Brazil’s Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Marco Antonio Raupp, said that the economic, social, and environmental sectors must be considered equally when dealing with the green economy and the institutional framework for sustainable development, during his participation in the Forum on Science, Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), on Monday (June 11).

Raupp said that the potential in Brazilian biodiversity, besides the country's recent advances in the social arena and its potential for clean energy, enable Brazil to make a "faster and safer transition to an inclusive green economy," the main theme of the Rio+20. The concept is defined by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) as an "economy that results in the improved well-being of humanity and social equality, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcity."

The event, organized by the International Council for Science (ICSU), discusses proposals and paths towards a greener and more egalitarian economy, and brings together scientists, experts and researchers. It runs up to Friday (June 15).

Raupp believes it is important to use an inclusive green economy as a tool for implementing sustainable development, covering the three pillars highlighted earlier. "The green economy must promote job creation, technological innovation, science, social inclusion and the conservation of natural resources, and not be used as a pretext for imposition. For us, the issue of social inclusion and growth is fundamental, "he said.

Policies

The minister also highlighted the main policies of the MCTI in the environmental sector: the prevention and mitigation of natural disasters; support for the control of logging; the boosting of oceanographic research; the conservation of biodiversity; the promotion of renewable energy; the prevention of desertification and promotion of assistive technologies, working towards both social inclusion and environmental conservation. Raupp also stressed the importance of Rio +20 in setting out goals for sustainability.

"One of the tangible results of the Rio +20 should be the establishment of new universal goals for sustainable development for every nation, in order to provide a safe space for humanity in the present and for future generations, by ensuring that we respect planetary limits," he said.

Text: Juliana d'Arêde - Press Office, MCTI