The Earth Summit was a historical opportunity to set the world on the correct development trajectory. Negotiators from 191 countries came together to chart a road map for sustainable development and poverty eradication. The theme was green economy. But developed and developing countries refused to bury their differences. Developed countries were not ready to let go of their extravagant lifestyle, while developing countries were expected to take on green commitments. The countries could not even reach a consensus on the definition of green economy.

For two decades, the club of rich nations has failed to reduce carbon emissions in a meaningful way. It did not grant emerging markets the atmospheric space they need to develop, and has begun to blame them for slow progress in the multilateral arena instead.

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The 20-year commemoration of the historic Earth Summit produced nothing except more words. (Editorial)

Brazil’s celebrated coastal metropolis is defined by stark contrasts, both geographic and economic. Extravagant
wealth rings the city’s luxurious beaches, while poverty looks on from the haphazard developments called favelas that sprawl across the surrounding hills. Such conspicuous inequality is symbolic of the challenge humanity faces on a
global scale — a problem that restricted progress at the Rio+20 meeting to a modest and mostly voluntary set of commitments.

The agreement for modest commitments to sustainable development after 2015, reached at last week's Earth conference in Rio de Janeiro, has been roundly condemned as inadequate, or even an outright failure. The document is full of legalese and vague assertions, and it postpones the making of potentially significant decisions and assigning accountability to an uncertain future. (Editorial)

The world has failed to deliver on many of the promises it made 20 years ago at the Earth summit in Brazil.

The world has a surfeit of pledges, commitments and treaties. What it needs from the second Earth summit in Rio is firm leadership and a viable plan for success.

As host nation of Rio+20, Brazil should choose the right course for its own development, say Fabio Scarano, André Guimarães and José Maria da Silva.

Researchers need to cement the bond between science and the South Pole if the region is to remain one of peace and collaboration. (Editorial)

The various mechanisms evolved through global negotiations to deal with shared environmental problems, such as climate change, fall short because they are not located within a larger debate on dealing with human well-being and instead focus only on limiting damage. The United Nations is best placed to support a common understanding on patterns of resource use that are in principle common for all by generating strategic knowledge, also leading to deepening coherence of the global agenda.