The world summit on sustainable development is organised by the United Nations and runs from August 26 until September 4 in Johannesburg. Here is an outline of what it’s all about from the London Guardian.

What are its aims?

It aims to reconcile development and economic growth with environmental sustainability. The organisers say the summit must “conserve our natural resources in a world that is growing in population, with ever-increasing demands for food, water, shelter, sanitation, energy, health services and economic security”.

To help achieve this, developing countries must be encouraged to avoid damaging the environment as they rush to expand their industries. Richer countries must act to reduce global poverty and cut differences in wealth between the wealthiest and poorest nations.

Who is attending?

Some 65,000 delegates from 185 countries are present at Johannesburg. The summit costs £35m and is the biggest international convention ever held.

More than 100 heads of government are attending, including the British prime minister, Tony Blair. Twenty UN bodies are represented. Unlike the earth summit in Rio in 1992, there is a strong presence from multinational firms such as McDonald’s, Rio Tinto, Nike, Nestle and British American Tobacco.

The British government cut its delegation down from 100 to 70 after concerns about junketeering accusations. The UN warned its managers about enjoying lavish entertainment at a time when southern Africa is under the threat of famine. There will be some 12,000 journalists present to report the summit’s progress.

Where is the summit being held?

At the Sandton convention centre in Johannesburg, where 27,000 police officers have been assigned to protect delegates. Sandton, a wealthy area, is within sight of Alexandra, one of the city’s poorest and most overcrowded townships. The fact that Johannesburg is one of the most polluted cities in Africa will perhaps not be lost on delegates.

Why is the summit taking place now?
It is 10 years since the earth summit in Rio, where the international community adopted Agenda 21, a global plan of action for sustainable development. The 2002 conference hopes to build on Rio’s achievements and address its failures.

The 2002 conference takes place against a backdrop of famine in southern Africa, caused partly by climate change, which is reducing rainfall, and a lack of clean water and sanitation.

What was achieved at Rio?

One of the planks of the 1992 convention was trying to cut down on the reliance of emerging economies on fossil fuels. Some have argued that Rio helped pave the way for the Kyoto protocol on cutting carbon dioxide emissions. However, carbon dioxide emissions have risen by nearly 10% since Rio.

Kevin Watkins, Oxfam’s senior policy adviser, wrote in the Guardian that the 10 years since Rio have seen an “unmitigated triumph for globalisation”. While world output has increased 50%, there are still 1 billion people living in poverty.

What is topping the agenda in Johannesburg?

The UN has identified five specific areas where concrete results are both essential and achievable from within Agenda 21. They are: water and sanitation; energy and agricultural productivity; biodiversity; ecosystem management; and health.

At the end of the summit it is hoped that the world leaders will sign a declaration setting new targets on poverty and development.

However, many observers say such a declaration is likely to be so bland that it will not amount to any real commitment to tackle these problems.

The 2002 conference is seen by many as a talking shop and too unwieldy to produce concrete results. Hundreds of delegates represent interests as diverse as birdwatchers and the oil industry.

What do the poorest nations want?

Developing countries want more aid, building on modest commitments they gained at Rio, with some asking for more money to protect the environment. They also want greater trade liberalisation, especially in agriculture where many of the rich, northern-hemisphere countries impose massive tariffs.

Poorer countries cannot compete with richer ones in areas such as agriculture, where farmers in the wealthy nations receive more than £200bn in subsidies – several times more than poor countries get in aid payments.

Developing countries are facing a severe lack of clean water. Delegates must address the sustainability of water as a resource – at the current rate, the world’s water will run out in three decades.

Some 2 million children under five die every year from drinking dirty water, according to Britain’s environment minister, Michael Meacher.