This advisory report is a response to a request from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences on the role of (Dutch) science and technology in achieving the goals set at the first Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The nations that gathered in 1992 will be reconvening in Rio de Janeiro in 2012 for the Rio+20 Summit. The objective of this Summit is to assess the progress that has been made since 1992 and to formulate redefined goals and guidelines on how to proceed.