Report by Santanu Ganguly, New Delhi: Global think tank TERI will be hosting the 14th edition of its annual flagship event, The ‘Delhi Sustainable Development Summit’ (DSDS) from February 6-8, 2014. The theme of this year’s Summit is “Attaining Food, Water, and Energy Security For All”.
The first of the many eminent luminaries who have confirmed their esteemed presence at the Summit include : Mr Kofi Annan, Nobel Laureate and Former Secretary-General, United Nations; HE Mr James Alix Michel, President, Seychelles; H.E. Mr Bharrat Jagdeo, Former President, Guyana; Rt Hon’ble Lord John Prescott, Former Deputy Prime Minister & Member of Parliament, House of Lords, UK; Mr Lance Ignon, Director, San Francisco Office, Sitrick And Company, USA; Rt Hon’ble Lord Deben John Gummer, Former Member of Parliament, UK; Rt Hon’ble Gregory Barker, Minister of State for Climate Change, UK; Mr Lance Ignon, Director, San Francisco Office, Sitrick And Company, USA; Mr. Takehiko Nakao, President, Asian Development Bank, the Philippines and Mr. Luis Albertoo Moreno, President, Inter-American Development Bank, U.S.A among others.
Explaining the relevance of the theme of the Summit, Director General, TERI, Dr. R.K. Pachauri said “The Delhi Sustainable Development Summit is TERI’s annual flagship event which addresses various elements of the most important challenge that humanity is facing- that of connecting a part of development which is clearly not sustainable. The theme of 2014 Summit, which is “Attaining Food, Water, Energy Security for All“ clearly defines the most urgent and inherently complex set of issues that all section of global society must tackle for the security and well-being of a population in excess of 7 billion which in the next few decades is projected to exceed 9 billion. The remarkable leadership from every part of the globe which would be present at DSDS 2014 can provide intellectual and policy direction which can help in meeting the challenge embedded in this year’s theme”.
Encouraged by the impressive response the summit is getting thus far, Dr. Annapurna Vancheswaran, Director, Sustainable Development Outreach, TERI, who has been successfully spearheading the summit since its inception, said “This annual Summit has become a preeminent platform that provides information, builds knowledge, and helps share best practices on all aspects of Sustainable Development. Each year transcending continents and cultures, the Summit gathers thought leaders that span Governments, Business Houses, Academia, Institutions, and Civil Society on a single stage to map our global sustainable development goals. With participation from Least Developed Countries, Low Island States and Africa, this is perhaps one unique platform that encourages and resonates the voices of the less heard."
The Summit will comprise plenary sessions on a range of issues, including: Ensuring and Expanding Access to Energy, Water and Food; Re-thinking development; How Can Businesses Help Attain Energy, Water, and Food Security; Dealing with Energy, Water, and Food Security Challenges in Asia; The Energy, Water, Food Triangle; Tackling the Energy, Water, and Food Security Challenge; Gender: The Core Issue in Sustainable Development etc. A special session with Indian Bureaucrats is also planned on 8thFeb 2014.
The key highlights of the Summit include:
- High Level Corporate Dialogue-Feb 5, 2014: A day prior to the summit, the crème de la crème of the business fraternity will converge at the ‘High Level Corporate Dialogue’ on February 5th 2014 entitled, “How will Businesses Lead India’s Energy, Water and Food Security”. For more details, click: http://dsds.teriin.org/2014/high_level_corporate_dialogue.php
- Tenth Sustainable Development Leadership Award-Feb 6, 2014: The Award felicitates global leaders for their contributions in the field of sustainable development. It is presented during the Summit as TERI’s tribute to eminent individuals engaged in encouraging global initiatives that can lead the world towards a sustainable future.
- Innovations for a Secure Future Exhibition-Feb 5-8, 2014: It will be an excellent platform for exhibitors from across the world to demonstrate and showcase their environment-friendly technologies, innovations, products and services.
- Poster Session-Feb 5-8, 2014: Young innovators and environment enthusiasts will submit their research and work in the fields of Energy, Water and Food Security. Each contribution will be scrutinised by an expert panel and the top ten contributors will get to not only display their poster at the DSDS 2014, but also a complimentary pass to attend the Summit.
The 2013 edition of the Summit witnessed the introduction of Thematic Tracks - parallel break-away sessions. The DSDS 2014 tracks will be led by area experts, and aim at providing feasible solutions to many challenges faced by the global community in terms of securing energy, water and food security. For more details, click: http://dsds.teriin.org/2014/thematic_tracks.php
DSDS is a flagship event organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) every year since 2001 that seeks to facilitate enlightened debate and discussion on the discourse of global sustainable development. Over the past 13 years, it has emerged as one of the most leading forums on issues of global sustainability. Through DSDS, TERI aims to create enabling platforms for global leaders, heads of State and Central governments, scientists, academicians, policy makers, entrepreneurs, corporate entities and the youth to exchange new ideas to expand the dimensions and scope of the debate over global sustainability issues. In the past, the summit has witnessed the participation of 36 heads of states, ministerial representation from 50 countries, and has been inaugurated by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India since 2010.
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is an independent, not-for-profit research organization deeply committed to every aspect of energy, environment, and sustainable development. From providing environment-friendly solutions to rural energy problems, to helping shape the development of the Indian oil and gas sector; from tackling global climate change issues across many continents to enhancing forest conservation efforts among local communities; from advancing solutions to growing urban transportation and air pollution problems to promoting energy efficiency in Indian industries, the emphasis has always been on finding innovative solutions to make the world a better place to live in. All activities at TERI move from formulating local and national–level strategies to suggesting global solutions tackling critical energy and environment related issues.
Headed by Dr. R.K. Pachauri, also the chairperson of the Nobel Peace Prize winning climate change body, IPCC, TERI has emerged as an institution of excellence for its path-breaking research, and is a global brand widely respected by political leaders, policy makers, corporate entities as well as the civil society at large.
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