7 Critical Issues at Rio+20

Rio+20 Campaigns

Jobs

Good Jobs

Economic recession has taken a major toll on both the quantity and quality of jobs.

There are currently 190 million people unemployed and more than 500 million will be looking for jobs over the next 10 years . Economic and social policies to create gainful employment are critical for a well-balanced society.

Work should be geared to the needs of the natural environment. "Green jobs" in agriculture, industry, services and administration contribute to preserving or restoring the environment.

Green jobs also help ensure biodiversity, reduce energy consumption, de-carbonize the economy, and minimize of all forms of waste and pollution.

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Want to get involved?

Do you have a vision of a future where people everywhere enjoy decent work? Are you looking for ideas for promoting green jobs?

Then join the global conversation and connect on Twitter using #futurewewant

Energy

Sustainable energy for all

Energy is central to nearly every major challenge and opportunity the world faces today. Be it for jobs, security, climate change, food production or increasing incomes, access to energy for all is essential.

Sustainable energy is opportunity - it transforms lives, economies and the planet.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is leading a Sustainable Energy for All initiative to ensure universal access to modern energy services, improve efficiency and increase use of renewable sources.

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Do you have a vision of a future with sustainable energy for all? Are you looking for ideas to power a brighter future?

Then join the global conversation and connect on Twitter using #futurewewant

Cities

Sustainable cities

Cities are hubs for ideas, commerce, culture, science, productivity, social development and much more. At their best, cities have enabled people to advance socially and economically.

However, many challenges exist to maintaining cities in a way that continues to create jobs and prosperity while not straining land and resources. Common city challenges include congestion, lack of funds to provide basic services, a shortage of adequate housing and declining infrastructure.

The challenges cities face can be overcome in ways that allow them to continue to thrive and grow, while improving resource use and reducing pollution and poverty. The future we want includes cities of opportunities, with access to basic services, energy, housing, transportation and more for all.

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Do you have a vision of a sustainable city? Are you looking for ideas to green where you live?

Then join the global conversation and connect on Twitter using #futurewewant

Food

Food security and sustainable agriculture

It is time to rethink how we grow, share and consume our food.

If done right, agriculture, forestry and fisheries can provide nutritious food for all and generate decent incomes, while supporting people-centred rural development and protecting the environment.

But right now, our soils, freshwater, oceans, forests and biodiversity are being rapidly degraded. Climate change is putting even more pressure on the resources we depend on.

A profound change of the global food and agriculture system is needed if we are to nourish today's 925 million hungry and the additional 2 billion people expected by 2050.

The food and agriculture sector offers key solutions for development, and is central for hunger and poverty eradication.

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Want to get involved?

Do you have a vision of a world where everyone can get the food they need? Do you want to know what others are doing to ensure nutrition for all?

Then join the global conversation and connect on Twitter using #futurewewant

Water

Water for the world

Clean, accessible water for all is an essential part of the world we want to live in. There is sufficient fresh water on the planet to achieve this.

But due to bad economics or poor infrastructure, every year millions of people, most of them children, die from diseases associated with inadequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene.

Water scarcity, poor water quality and inadequate sanitation negatively impact food security, livelihood choices and educational opportunities for poor families across the world. Drought afflicts some of the world's poorest countries, worsening hunger and malnutrition.

By 2050, at least one in four people is likely to live in a country affected by chronic or recurring shortages of fresh water.

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Oceans

Oceans

Do you have a vision of a world where we can all access clean water? Are you looking for ideas to conserve water where you live? The world's oceans - their temperature, chemistry, currents and life - drive global systems that make the Earth habitable for humankind.

Our rainwater, drinking water, weather, climate, coastlines, much of our food, and even the oxygen in the air we breathe, are all ultimately provided and regulated by the sea. Throughout history, oceans and seas have been vital conduits for trade and transportation.

Careful management of this essential global resource is a key feature of a sustainable future.

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Want to get involved?

Do you have a vision of a world with healthy and clean oceans? Are you looking for ideas to protect marine life?

Then join the global conversation and connect on Twitter using #futurewewant

Disasters

Disaster-resilient societies

Disasters caused by earthquakes, floods, droughts, hurricanes, tsunamis and more can have devastating impacts on people, environments and economies.

But resilience - the ability of people and places to withstand these impacts and recover quickly - remains possible. Smart choices help us recover from disasters, while poor choices make us more vulnerable. These choices relate to how we grow our food, where and how we build our homes, how our financial system works, what we teach in schools and more.

With a quickening pace of disasters taking a greater toll on lives and property, and a higher degree of concentration of human settlements, a smart future means planning ahead and staying alert.

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Want to get involved?

Do you have a vision of a world where all our communities are resilient in the face of disasters? Are you looking for ideas to reduce disaster risk?

Then join the global conversation and connect on Twitter using #futurewewant