The concern with environmental problems has been intensifying every year, as an urgent behavioral change is needed so as not to further aggravate the degradation of the environment. However, for some decades this issue has been addressed; the first major event was the Stockholm Conference, held in 1972 in Sweden.
Another major event for environmental debate was the United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development, held between June 3 and 14, 1992, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event, which became known as ECO-92 or Rio-92, took stock of both the existing problems and the progress made, and drafted important documents that continue to be a reference for discussions environmental issues.
Unlike the Stockholm Conference, Eco-92 had a special character due to the massive presence of numerous heads of state, thus demonstrating the importance of the environmental issue in the early 1990s. During the event, President Fernando Collor de Mello temporarily transferred the federal capital to Rio de Janeiro. The armed forces were summoned to make an intense protection of the city, being also responsible for the security of the entire event.
ECO-92 also had a large number of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), which held the Global Forum in parallel, which approved the Rio Declaration (or Earth Charter). According to this document, rich countries have greater responsibility for preserving the planet.
Two important conventions were approved during ECO-92: one on biodiversity and the other on climate change. Another fundamentally important result was the signing of Agenda 21, an action plan with goals to improve the planet's environmental conditions.
Agenda 21 consists of an agreement established between 179 countries for the elaboration of strategies aimed at achieving sustainable development.
This document is structured into four sections:
- Social and economic dimensions;
- Conservation and management of development resources;
- Strengthening the role of the main social groups;
- Means of implementation.
The deepening of the Convention on Climate Change resulted in the elaboration of the Kyoto Protocol, of 1997, which aims to reduce the emission of gases that aggravate the greenhouse effect.
However, many developed and developing countries, due to the established production and consumption model, did not put into practice the environmental policies developed during these events, intensifying the warming global.
By Wagner de Cerqueira and Francisco
Graduated in Geography
Brazil School Team