This week,world leaders gather in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the Rio+20 Summit. Twenty years on from the original Rio ‘Earth Summit’ that established the framework for groundbreaking international agreements on how to tackle climate change and the loss of biodiversity.

Rio+20 provides a much needed opportunity to reinvigorate the international community, and to set out the steps that must be taken if we are to achieve a truly sustainable, global balance between economic growth and environmental protection.

Tropical rainforests are vital in the twin fights to protect our planet’s biodiversity and halt damaging climate change. The RSPB, and our supporters, are stepping up to help protect these precious ecosystems – but we can’t do it all. We are calling on the UK Government to step up in Rio by securing international agreement to halt the loss of the world’s tropical rainforests.

The RSPB is a founding member of the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition and we are working together to highlight all the good work that has been done over the past twenty years, whilst making it clear that there is still much to be done and that we simply cannot afford to take any backward steps.

Together we’ve produced an animation, called ‘Reason’s to be Cheerful’, showing the key conservation successes from the past twenty years. We’ve also set up a quick and easy online action to help you contact your MP and ask them to sign the Stop Climate Chaos Rio Declaration. If signed by enough MPs it will send a clear message that the UK supports strong action to protect our planet.

Watch the animation and e-mail your MP today!

Thank you for stepping up for nature, together lots of small steps really can make a big difference.

Steven Roddy
Head of Parliamentary Campaigns