SOME of the world's most respected leaders in sustainable development are confirmed to speak at the second Eye on Earth Summit, taking place on Oct. 6-8 in Abu Dhabi. Held under the patronage of The President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the summit will explore the critical need for better access to and sharing of environmental, social and economic data to support informed decision-making for sustainable development. With the post-2015 development agenda firmly positioning sustainability at the fore of global priorities this year and beyond, Eye on Earth Summit 2015 will cast a spotlight on the role governments, technology, the scientific community and citizen participation play in enhancing access to quality data about the state of the world's resources. Close to 30 sessions will be delivered by more than 100 speakers across the three-day Summit. Speakers will explore the supply and demand dynamics, enabling conditions, and crucial role of data and information in creating a healthier planet. 2015 will mark a turning point for sustainable development, poverty eradication and the protection of the planet with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and a new global climate change agreement likely to be enacted by the end of the year. “The events of 2015 make the work of Eye on Earth more important than ever as we come together – governments, the private sector, academia and civil society – to improve information availability and quality to safeguard the future of the planet and humanity. At Summit 2015 we hope to agree the roadmap that will get us there,” said Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary General Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, a founding Eye on Earth Alliance Partner. The Eye on Earth Summit will open with a focus on policy maker demand for environmental-related data and the associated challenges in using it to make evidence-based decisions. The need for data to address the Syrian refugee crisis will be another critical agenda item. — SG
