The Delhi Sustainable Development Summit 2012 (DSDS 2012) included sessions on climate change, during which panelists discussed, among other things, the need for an energy technology revolution, integration of mitigation and adaptation action, and collaboration and cooperation in the areas of education and research.
4 February 2012: The Delhi Sustainable Development Summit 2012 (DSDS 2012) concluded with global leaders and policy makers pledging to protect the global commons and adopt sustainable methods. Participants discussed international cooperation to address climate change, green growth and clean energy, among other issues.
DSDS 2012, which took place from 2-4 February 2012, in New Delhi, India, was organized by the The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and focused on the theme, “Protecting the commons: 20 years post Rio.” Various Heads of States participated in the Summit, including Anote Tong, President of Kiribati, James Alix Michel, President of Seychelles, Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, and Tarja Halonen, President of Finland.
The event featured various special events, including the ninth World CEO Sustainability Summit, the Sustainable Development Leadership Award, the fourth Green Globe Foundation Award Ceremony, and the Asian launch of the Report of the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability, with the participation of Gro Harlem Brundtland, Former Prime Minister of Norway and Member of the UN Secretary General’s Global Sustainability Panel. The first day of the three-day summit featured two leadership panels titled “Leading to preserve the global commons,” during which world leaders, including presidents and former presidents, identified the key needs for preserving the global commons, including: a carbon tax; social equity; pricing models for products; sustainable agriculture; strong political will; international cooperation to combat climate change; green growth; effective monitoring; and an interdisciplinary approach for a sustainable future. The panel members also underlined the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the media, stressing that in guiding the world towards sustainability, leaders need public support.
The Summit also included sessions on: biodiversity; a corporate dialogue on the global commons; water; sustainable development and consumption; sustainable management of global commons in South Asia; global commons and challenges in Africa; new frontiers in combating climate change; the information revolution and sustainable development; clean energy; and overcoming the global North-global South divide.
In the session on “New frontiers in combating climate change,” panelists discussed the need to: use alternative development trajectories rather than the high carbon pathway; change the current “Annex I/ Annex II” method of differentiating among countries; base negotiations on policy rather than technology; and ensure that funds are being used in the right manner and direction.
In the session on overcoming the global North-global South divide, panelists highlighted that: accelerating the move to a low-carbon economy is necessary for long-term economic and social development; reducing emissions and economic growth are compatible goals; and strengthening linkages between science and policy is need for good decision making. Others also underlined the need for an energy technology revolution, integration of mitigation and adaptation action, and collaboration and cooperation in the areas of education and research.
In closing the Summit, TERI Director General, Rajendra K Pachauri, summarized the discussions, highlighting the issues of poverty eradication and sustainable development. [Summit Bulletin, 3 February 2012] [Summit Bulletin, 4 February 2012] [Summit Bulletin 5 February 2012] [Summit Website]