Place: New York, USA

Dates: March 23, 2012

Sustainlabour jointly with Oxfam and Vitae Civilis promote a space for discussion with civil society and government representatives on how new models of economic development that may emerge from Rio, could contribute to strengthening efforts to reduce poverty and increase equity, while respecting natural resource thresholds.

This discussion will explore the idea of combining the nine planetary boundaries approach with that of social boundaries. Planetary boundaries are exacerbated by climate change, chemical pollution, biodiversity loss, freshwater use, among others. The social limits are those within which a response must be given to a set of basic needs such as food, water, energy, jobs, gender equality, health and social equity.

This side event is held in the framework of the informal negotiation discussions ahead of Rio+20 taking place in New York from March 19-23. The session will address the following questions:

Can this framework provide a new, global-scale compass for guiding inclusive, sustainable economies?

What are the priorities of different civil society actors when it comes to defining social boundaries?

Where do governments stand on the Sustainable Development    Goals and how do these relate to Millennium Development Goals?

The event leaflet as well as information on the speakers is available below. To explain the relationshiop between environmental and social limits and their importance to achieving an inclusive sustainable development, Oxfam uses the image of a “Donut”. More information available in the discussion document.

Information on the interventions at this event is also available here