EESC - Home

Go sustainable. Be responsible.

This space is dedicated to engage people and organisations into a meaningful and fruitful dialogue with us on sustainable development matters. This platform and our work towards sustainable development are part of President Staffan Nilsson's political commitment to engage people for a sustainable Europe.

WHY? Because civil society actors play an essential role in the change we want to see in the aftermath of the Rio+20 conference on sustainable development. The success of future progress depends on active civil society engagement to push and prepare the ground first for political decisions and then for their implementation. It is civil society actors' everyday decisions and actions which will transform our economies and life styles into more sustainable ones.

Tell us what is your own or your organisation's message beyond the Rio conference!

Engaging Europe on
Sustainable Development

Learn more about our positions on Sustainable Development here.

The EESC has been supporting the work of young people to help make their voices heard at Rio+20. For more information, visit our Youth Involvement page.

We've worked with a broad range of civil society partners from Europe and around the world. Have a look at some of our partners' publications on Rio+20 and sustainable development.

Highlights from Rio+20

'Bringing Rio Home' - An EESC debriefing on Rio+20 (5 July)
Coming back from the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development the EESC is focusing its efforts on the most vital component of the process: implementing the results...
More information and photos from 'Bringing Rio Home'

EESC Press Release (22 June)

"EU civil society marks its commitment at the Rio+20 summit"

European Commission photos from Rio+20

A collection of photos taken by the EC at various Rio+20 sessions.

EESC trainees present their ideas for Rio+20 follow-up
11.12.2012
The EESC President listened to trainees' insights about how the EESC can follow-up on Rio+20 and on sustainable development issues, shared views about whether we can afford to think sustainable when many Europeans can't afford a daily living. However...
EESC Public hearing on 18 December 2012
30.11.2012
On 18 December in the afternoon, the EESC will hold a public hearing accompanying the Commission's consultation on the EU follow-up to Rio+20 in the presence of EESC President Nilsson and Environment Commissioner Potočnik. On the very same day there ...
Meeting of the EESC Sustainable Development Observatory held on 27 November 2012
30.11.2012
On 27 November 2012, the SDO Members discussed the post Rio+20 and post 2015 Millennium Development Goals processes at UN level with Farooq Ullah, Executive Director of Stakeholder Forum and Chris Vanden Bilcke, Head of UNEP Liaison Office to the EU.
European Commission public consultation on "Ensuring Sustainable Development Globally: EU follow-up to Rio+20"
19.10.2012
On 16 October 2012 the European Commission launched a public online consultation entitled "Ensuring sustainable development globally: EU follow-up to Rio+20". Join the civil society dialogue initiated by the EESC.

Registered Members

Our Partners

“At the Rio+20 Conference later this year, the environmental and social concerns will meet. The green economy, sustainable development and the fight against poverty are key topics. In Rio, we have to find a renewed global commitment to these crucial global challenges.”

Herman Van Rompuy

President of the European Council

Janez Potočnik
European Commissioner
for the Environment

Andris Piebalgs
European Commissioner
for Development

Committee of the Regions