In a year-end message the European Environment Agency Executive Director Jacqueline McGlade said. “We need to break this link between environmental damage and economic growth if we are to achieve continued prosperity, without destroying the natural systems that sustain us.”

The EEA predicts that “the shift to a ‘green economy’ which does not damage the environment looks set to dominate environmental discussions next year.” The big environmental event of the year will be the June conference in Rio de Janeiro marking the 20th anniversary of the Earth Summit. This United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development will be held 20 – 22 June and is expected to focus on green economy issues.

Details of the Rio+20 Conference are at http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/

The European Environment Agency year-end review is at http://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/economic-growth-must-be-decoupled