ECO Singapore Delegation to UNCSD

Here’s the blurb –>

Team and talents to solve the Marshmallow problem  - Tom Wujec

Surprisingly revelations from the “marshmallow problem”  involves dry spaghetti, one yard/metre of tape and a marshmallow.   Why does a surprising group always beat the average?

Here’s the TED video –>

And the screen highlights show that Engineers and Architects have the best results~! *yay*~!

And that when teams of CEOs include an admin executive, their performance becomes a lot better~!!!

So.. SPECIALIZED skills + FACILITATION skills… are key to SUCCESS~!

And I would also like to think of it in a way that.. everybody has different functions.. akin to how the different limbs of a body cooperate…

Marshmallow Challenge Results

Specialized and Facilitation skills

So, may all come together and learn from the Marshmallow Problem… and apply what they learn, to solve the Sustainable Development problems.. because as Tom Wujec discovered.. nobody performed well when there are high stakes… (and the stakes are real high with Mother Earth…) so we do need to have a lot of practice with prototypes.. to ensure we do have the best solution to the challenge!

Cheers,

aLgae

Kudos to Judy Fleming for sharing the below TED Video~!

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/889

I found it very relevant to the recent questions we’d been asking ourselves as part of OCFF (Our Common Future Fulfilled), which, in short, talks about the fundamental changes required, in order to make things “right”.

Plenty of inspiration quotes used in this presentation by motel-chain owner, Chip Conley, of Joie de Vivre — “Joy of Living”.

I hope I’m not infringing any copyrights with the below screen shots…

Happiness EQ

GDP doesn't count

GDP measures everything...not!

Has anybody stayed in any of their motels before?  Pls do share your experience if so!  Especially if you know Vivian, the toilet-cleaning lady~!  =)

Cheers,

aLgae

Some background on WHAT IS RIO+20 before reading the report…

Source: http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/rio20/

On 24th December 2009 the UN General Assembly adopted a Resolution (A/RES/64/236) agreeing to hold the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) in 2012 – also referred to as ‘Rio+20′ or ‘Rio 20′.

The Conference will aim at: securing renewed political commitment to sustainable development, assessing the progress and implementation gaps in meeting already agreed commitments, and addressing new and emerging challenges.

Member States

The Member States have agreed on the following two themes for the Conference: green economy within the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, and institutional framework for sustainable development.

Preparatory Committee

The first meeting of the Preparatory Committee will discuss the substantive themes of the Conference, pending procedural matters, and will also elect the Bureau.

• Documents
• Statements
• Side Events
• News/Press Releases
• ENB coverage

The Road to UNCSD 2012

At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, the international community adopted Agenda 21, an unprecedented global plan of action for sustainable development. Ten years later, the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation was adopted highlighting concrete steps for better implementing Agenda 21. However, the progress has been slow in achieving internationally agreed goals, and challenges remain in achieving the goals of the three pillars of sustainable development, particularly in the context of the current global crises.

Participants

The Conference will bring together a range of participants, including heads of State and Government, national delegates and leaders from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), businesses and other major groups to focus the world’s attention and direct action toward addressing difficult challenges our planet is facing, including reducing poverty, conserving our natural resources, overcoming financial and economic crisis.

UNCSD / Rio+20

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From: Uchita de Zoysa <uchita@sltnet.lk>

Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2010 08:33:34 +0530

Dear friends,

Please find attached the Report of the 1st Rio+20 Summit PLATFOPRM Consultation held in Colombo on the 9th June 2010. Please feel free to circulate widely.

Best rgds,

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Text extracted from – Report of the 1st Rio+20 Summit PLATFORM Consultation

REPORT OF THE 1st UN Rio+20 Summit PLATFORM Stakeholder Consultation in Sri Lanka
“Climate Sustainability in a Green Economy”
(09th June 2010 at Galle Face Hotel, Colombo from 7-9pm)

SUMMARY
The first UN Rio+20 Summit PLATFORM Consultation in Colombo resolved
that the proposed framework for a green agenda should clearly reflect the
aspirations of the people in Asia, who represent half of the worlds poor, to
eradicate poverty as a prerequisite for sustainable development. The way
forward is to adopt and enforce sustainable consumption and production
and to forge Climate Sustainability towards creating wellbieng and
happines for all.

INTRODUCTION
‘Climate Sustainability PLATFORM’ together with the Centre for Environment and Development
(CED), Global Sustainability Solutions (GLOSS) along with event partners The Management Club
(TMC) and Responsible Business Initiative (RBI) held its first UN Rio+20 Summit Stakeholder
Consultation in Colombo on 9th June 2010 at the Galle Face Hotel under the theme of “Climate
Sustainability in a Green Economy”. This was a follow up to the 1st Preparatory Committee
Meeting of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, referred to as RIO+20,
held in New York last May.

The Rio+20 Summit is to be convened in 2012 with the aim of agreeing on a framework for a
green economy on the 20th anniversary of the 1992 Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, the
event that led heightened environmental awareness across the world. Following the 1st
Preparatory Committee Meeting for Rio+20, the Climate Sustainability PLATFORM has launched
an initiative to engage all stakeholders in the process.
The consultation was moderated by Mr. Uchita de Zoysa, convener of the Climate Sustainability
PLATFORM. In his opening address de Zoysa said “During the past twenty years we have come a
long way to bring clarity on sustainability and awareness on sustainable development. Now the
transition is about to officially take place in the form of a Green Economy. There is no single
definition, agreement or comprehension as to what a Green Economy is, but with lot of
deliberation the 1st Preparatory Committee Meeting in New York recently has agreed that it
entails Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development. I would have thought it the other way
round; Sustainable development should entail a green economy, poverty eradication and also
and overarching issues of climate sustainability. This is why we are calling for this early
PLATFORM consultation under the theme of Climate Sustainability in a Green Economy.”
Mr. Felix Dodds of the Stakeholder Forum for RIO+20 in his message to the consultation said “In
two years’ time, Rio de Janeiro will host another Earth Summit – 20 years after the first. The idea
was proposed in 2007 by Brazil’s President Lula da Silva at the UN General Assembly. It was clear
to President Lula and to a growing number of others that the world has changed enormously
since 1992, when the world agreed to Agenda 21 – the blueprint for creating a sustainable way
of life in the 21st Century. Rio 2012 could provide much-needed new momentum to
international co-operation, not only on environment and sustainable development, but also on
the problems that underpin the global financial crisis.”
The consultation was organised in two main sessions. First was a Workshop with thematic
session and was attended by management level representative from business, government and
civil society organizations. The second was Dialogue which drew participation from leaders from
government, business, civil society, academic and professional organizations and from media.

THE WORKSHOP
The first part of the consultations was conducted in a workshop which had four thematic
sessions;
SESSION-1: Climate Sustainability & Corporate Climate Responsibility
SESSION-2: Corporate Social Responsibility & a Responsible Business Framework
SESSION-3: Greening the Economy and the Role of Sustainable Consumption & Production
SESSION-4: Strategic Corporate Sustainability & Incubator for Sustainable Business Ideas
The main presentations were made by;
Mr. Uchita de Zoysa (Chairman – Global Sustainability Solutions – Sri Lanka)
Dr. Faiz Shah (Head of Development Management – Asian Institute for Technology – Thailand)
Dr. Lewis Akenji (Fellow – Institute for Global Environmental Strategies – Japan)
Mrs. Ambreen Waheed (Executrive Director – Responsible Business Initiative – Pakistan)

Workshop Participants agreed that;
• responsible business IS sustainable business (SB)
• SB cannot afford to exacerbate climate challenges
• SMEs understand their social role & may be more sustainable
• entrenched models do not advert enough to SME’s role
• lessons in sustainable business may be learnt from SMEs
• answers for even big business may lie in these lessons
• progressing from efficiency to sufficiency is a possibility
Participants endorsed;
• A move towards an empowered regional dialogue
• Tangible steps to consolidate Climate Sustainability
•
Participatory mechanisms for knowledge-sharing
• Establishing a wide-as-possible learning network
• Establishing a doable agenda for sustainable behaviors
• Concrete steps & role models to prepare for RIO+20
• Time for Action towards Climate Sustainability…

THE DIALOGUE
The second part of the consultation was in the form of a dialogue.
In his opening speech, Climate Sustainability PLATFORM convener, Mr. Uchita de Zoysa traced
the evolution of the global sustainable development process since the 1st Earth Summit in Rio de
Janeiro in 1992. Emphasizing that the Rio+20 Earth Summit needs to focus its attention to
coming up with binding international agreement on poverty eradication, sustainable
consumption and production, and climate sustainability. De Zoysa said, even though climate
change is talked about as the greatest challenge to humankind, half the world’s population
continues to live under poverty, struggling for survival at this very moment. Hence, the real task
for Rio+20 is to review its original commitments to ensure well-being of all citizen of the earth
and to adopt practical measures towards creating a sustainable development within the
member nations.
Prof. Mohan Munasinghe, vice-chair of the Nobel Prize-winning fourth assessment report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, delivering the keynote address pointing out that
the world can be saved from the dangers posed by climate change by sustainable consumers
and producers. ”We need to look at finding integrated solutions for multiple global problems
rather than trying to solve these problems seperately”, he said, warning that climate change is a
threat amplifier for the growing risk of financial-economic crises, persistent poverty and growing
inequity, shortages of energy, water and food, and other extreme events.
The Honourable Faizer Mustafa, Deputy Environment Minister was the evening’s Chief Guest.
Speaking on Sri Lanka’s sustainable development policy guided the ’Haritha Lanka
Programe’under the vision of his excellency the President’s vision of ’Mahinda Chinthanaya’, the
honourable minister invited business and civil society to join in its realization. He said that the

the Haritha Lanka programme will be implemented for 2010-20-16 under the supervision of the
National Council for Sustainable Development (NCSD). He confirmed the Ministry of
Environement’s resolve to further strengthen the role of stakeholder through an empowerd
NCSD.
Opening the panel discussion, Dr. Faiz Shah head of Development Management at the Asian
Institute for Technology, Bangkok, summarized the outcomes of the workshop preceding the
Dialogue, reporting that the cross-section of business and civil society attending the workshop
reaffirmed the approach indicated by Mr. De Zoysa, Prof. Munasinghe and the Honourable
Minister, and reinforced the Climate Sustainability PLATFORM’s mission of greater engagement
and practical solutions to issues of climate change. ”Sustainable businesses are in fact
responsible businesses, and with their enormous potential, fit firmly into the clean and green
economy paradigm”.
The dialogue provided insight into how businesses are gearing up to survive in changing climate
and proposer in a green economy, why sustainable consumption and production must become
essential business tools, and why social responsibility is so integral to the future market place.
The dialogue panel comprising Dr. Lewis Akenji, Fellow at IGES-Japan, Mrs. Ambreen Waheed,
Executive Director RBI-Pakistan, Dr. Ananda Mallawathantri UNDP Assistant Resident
Representative in Sri Lanka, and Mr. Rizvi Zaheed, CEO of Hayleys presented their perspectives
on the emerging trends, and how to proceed from here. Participants of this well-attended
dialogue event represented government, business, civil society, academia, proffessional and
media.

Next Steps in the Rio+20 Process of the Climate Sustainability PLATFORM:
• Producing discussion agenda for dialogues across region
• Documenting the regional recommendations – good & bad
• Developing learning materials for dissemination
• Organizing a Rio+20 Stakeholder Summit in Asia
• Collaborating with partners to ensure climate sustainability

For further information please contact:
Mr. Uchita de Zoysa
Chairman – Global Sustainability Solutions (GLOSS)
Convenor – Climate Sustainability PLATFORM
253/10, Thilakaratne Mawatha, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
tel/fax: +94 11 2768459 mobile: +94 777 372206
e-mail: uchita@sltnet.lk / info@glossolutions.com /
web: www.glossolutions.com
blog: http://www.climatesustainabilityplatform.blogspot.com/

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Cheers,

aLgae

You know how Singaporeans are all foodies who bond together overseas over Satay, Laksa, Mee Siam, Chilli Crab, Bak Kut Teh, Rojak, Chicken Rice (… *ahem*.. to be precise.. my favourite is Wee Nam Kee~!!!! although Boon Tong Kee seems to be everybody else’s… =P), Mee Rebus, Ice Kachang, Chendol, … and I guess I’d better stop the list here before some of our far-away friends tear their hair out in envy… =P…

Singapore Satay

Anyhow, this post is not really about real food.. it’s about “food for the soul”… which should be more readily available… unfortunately, a truly compassionate society is still far from us in the face of all these financial wars…

This brings me back to my previous posts where I was talking about how we need fundamental changes to our mindsets in order to lead a truly sustainable lifestyle?  Below is a reminder about how we should revisit our values…

So.. here’s the press release from… Bollywood Veggies Pte Ltd

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PRESS STORY

Bollywood Veggies will be hosting the event to mark Oh Siew May’s generous $4,000 contribution to her Alma Mater, Spastic Association School on 11 June 2010 at 12.30 pm.

Siew May has been working at Bollywood Veggies as a Bistro Assistant for almost a year where she is paid a full time salary with all the associated benefits.  Mrs Ivy Singh-Lim, Owner and Director, also encourages her to sell her book “Scaling Walls” at the farm, where all the proceeds from the sale of the books are given to Siew May. The response from the very kind and caring general public who visit the farm, has been resounding and Siew May has sold over 2,000 copies.

Being the concerned citizen she is, Siew May will donate part of her earnings, $4,000, to the Spastic Association School.  This is the second big donation she is making; the first of the same amount was made in April 2009; smaller donations were also made throughout the year.

The event will be attended by Siew May herself, Mrs Ivy Singh-Lim, Melissa Sheperdson, an administrator from SAS,  Bollywood staff and members of the public.  We would like to invite the press to report on this event as a showcase of the generosity and civic mindedness in a good Singaporean, who although personally challenged, takes it upon herself to travel all the way from Tampines to Kranji to work and still has the great conscience to do good.

This is definitely a story to celebrate the goodness of a kind soul!

For more information, please contact :

Manda Foo

Scribe and Media Relations Officer

Bollywood Veggies Pte Ltd

Mobile : 9739 6677 or

Mrs Ivy Singh-Lim

The Gentle Warrior Farmer

Mobile : 9816 6342

Please let us know if you can join us at this wonderful event : Presentation will be followed by lunch.

Email : bollyveg@singnet.com.sg or call Jennerfer at 6898 5001

Thank you

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Cheers,

aLgae

Below extracted from Kiara’s recent email… It reminds me of how… at the end of an academic year… we get our school results / report card… and our parents are either elated with our results, and reward us with certain incentives… or they’re terribly disappointed, and we get a hiding… haha… and then we’ll have to get prepared for another whole new year of academic schooling.. =)

So… my dear “die-hard fans”… how would you score us, and how would you set us on the right foot for the “next year”? =)

And how about your expectations of the world leaders? =)

"Report Card"

CSD-18 was a great year and we have all learned enormously through the sweat, blood, tears and laughter that we shared. Just a couple of points that we can all be proud of:

• The YC was recognised as the Major Group with the most interventions made, totaling 23 statements out of the 153 made by all MGs (NGOs only made 22 interventions). In addition to this, the MG coordinator commented that every statement was “excellent”.
• The YC participated in every plenary discussion and was recognised as a being an active and passionate group within the CSD processes.
• We demonstrated our proficiency in using social media as a collaborative tool for consultation, including our own YC website.
• We contributed substantively to the deliberations and the text, and developed lobby points for the thematic discussions.
• We formed friendships and bonds with people within the YC that will last us a life time.

The list of achievements from CSD-18 carries on, but the largest question remains: how will we carry this process forward? There were undoubtedly challenges that we faced along the way, and we need to be able to learn from those experiences, strengthening our functioning and developing a coherent plan forward, especially taking into consideration the opportunities of Rio+20.

Shout-out to Singaporeans… and “friends-of-Singapore”… =)

Did you know… there’s a project,”mywaterbottle” — a non-profit campaign to encourage more Singaporeans to use their own refillable water bottles, instead of buying or taking single-use bottled water.

There’s a special project in-place now, tying environmental values (sustainable consumption and production by minimizing use of disposable bottles) with social/health issues (safe drinking water for Nepalese.)

Nalgene bottles of different sizes and colours are for sale. I think it’ll be quite meaningful for…

1) those who are regularly using such bottles, i.e. you marathon runners~ to purchase these, and…

2) for those who haven’t been using them, to start using them =)

I guess if anybody is interested in buying in bulk for their corporates.. that there would be appropriate discounts and endorsements… =)

Email Eugene directly if you’re interested =)

<eugene@greenfuture.sg>

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http://www.mywaterbottle.org/about/water-projects/

Through the sale of the refillable water bottles, we will give 100% of our profits to support water projects in developing countries that provide clean and safe drinking water.

Naqua

For the year 2010, the mywaterbottle campaign will support Naqua, a project initiated by a team of students from the Singapore Management University-Initiatives for Social Enterprise (SMU-ISE).

Naqua aims to alleviate the problem of unsafe drinking water within rural communities in Nepal. Over 6 million people in Nepal do not have access to safe drinking water. The situation is worse in the southern Terai region where more than 1.4 million people are affected by the high incidence of arsenic contamination in the groundwater.

The chronic health effects of arsenic poisoning develop after a long term exposure of low levels of arsenic concentrations via drinking water and/or food, resulting in dermal diseases such as melanosis (dark and light spots on the skin) and keratosis (hardening of skin on hands and feet); vascular diseases; birth defects; low IQ; cancer of lung, kidney, skin, and others.

Naqua is developing a sustainable model with schools and an NGO partner, Environment and Public Health Organization (ENPHO), in Nepal to:

• Install water filter systems (Kanchan Arsenic Filter) in schools to provide school children with immediate access to clean water sources
• Conduct workshops for students and their families about the risk of drinking from untreated sources, and various household water treatment techniques
• Promote the sales of household water filter system from the Nepali Red Cross Society

The filters will only be constructed in the school if at least 85% of the students’ families agree to the payment of 5 rupees per month. The money collected will partly be channeled back to the school, and will partly be for the construction of filters in other schools.

Naqua aims to introduce the model in 18 schools in Nepal, which have already been identified. The social impact that will be achieved includes: providing safe drinking water to 10,300 school children and; educating 900 families on home based water treatment solutions.

Visit the Naqua website for more info.

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http://www.mywaterbottle.org/buy/

Through the sale of these water bottles, 100% of our profits will go to fund water projects in developing countries that provide clean and safe drinking water.

We offer free delivery in Singapore. For bulk orders, contact us for more info.

Please read our Terms and Conditions before buying. Choose your refillable water bottle today from 9 different sizes and colors!

Displaying 1–9 of 9

• Grey Wide Mouth Nalgene Water Bottle 1L
  
  Price S$26.00
• Blue Wide Mouth Nalgene Water Bottle 1L
  
  Price S$26.00
• Red Wide Mouth Nalgene Water Bottle 1L
  
  Price S$26.00
• Green Wide Mouth Nalgene Water Bottle 1L
  
  Price S$26.00
• Clear Wide Mouth Nalgene Water Bottle 1L
  
  Price S$26.00
• Pink Wide Mouth Nalgene Water Bottle 1L
  
  Price S$26.00
• Grey Wide Mouth Nalgene Water Bottle 0.5L
  
  Price S$20.00
• Blue Wide Mouth Nalgene Water Bottle 0.5L
  
  Price S$20.00
• Pink Wide Mouth Nalgene Water Bottle 0.5L
  
  Price S$20.00

Cheers,

aLgae