Rio+20 (13/06/2012) – Friedrich Prot Von Kunow, German Ambassador and head of the German Pavilion tells the studio that there is a good chance a comprehensive deal could be reached at Rio+20/

He believes 20 years ago at the original Earth Summit a good start was made on the pathway to sustainable development and that over the last 20 years a lot has been learnt.

But it is not only up to global deals, he says, but is up to every country and everyone to change their lives and their economies at home – where the effects of their inaction on climate change would be felt first – for example if Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest were to disappear, it would be a catastrophe for the world but those first hit would be the communities within Brazil itself.

The German Ambassador allows says the private sector has a role to play in learning to produce energy with less pollution and CO2 and also about using energy to ensure good quality of life with less. But governments will also play a role offering the incentives to companies to get such technologies off the ground and to introduce these technologies to countries which can not afford them themselves.