Wednesday, June 20th marked the beginning of the official negotiations between heads of state at the Rio+20 conference, and the conference halls were alive with a fresh wave of people of all ages from all over the world. The PECS team met up with the former Brazilian Environmental Minister, Jose Goldemberg–one of the fathers of sustainability and a mover and shaker in the 1992 Rio conference, to get an expert perspective on what’s changed over the last 20 years and what to expect from these negotiations.

The PECS team also kicked off the first day of official negotiations with their own official side event, promoting interdisciplinary experiences for students of sustainability. We were inspired by the other young people that attended and the potential to make some great international connections. Youth have had an impressive presence at this conference–networking, speaking out, and holding their leaders accountable for their future. Check out our video to find out how the PECS team has been participating in the movement, and get inspired to make your own contribution!