Rio+20

Over the last ten years, “climate change” has become almost synonymous with “carbon emissions.” Our single-minded obsession with measurement is undermining effective climate action.

Jordy Pacaul is the coordinator of the process “Agenda21 for Culture” at the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and teaches urban cultural policy and management at the Open University of Catalonia. In his speech he explains why culture should be included as the fourth dimension of sustainability. 

We should be bold and say that the current paradigm of sustainability is obsolete. The paradigm needs an additional pillar: culture.

There is little faith in the reform of the UN system; nonetheless, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, to be held in Rio de Janeiro in 2012 – also known as Rio +20 – is not only to set the stage for a green economy, but also to provide an impetus for the institutional reform of the UN environmental sector.