Day: 07th February, 2024 | Wednesday
Time: 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm IST

Session Description

The 2030 Agenda with the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) was launched as a plan of action for the people, planet, and prosperity based on fostering global partnerships for achieving the targets. The lagging progress is hampering the realization of climate goals. As per UN’s latest assessment, only ~12% of about 140 SDG targets with data are on track. Nearly half of the targets, while showing some signs of progress, are either moderately or severely off track, and about 30% of these have faced stagnation or regression below the 2015 baseline. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emphasizes that unless there is immediate and large-scale reduction in emissions, limiting the global temperature rise close to 1.5–2°C above pre-industrial levels as per the Paris Agreement will be difficult to achieve.

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) recently completed 50 years of establishment. Since 1974, TERI has been providing transformational solutions through policy research, technological innovation, and advocacy. TERI has been a resounding voice in India and the Global South on the need for raising ambition and pushing frontiers for meaningful climate action.

The World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) is the annual flagship multi-stakeholder event organized by TERI. With a legacy of over two decades, WSDS is the only independently convened Summit based in the Global South that provides a platform for pioneering conversations to nudge ambition and action on sustainable development and climate solutions. The Summit activities are enshrined in the theory of constructivism, according to which, socialization leads to emergence, cascading, and internalization of norms. When stakeholders from various spheres come together and reflect on their diverse experiences, they create their own interpretations and incorporate new information into pre-existing knowledge systems. The 23rd edition of the event aims to drive vision and reinforce commitments across levels to strengthen ambition and action to create a more sustainable and equitable world for the present and future generations.

For the Global South, it is necessary to strike a balance between its global commitments and national needs. The climate crisis highlights that social and environmental issues are intertwined, thereby calling on the leaders to derive solutions based on a ‘just’ approach, thus recognizing the differentiation in impact on communities. Global leadership is instrumental in shaping the discourse around adaptation and climate justice, but the looming threat requires engaged leadership at multiple levels – local, regional, organizational, ideational, national, and entrepreneurial. As the international geopolitical dynamics evolve, committed leadership will be crucial than ever in putting the focus on multi-level partnerships for achieving the global goals. In this context, the role of knowledge institutions in driving leadership and change is key. The Summit deliberations will amplify perspectives from the Global South on the means of implementation needed for achieving sustainable development and ensuring climate justice.