Question

What was the objective of Earth Summit of 1992 ? How far was it successful ?

Hint:

The 1992 Rio Earth Summit is a pivotal event. Remember its key outcomes: Agenda 21 for sustainable development and the UNFCCC for climate change. These are the starting points for most subsequent global environmental actions.

Answer 1

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The Earth Summit of 1992, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was a landmark United Nations conference that aimed to address the growing global concerns about environmental degradation and its link to economic development.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Objective:
The primary objective of the 1992 Earth Summit was to establish a new global partnership for sustainable development. It sought to create a consensus among nations on how to integrate environmental protection with economic and social development goals. The aim was to devise strategies to halt the destruction of natural resources and pollution of the planet while ensuring the continued development of nations, particularly those in the Global South.
Success:
The Earth Summit was highly successful in several aspects:
1. Global Awareness and Consensus: It was the largest-ever gathering of world leaders at the time and successfully placed environmental issues at the center of the international agenda.
Creation of Key Frameworks: It resulted in the adoption of several crucial documents and conventions that form the basis of global environmental governance today. These include:

Agenda 21: A comprehensive action plan for sustainable development.
The Rio Declaration: A set of principles to guide sustainable development.
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): The parent treaty of the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD): An agreement for the conservation of biodiversity.
These outcomes provided a roadmap for future global environmental efforts.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The objective of the 1992 Earth Summit was to create a global framework for integrating environmental protection with development. It was very successful as it raised global awareness and produced foundational agreements like Agenda 21 and the UNFCCC, which continue to guide international environmental policy.