Here at Rio+20, I have only just got through the full list of official UK delegates who are negotiating our future on our behalf. So take a browse below! A few things to note:
- Nick Clegg is the big cheese attending the talks, not David Cameron (although we knew that already). Considering that 120 other heads of state are attending, I think it’s a pretty clear sign of how high up sustainable development is on our coalition government’s list of priorities.
- Having consulted with past UK trackers, the only delegate we recognise as having attended UNFCCC negotiations is Hannah Ryder from DFID, so there’s not much crossover between these two processes at the moment.
- We have official NGO and Business representation on the delegation, something which has not previously happened at the UNFCCC. And I’m not sure how I feel about it. Is it good that Oxfam and WWF have close access to the delegation? Maybe, although it brings up interesting questions about how entrenched NGOs have become in the UN processes. Is it good that Unilever and Aviva do? I don’t think so. At least Oxfam and WWF are representing their members. Unilever and Aviva are both companies that are leading the way in terms of corporate sustainability, but at the end of the day they are representing their shareholders, which is a whole different ball game. Because companies’ sole obligation to their shareholders is to turn a tidy profit.
- And the last thing is, if NGOs and Business get to have an official voice on the delegation… where the eff is the youth representation? Some of the other countries have official youth delegates, and rightly so. Because there are no other stakeholders who are going to be more affected by what happens here at Rio+20 than young people. Last night, we found out that any mention to a potential High Commissioner for Future Generations has been deleted from the text. This is not good enough. Young people aren’t just here to wave banners and put a positive spin on things, we aren’t here as tokens, or to make a good photograph. Over 50% of the global population are under 30. There are 3,000 young people will enter the job market every day between now and 2050. That’s a lot of young people who could be working to change the world. If only governments would give us a chance to help decide how.
Cabinet Office
| Name | Position / Role |
| Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg MP | Deputy Prime Minister (Head of Delegation) |
| Ross Allen | Private Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister |
| James Sorene | Head of Communications |
| Angus Lapsley | Director |
| Veena Hudson | Special Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister |
| Jonathan Oates | Chief of Staff |
| Kate Whitty Johnson | Planning, Events and Visits Manager |
| Will Ashley-Cantello | International Environment Policy Adviser |
Defra
| Name | Position / Role |
| Caroline Spelman MP | Secretary of State |
| Jeremy Marlow | Principal PS to Secretary of State |
| Paul Leat | Senior Press Officer |
| Sir Bob Watson | Chief Scientific Adviser |
| Andrew Lawrence | Director |
| Chris Whaley | Head of International |
| Jolyon Thompson | Legal Adviser |
| Andrew Randall | Policy Lead - International Climate Change |
| Jane Stratford | Policy Lead - Rio+20 |
| Alison Campbell | Policy Lead - Rio+20 |
| Caroline Jack | Policy Lead - International Engagement |
| Daniel Jones | Policy Adviser |
| Hannah Schellander | Policy Adviser - International Engagement |
| Tanya Bhattacharyya | Policy Adviser |
DFID
| Name | Position / Role |
| Michael Anderson | Director General, Policy and Global Programmes |
| Paul Wafer | Senior Policy Adviser - Development after MDGs |
| Hannah Ryder | Senior Economist |
| David Howlett | Climate and Environment Adviser |
| Daniel Bradley | Climate and Development |
BIS
| Name | Position / Role |
| Sir John Beddington | Government Chief Scientific Adviser |
| Joanna Dally | PS to Government Chief Scientific Adviser |
FCO
| Name | Position / Role |
| Alexandra Davison | UK Mission to the United Nations |
| Senay Bulbul | Green Growth Economist |
Scottish Government
| Name | Position / Role |
| Stewart Stevenson MSP | Minister for Environment and Climate Change |
| Dr Linda Pooley | Head of Energy Technology and Investment |
| Ellen Leaver | Policy Officer (PS support for Minister) |
Welsh Government
| Name | Position / Role |
| John Griffiths AM | Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development |
| Peredur John | Senior Private Secretary to John Griffiths AM |
| Jon Townley | Head of International SD and the Wales for Africa Team |
Business representatives
| Name | Position / Role |
| Paul Polman | Chief Executive, Unilever |
| Miguel Pestana | Vice President, Global External Affairs, Unilever |
| Paul Abberley | Chief Executive, Aviva Investors |
| Dr Steve Waygood | Chief Responsible Investment Officer, Aviva Investors |
NGO representatives
| Name | Position / Role |
| Dame Barbara Stocking | Chief Executive, Oxfam GB |
| Stephen Hale | Deputy Advocacy and Campaigns Director, Oxfam International |
| David Nussbaum | Chief Executive, WWF-UK |
| Owen Gibbons | Executive Adviser to David Nussbaum |
Parliamentary representative
| Name | Position / Role |
| Joan Walley MP | Chair, Environmental Audit Committee, UK House of Commons |
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http://www.energyroyd.org.uk/archives/3445 UK delegation to Rio+20 - government, NGOs, Unilever & Aviva | ENERGY ROYD
