Official urges tangible action on sustainability

Sha Zukang, secretary-general of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, or Rio+20, asked countries to take tangible action as developed countries are thought to be backtracking from their previous commitments amid economic woes.

The three-day final meeting of the Preparatory Committee of the conference started on Wednesday in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, to hammer out a draft action plan for leaders to discuss at the official conference next week.

"Today we begin the final stretch in the marathon of the negotiation process. Delegates will fine tune the text before the official conference starts," Sha said at a news conference on Wednesday.