Rio without the principles

A statement by Friends of the Earth International criticizing the outcomes of the Rio+20 Summit, arguing that industrialised governments are retreating from the Rio principles of 1992 and promoting a 'Green Economy' model that commodifies nature.

• Friends of the Earth International asserts that industrialised governments at the Rio+20 Summit sought to avoid explicitly reaffirming the 1992 Rio principles, specifically the principle of common but differentiated responsibility and the precautionary principle. The organization argues that by avoiding these, Northern countries evade admitting their primary responsibility for the climate crisis and may pursue risky technologies without regulation.
• Friends of the Earth International rejects the 'Green Economy' concept included in the Rio+20 text, arguing that it prioritizes economic interests over other pillars of sustainability. The organization contends that a sustainable model requires four components: economic prosperity, social equity, environmental protection, and democratic participation, whereas the Green Economy focuses excessively on the economic aspect.
• The document criticizes the UNEP's analysis of the Green Economy, which suggests sustainability is achieved by assigning monetary value to nature. Friends of the Earth International argues this approach is artificial and leads to the commodification of nature, enabling financial speculation on air, water, and soil.

APA

admin (2012). Rio without the principles. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/rio-without-the-principles/

Chicago

admin. Rio without the principles. Friends of the Earth International, 2012. https://www.foei.org/rio-without-the-principles/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=admin |title=Rio without the principles |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=25 June 2012 |url=https://www.foei.org/rio-without-the-principles/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{admin2012rio, author = {admin}, title = {{Rio without the principles}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2012}, month = jun, url = {https://www.foei.org/rio-without-the-principles/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }