“As a developing country in the frontlines of climate vulnerability, India has a vital stake in the evolution of a successful, rule-based, equitable and multilateral response to climate change,” said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the inauguration of the 12th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) 2012 organised by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) here on Thursday.
Over the past decade, the DSDS has evolved as a major global event addressing the key challenges of sustainable development and exploring the means by which this can be attained.
In its 12th edition, DSDS will focus on the theme “Protecting the Global Commons: 20 Years Post-Rio.” DSDS-2012 will be the first important meeting of global leaders preceding the June 2012, Rio+20 Summit.
The Prime Minister congratulated TERI on organising the global forum which once again brought together eminent dignitaries, Nobel Laureates, CEOs and leaders from across the globe.
“This year marks the 20th anniversary of the landmark Rio Earth Summit of 1992, which sets out the concept of sustainability and its importance as a critical parameter of human development. The idea of sustainability began as a developmental ideal. Over time, it has become an important focus of policy, especially in developing countries as we struggle to reconcile our effort to develop with the compelling need to protect our environment. Air pollution, industrial pollution, increasing quantum of waste and pollution of our rivers are problems we all face,” said Dr. Singh.
Present at the TERI DSDS 2012 inaugural ceremony were several dignitaries from across the world including Finland President Tarja Halonen, founding chair, R20 — Regions of Climate Change and the former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah and Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jayanthi Natarajan.
Meanwhile, Ms. Halonen was awarded the TERI's Sustainable Development Leadership Award for 2012 for her leadership in confronting climate change and leading her government to take the issue as a primary focus.
India-Finland collaboration
Receiving the honour, she said: “It is a great honour for me to receive this award on behalf of my country. India and Finland have always collaborated for sustainable development. Sustainable development is an opportunity to counter the climate change and human resource plays a very important role in the effort.”
TERI Director-General R.K. Pachauri said: “The issue of the global commons has been part of global consciousness for half a century now. The global commons can be protected only if there is a commitment on the part of nation states to realise the tragedy inherent for all of us if we do not carry out proper protection of these. We hope this Summit and the official Rio+20 event in June of this year will mark a watershed in perceptions and priorities by which we work collectively towards a more environmentally and ecologically secure future for coming generations.”
GHG emissions
“India faces some major challenges as well as expanding opportunities. The mitigation of green house gases emissions carry with it a vast range of co-benefits including higher energy security, health benefits due to lower levels of air pollution, higher agricultural yields and many others. We need to consider these co-benefits in devising a new development strategy which would be relevant for the 21st century. One of our biggest challenges in the future would be to ensure security of energy supply. This can only be achieved through improvements in energy efficiency as well as a move to sustainable sources of energy supply,” he added.
