A declaration to help make the Earth a greener place

The Eye on Earth Summit declaration can help nations to build global green economy, according to an official with the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). The declaration was endorsed by delegations from the public and representatives of government, business, and civil society around the world who have been attending the four day-summit which ended in Abu Dhabi yesterday. "Today's declaration can assist nations, meeting for the Rio+20 Summit in Brazil next June, to chart a course towards a low carbon, resource efficient global Green Economy — one that can generate growth and jobs, eradicate poverty and propel sustainable development but in a way that keeps humanity's footprint within planetary boundaries," said Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director. The 14-point declaration highlights the need for information to be accessible to all to make it easier when it comes to decisions about sustainable development. Article continues below It also envisages fostering collaboration among communities, relevant networks and institutions when it comes to information of an economic, environmental and social nature. Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary General, Environment Agency — Abu Dhabi and Co-Chair of the Summit, Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd, UAE Minister of Environment and Water and Peter Gilruth, Unep Director of the Division of Early Warning and Assessment (DEWA) on behalf of Achim Steiner signed the declaration at the closing ceremony. The full agreement on the Summit Declaration by all parties and the endorsement of the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water and the Unep, highlights the achievement of the four-day summit, Razan said. Consideration "The Eye on Earth community will now submit this Declaration for consideration by Rio+20, marking the ‘Moment' that will drive forward the ‘Movement' of ensuring access to the global pool of environmental and societal data by all those who need it around the world," she said. The declaration will be submitted at the end of this week to the second Intercessional Meeting of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, which will be held at the UN Secretariat in New York. The summit was held under the patronage of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The final text of the declaration is available for download at www.eyeonearthsummit.org