New Delhi, February 14, 2022: Two heads of State, including the Prime Minister of India Mr Narendra Modi, Ministers for Environment from about a dozen countries, representatives from the United Nations, heads of inter-governmental organizations, and delegates from 126 countries will deliberate on planetary resilience at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)'s latest edition of the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) beginning February 16.

The three-day Summit, TERI's annual flagship event, is the only independently convened event of such scale in the developing world that brings together world leaders, thinkers, scientists, industry and government representatives and other stakeholders on a single platform to work towards long-term solutions for the planet's health.

The Hon'ble Prime Minister Mr Modi will deliver the inaugural address on Wednesday. Keynote addresses will be given by Dr Irfaan Ali, Hon'ble President of the Republic of Guyana and Ms Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations. Mr Bhupender Yadav, Hon'ble Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change will make the opening address.

Hosted as it is on the back of extreme weather events across the globe in the recent years, the virtually held WSDS 2022 will focus on planetary well-being. Curated on the theme 'Towards a Resilient Planet: Ensuring a Sustainable and Equitable Future' experts will deliberate on a range of pressing issues ranging from climate change, sustainable production, energy transitions, global commons and resource security.

A high-profile ministerial session on sustainable consumption and production in developed countries will be attended by Mr John Kerry, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, United States, as well as Ministers of Environment from France, Canada, Norway, Finland, France, Spain and Germany. Other key speakers at the Summit that ends on February 18 include Ms Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Dr Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, Egypt, Mr Abdulla Shahid, Foreign Minister, Maldives, and President of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, and Mr Frans Timmermans, Vice-President of the European Commission.

Dr Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI, says, “The World Sustainable Summit 2022 will deliberate on planetary resilience, a theme of particular significance especially in the wake of the extreme weather events the world has been witnessing lately. The WSDS is the most important event on TERI's calendar; it is our conscious effort at creating a platform where stakeholders from across the world sit together to deliberate on solutions that are based on sustainability and green growth. TERI is a pioneer in these areas and WSDS 2022 will play a crucial part in accentuating our role in providing technological, policy as well as knowledge solutions as India works towards realizing the commitments made at COP26.”

The Sustainable Development Leadership Award introduced in 2005 to felicitate global leaders for their contributions to sustainable development and environment protection will be announced during the inaugural event on February 16.

Special features at the Summit will include ministerial sessions, media colloquium, youth and women leadership plenary, and corporate plenary and thematic tracks. Two documents – 'Act4Earth Manifesto' and 'Act4Earth Strategy Paper' – will be launched at the Summit. The strategy paper will guide activities under WSDS such as the COP27 Compass and SDG Charter. By playing a constructivist role, the Summit will seek to reinforce commitment at all levels to enhance ambition and action to create a more sustainable and equitable world for present and future generations.

About TERI

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is an independent, multi-dimensional research organization, with capabilities in policy research, technology development, and implementation. Headquartered in New Delhi, TERI has regional centres and campuses in Gurugram, Bengaluru, Guwahati, Mumbai, Panaji, and Nainital, supported by a multi-disciplinary team of scientists, sociologists, economists, engineers, administrative professional and state-of-the-art infrastructure.

For more information:
P Anima: animap@teri.res.in
Sumit Bansal: sumit.bansal@teri.res.in