SI’s delegation at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, known as Rio+20, report back from day 2 of the NGO Development Dialogues. You can tweet your questions to SIE Programme Executive @SubaUma with any questions, or leave SI International Assistant Programme Director Anusha a message through the SI Facebook pages. Read on to catch up on the latest news from our delegates!
"There is enough for everybody’s dream, there is not enough for everybody’s greed" – Mahatma Gandhi
Today the Rio+20 Sustainable Dialogues focused on two
fundamental human needs: water and energy. The panel speakers were an effective mix of civil society leaders, corporate figures, scientific experts and industry veterans.
What did Soroptimist International take away from the Dialogue Session on Sustainable Energy for All?
That the
world’s energy sustainability is dependent on three things: accessibility,
affordability and inclusiveness. 1.4 billion people do not have access to energy/electricity and of
these people, 70% are women who spend their energy and time collecting wood
for their energy needs. This is
unacceptable in the 21st century and women’s groups pressed for
equitable access to energy and not just universal access.
Panel speakers
stressed the importance of ensuring that women are involved in decision-making
and policy making on energy issues at all levels and not just at local
community level. Capacity building and gender mainstreaming is vitally
necessary as is gender budgeting and gender data analysis for equitable
resource planning. Women entrepreneurs need training, technical and business
skills development to transition into medium industries and low-cost energy
technologies.
The Energy
Dialogue debated and deliberated upon 10 recommendations before inviting civil society delegates to cast their
votes. The top priority recommendations which will now be passed to government leaders are:
1. Take concrete steps to eliminate fossil
fuel subsidies.
2. Establish ambitious targets for moving
towards renewable energy.
3. Promote the use of sustainable energy
and energy access as a public health policy.
The Dialogue on
Water proved to be a passionate and lively debate with breadth and depth of
inputs from expert panel speakers and some do-able pragmatic approaches to
pressing issues. Most speakers called for an integrated approach to water,
energy and land use management. A rights based approach was advocated. Some
speakers called for Governments to amend the constitution of countries to
include the human right to water and sanitation.
A central issue
raised by several speakers was the gender aspects of water and sanitation. 2
billion people have no access to sanitation and this is seen as the greatest
indignity to women in the Global South. Speakers were emphatic that no new
school should be built without a water source and toilet.
It was explained that the technologies of the Global North do not always work in the Global South.
Instead, locally developed technologies based on local
context must be prioritised. Indigenous people, particularly women, need to be
consulted on the planning and development of land and infrastructure for water
resources.
Concerns were
raised over the plans to “commodify water” and allow trading of water as an
investment product on commodity index markets. This would greatly distort the
usage and pricing of water. Calls were made to focus on affordable scientific
methods to minimize water wastage and improve wastewater management.
Water is an
ecological and environmental security and it is paramount that all countries
have effective, strong and transparent governance of water as a public good.
Any policies on water and sanitation need a three pronged assessment:
- social impact because water is a
basic human right; - gender aspect because water is essential
for feminine sanitation; - economic input because water is
vital for agriculture and food security.
This dialogue
session debated 10 recommendations to governments and we voted on our preferred
top choices. The top recommendations selected were:
1. Secure water supply by protecting
biodiversity, ecosystems and water sources.
2. Implement the rights to water.
3. Adopt ambitious global policies to
address water and sanitation needs and assert the importance of integrated
water, energy and land use planning and management at all scales.
Soroptimists
clubs around the world are already carrying out innovative and practical projects
on water and sanitation. All these
issues highlighted at Rio+20 provide Soroptimist clubs with useful pointers for
advocacy and awareness raising work, especially to educate and empower women to
get involved in water resource planning, sanitation and water conservation and
waste management in their local communities.
To read about day 1 at Rio+20 click here.
To read about the opening debate click here.