The World Summit on Sustainable Development, or Earth Summit took place in Johannesburg, South Africa from August 26 to September 4, 2002 to discuss sustainable development issues. It was organised by the United Nations and gathered a number of leaders of nations, businesses and non-government organisations.

George W. Bush decided not to attend or send a representative, earning him praise in a letter from conservative, corporate-sponsored organizations such as Americans for Tax Reform, American Enterprise Institute, and Competitive Enterprise Institute.

Johannesburg, 27 August: by 2015 agreement was made to restore the world's depleted fisheries. It was agreed to by negotiators at the World Summit.

But as usual the process proceeded slowly and full of ironies. Protestors outside were having fun, even dancing, whilst demanding food, work and a better environment. Annette Cotter said "If the people who were marching today were inside the meeting room representing our planet, there'd be laughter, fun, dancing, and real action."

Earth Summit 2002 attendees have been critized as hypoticritical for having expensive catered food and drink while a few miles away there were starving South Africans.

See also: sustainability, energy development.

External Sites

• Greenpeace Earth Summit Page
• Friends of the Earth press release on conservative organizations' support of Bush's decision not to attend