MICHAEL BLOOMBERG: "Even as progress at national and international level has faltered, it's fair to say that world cities have forged ahead. And, the reason for that is clear - mayors, the great pragmatists on the world stage who are directly responsible for the well-being for the majority of the world's people, just don't have the luxury to simply talk about change and not delivering it.''

Mayors reported using electric vehicles, better street lighting and improved waste management to reduce cities’ greenhouse emissions.

Bindu Lohani is a top official with the Asian Development Bank based in the Philippines. The bank has promised billions to sustainable development. Mr. Lohani said Asia’s fast growth places heavy pressure on the environment and society.

BINDU LOHANI: "Asia is growing fast economically. We project by twenty-fifty, more than fifty percent of global economy will be in Asia. Asia is also rich in ecosystems, and therefore, very vulnerable."

Still, some environmental activists say the conference document is too weak. They say there are many promises of action but few clear targets for reducing pollution and the use of natural resources.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report. For transcripts, MP3s and now PDFs of our programs for e-readers, go to voaspecialenglish.com. And follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and iTunes at VOA Learning English. I'm June Simms.