The
UN's Rio+20 United Nations Conference conference took place in Brazil last
week, the 20-year follow-up to the Earth Summit which first put sustainable
development on the global policy agenda. Expectations were low in the
run-up to the Rio+ conference as high-profile leaders Obama, Merkel and Van
Rompuy said they would be staying home to deal with the economy and in Obama's
case, forthcoming election campaign. At election time in the US, it
usually doesn't pay too look too 'green'.