'Youth bear the burden of fixing degrading planet'

Experts at international conference on the U.N. SDGs in Mysuru appeal to the citizens of the future to adopt cause of sustainable development

St Philomena's College in Mysuru

Addressing a packed audience comprising mostly college students, Dr. P.J. Dilipkumar, former Director General, Forests, Government of India, made a rather grim observation: "Your generation is poised on the cusp of crisis. Our generation made the mistakes, now your generation bears the burden to set things right."

Speaking at the first major international conference on the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be organised in India here at the St. Philomena's College on Thursday, the environmental economist noted that values of sustainable living must be imbibed at a young age if planet Earth had to be saved.

Organised by the The Sustainability Platform in collaboration with Asia Cooperation Dialogue University Network, SIAM University, Thailand, St. Philomena's College and Transdisciplinary University, Bengaluru, the two-day conference beginning on Friday will deliberate on sustaining knowledge partnerships on SDGs, building sustainable cities, developing self-sufficient economies and addressing sustainability challenges.

Rev. Leslie Moras started the curtain raiser to the conference by observing a two-minute silence to pray for the Earth.

Ravikanth Joshi, specialist on budgeting and financing for cities, noted that by 2070 the world will be 70% urban, therefore, the future of the world was one with the future of cities.

"As 'city'zens of the city, if we become carbon neutral human beings, the city would manifest our dream of having an environmentally sustainable world," he said, pointing out that Goal 11 of the SDGs pertained to sustainable cities.

Balakrishna Pisupati, former National Biodiversity Authority chief, and the first chair of Conservation Governance at Transdisciplinary University, Bengaluru said that the challenge facing us now was that the know-how for sustainability, such as moving away from coal and embracing renewables were there, but the "do-how" or ways of adopting change was lacking as people are still figuring out how to transform their lives to adopt sustainability.

Noting that the SDGs framework are merely guiding paths for change, he stressed that ultimately it is the youth of today who are going to be the force to make that change possible.

The curtain raiser came to a close with a half-hour long dance performance on the theme of sustainability by Nada Vidyalaya, Academy of Music and Dance, Mysuru. Bishop of Mysore Rev. K.A. William participated.