World Environment Summit 2021

26^th & 27^th June 2021 | India International Centre, New Delhi

WORLD ENVIRONMENT SUMMIT 2021

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ABOUT THE SUMMIT

The rapid growth in global population, urbanization, and industrialization has led to several complications such as depletion of natural resources, environmental pollution causing climate change, and potential health risks including scarcity of food and potable water. It is now widely recognized that 21st century is the age of environmental challenges world over, all the countries are facing increasing threat of climate change, pollution, deforestation, disasters, land use change, biodiversity and ecosystem services losses, environmental health diseases & epidemics and impinging challenges of socio economic inequalities and development. Increased anthropogenic activities have further escalated the magnitude of these environmental losses. We are witnessing the most severe environmental crisis ever in the history of the Earth. Chances are ripe that if nothing is done soon enough to address these looming environmental challenges, we may be soon facing an existential crisis of life on this planet.

Recently in September 2015, the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that included 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 inter-linked targets. The goals and targets covered under 2030 Agenda includes poverty eradication, mitigating pollution, increasing reliability and sustainability, ensuring access to clean air, water and energy, sanitation and hygiene, sustainable cities and urbanization, biodiversity conservation etc. A sharp focus was laid to achieving economic, social, cultural, civil, politicaland human rights under SDGs by removing gender inequality, conflicts, poverty and environmental threats. In 2015, 197 countries also adopted a global agreement on combating and addressing the issue of climate change, known as Paris Agreement, in 2015.

As per the Paris Agreement, it was decided that both rich and poor countries would take actions to curb the rise in global temperature and also achieve SDGs in a broader perspective. However, it is needless to say that little has been achieved in terms of either achieving Sustainable Development Goals or meeting the targets of Paris Agreement. Every country today faces a huge challenge to supply the energy and employment needs of ever growing population and keeping climate change in check by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In order to ensure sustainable development, we would have to make informed and scientific choices. For this, there is an urgent need of collaborative effort among various stakeholders in terms of infrastructure development, research and development, development of clean technologies and formulation of a common minimum sustainable development policy.

This world environment summit 2021 would provide such a platform for active deliberations among various stakeholders and would aim to produce actionable suggestions for the policy makers. The main focus would be to build capacities on best practices on affordable, alternative solutions, sustainable and clean energy, pollution control and management, restoration of ecosystem services, cure & prevention of environmental health diseases, affordable and sustainable spatial planning techniques and sustainable transport systems. Attempts would be made to explore the inter-linkages between global environmental challenges, human health and sustainable development in light of SDG's 2030, SENDAI Framework 2030 and Paris agreement 2015.