Rio+20, the global environmental conference organized by the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), will bring together national officials, civil society, and the private sector. They’ll discuss a wide range of environmental issues, focusing largely on environmental sustainability and poverty during the three day conference, which starts today. Observers expect clean energy, fossil fuel subsidies, and “energy poverty” to feature prominently in discussions on energy, which was identified by the UNCSD as one of seven “priority areas” of the summit. 

Although Obama will not take part, Secretary Clinton, along with EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern, and other U.S. officials, will attend the conference. World leaders such as President Vladimir Putin, Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh, of India and Wen Jiabao of China will also attend.

What’s at stake at Rio+20? What issues do you expect the U.S. to pursue? What substantive actions will come of the Summit?