Rio+20: $513 billion pledged towards sustainable developmentRio+20: $513 billion pledged towards sustainable development

22 June 2012 – At the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), some $513 billion in funding has been committed by governments, the private sector, civil society and other groups to achieve a sustainable future.

“From the very beginning we have said that Rio+20 is about implementation and concrete action,” said Rio+20's Secretary-General, Sha Zukang, at a press conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, today. “The commitments that we share with you today demonstrate that governments, the UN systems, and the nine major groups are committed and serious about implementation.”

A wide range of actions have also been pledged during Rio+20. These include planting 100 million trees, empowering 5,000 women entrepreneurs in green economy businesses in Africa, and recycling 800,000 tons of polyvinyl chloride (commonly known as PVC) – one of the most widely used plastics – per year.

Call for Submissions: Sustainable Development and International Investment Law: Bridging the Divide

The Vale Columbia Center on Sustainable International Investment has issued a call for submissions for papers on the topic "Sustainable Development and International Investment Law: Bridging the Divide" for publication in the Yearbook on International Investment Law & Policy. Here's the call:

Sustainable Development and International Investment Law: Bridging the Divide

We have seen a significant increase over the past decade in the number of investment treaties and treaty-based disputes, each contributing to the vast and evolving international investment regime, and each with important implications for sustainable development.