Science for Sustainable Development

The Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development provides an opportunity for experts to reflect on progress, challenges, opportunities, and the role of science. The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development takes place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 20 to 22 June. Dubbed “Rio+20,” the conference comes 20 years after the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development, also held in Rio. That '92 “Earth Summit” produced 27 guiding principles and the adoption of Agenda 21, all focused on sustainable development. Science invited experts from different countries, institutions, and fields to reflect on progress thus far, anticipate challenges and opportunities ahead, and highlight the roles that science and technology can play. In this section: