic forum, where companies can learn about the latest innovations and green technologies, and a leadership forum, which brings together key thinkers on sustainability strategies. Speakers include Bruno Oberle, Director of the Federal Office for the Environment, whose topic will be the «Green Economy in Switzerland».

More information on the G21 Swisstainability Forum.

Rio+20 outcome document confirms commitment to Sustainable Development

rom — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 14:01:38 +0000

2 March 2013 – The Rio+20 Conference in June 2012 has agreed on the final conference document, «The future we want». The document is now available in the six UN languages (including English and French) as well as in German. The UN member countries underline in the outcome document their commitment to sustainable development.

To the UN website and outcome document (pdf).

8th NATURE Conference on theme of «Nature and Culture» to be attended by leading environmentalist

rom — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 18:13:50 +0000

7 February 2012 – The theme of the 8th NATURE conference, to be held in Basel on 1 March 2013, is ‘Nature and Culture – The future we want!’. Speakers at the national annual conference on sustainability will include the Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, Achim Steiner, Culture Minister Alain Berset, Professor Peter Sloterdijk, one of the leading contemporary philosophers, Maya Graf, President of the National Council in 2013, Suzanne Thoma, CEO of BKW FMB Energy Ltd and SRG SSR Director General Roger de Weck. The NATURE conference will highlight ways in which culture can inspire a shift in values towards a future-oriented society. Delegates will be called on to propose social models which foster and promote cultural and natural diversity.

Link to the event (in German).

Swiss Green Economy Symposium – Opportunities following Rio+20

rom — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 09:25:43 +0000

25 December 2012 – A green (sustainable) economy is becoming increasingly important, both for the survival of the planet and for economic success. The 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development Rio+20 stated that the Green Economy is a key element in sustainable development. How should Switzerland position itself? How can the Swiss economy benefit from the opportunities presented by a green economy? On 18 January 2013, the Swiss Green Economy Symposium in Zurich brought together a range of experts with some answers to these questions, including Bertrand Piccard, Solar Impulse; Christoph Lindenmeyer, Schindler Aufzüge/ Swissmem; Barbara Kux, Siemens; Thomas Vellacott, WWF and Bruno Oberle, Federal Office for the Environment.

Swiss Green Economy Symposium and speech from Dr. Bruno Oberle, Director of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN).

Advent calendar on sustainable development

rom — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 18:07:37 +0000

7 December 2012 –The Advent calendar on sustainable development has been online since 1 December showing different aspects of sustainable development spread over 24 days. It presents innovative projects and approaches to promote sustainability, as well as providing opportunities to take part in online chats. With a bit of luck you can even win attractive prizes in the daily quiz.

To the online Advent calendar by the Network for Sustainable Development (Öbu).

Lifefair Forum addresses theme of «Competitive advantage through sustainability: Reality or Illusion?»

rom — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 08:19:35 +0000

16 November 2012 – At the Rio+20 Conference the heads of state and government identified the concept of the green economy as one of the most important means of achieving sustainable development. The eighth Lifefair Forum to be held in Zurich on 6 December builds on the results of the Rio+20 Conference and is dedicated to the theme of competitive advantage through sustainability: Reality or illusion? Businesses and environmental organisations will examine the question of whether and to what extent businesses which operate sustainably can obtain a competitive advantage.

Link to event homepage (in German).

The Sustainable Development Forum asks if and how Switzerland is moving «towards a sustainable economy»

rom — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 08:00:06 +0000

13 November 2012 – At the Rio+20 Conference the role of local actors – local communities, businesses and civil society representatives – was reaffirmed and strengthened. In addition, the green economy was recognised as a means of implementing sustainable development. The upcoming events on 9, 13 and 15 November expand on the theme of the previous forum «Towards a sustainable economy». A series of tours in the Bern, Lausanne and Winterthur areas will look into the question of what the results of Rio+20 mean for Switzerland and what impact they have in practice.

To the event organised by the Federal Office for Spatial Development and the registration (in German) .

Members of the Swiss delegation take stock and present their projects

rom — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 16:29:35 +0000

5 November 2012 – How do representatives from politics, business, civil society and young people assess the results of the Rio+20 conference? On 12 November 2012, a podium discussion will take place on the subject of «Swiss organisations at the Sustainable Development Summit – what projects should follow Rio+20?». Members of the Swiss delegation will share their views and present the measures they have planned.

Link to event (in French).

Daniel Wachter pays tribute to the results of the Rio+20 Conference in his newly revised book

rom — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 12:12:00 +0000

4 October 2012 – Since the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, the amount of information available on sustainable development and the lack of transparency this leads to is increasingly confusing to a non-specialist audience. Daniel Wachter, Head of the Sustainable Development section at the Federal Office for Spatial Development, has produced a book entitled «Nachhaltige Entwicklung – Das Konzept und seine Umsetzung in der Schweiz» («Sustainable Development – The concept and its implementation in Switzerland»), in which he summarises the most important information on sustainable development in a concise but sufficiently detailed way, providing the reader with a brief overview of the issue. The third edition is thoroughly updated and in particular pays tribute to the results of the Rio+20 Conference.

Daniel Wachter’s book «Nachhaltige Entwicklung» (in German).

«Does a green economy lead to green education?» is discussed at the Swiss Sustainable Education Forum

rom — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 14:48:40 +0000

19 september 2012 - Is a change in the economic system towards sustainable development the result of education? Or do rising costs caused by global problems lead to a greater focus on sustainable development in the education system? Since the UN Rio+20 Conference on sustainability, the role of education in the transition to a sustainable economy is being increasingly recognised. This will be the subject of the Conference on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) to be held on 3 October 2012 in the Polydôme EPFL in Lausanne.

To the event.