Leaders gather at Rio 20 environment summit

Representatives of more than 120 countries have gather in Rio de Janeiro for the opening of the Rio 20 conference on sustainable development from June 20 to 22.

Delegates from developed nations, meanwhile, said that a rapidly changing economic order and the rise of nations such as China, Brazil and India means that all nations must work together in protecting the environment.

Topics include the destruction of the rain forest, vanishing coral reefs, land grabs, the need for food security, clean water, the role of women in food production, safe drinking water, energy access, clogged transit systems, jobs and sustainable development as a way of fighting poverty.

The conference marks the 20th anniversary of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio.

After a two-year effort, the conference pre-negotiations wrapped up Tuesday with a 49-page document called "The Future We Want." Participating world leaders are expected to accept that document Friday, with the intended goal of laying out a road map for sustainable development.

Rio 20 offers an important opportunity for action. We should start by recognizing that saving our planet is not only essential; it is doable. We've found examples of countries that are excelling in critical areas:

Germany leads the world with more than 20 percent of its electricity supplied by renewable sources such as wind and solar. It is on a path to reach 100 percent renewable energy perhaps as soon as 2035.

Ecuador became the first country to include a "Rights to Nature" provision in its constitution in 2008, giving people the legal authority to enforce the right of ecosystems to "exist, persist, maintain, and regenerate."

And the Dominican Republic has striven since 2003 to increase its forest cover from 32 percent to nearly 40 percent.

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