New Delhi, Feb 21, 2025: The need for collaborative efforts to address global climate challenges and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be the focus of the 24th edition of the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) to be held next month here.
Organized annually by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), WSDS is a global event dedicated to advancing sustainable development and climate solutions. As the only independently convened international summit on sustainable development and the environment based in the Global South, WSDS 2025, to be be held from March 5-7, will focus on the theme ‘Partnerships for Accelerating Sustainable Development and Climate Solutions’. With the world off-track in meeting SDGs and facing an urgent need to reduce emissions, the summit will focus on the power of partnerships to drive action.
The summit is expected to see the Opening Address by Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
The Summit is taking place in a year which will mark a decade since the adoption of sustainable development goals and the Paris Climate Agreement. In addition to the inaugural and valedictory sessions, the Summit will include seven plenary sessions which are high-level sessions on themes such as sustainable finance, energy transitions, nature, climate commitments, resilience, innovations and mainstreaming sustainable development. The Summit will also see over 24 thematic tracks.
WSDS 2025 will bring together global leaders, policymakers, scientists, industry experts, and youth leaders to discuss messages for accelerating SDGs, including the role of partnerships, discussions and inputs as a build-up for COP30, leading to COP33, which India has made bid to host, measures to ramp up ambitions on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and India taking the lead for the global south and set the global narrative in the current climate action scenario.
Addressing the media briefing, Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI, remarked, “Partnerships are the cornerstone of transformative climate action. At WSDS 2025, we aim to inspire collective efforts that transcend borders, advancing innovation and driving ambitious solutions for a sustainable future. WSDS 2025 will serve as a vital platform to forge these alliances and drive impactful change.”
Ajay Shankar, Distinguished Fellow, TERI, added, “With the world off-track on key sustainability goals, WSDS 2025 will serve as a catalyst for collaboration, bringing together diverse voices to co-create actionable pathways for a resilient planet.”
"The Summit will drive ambition and action on three fronts: accelerating sustainable development, shaping key messages for COP30, and pushing for greater ambition in NDC 3.0 to ensure climate justice,” underscored Dr Shailly Kedia, Curator, WSDS and Senior Fellow, TERI.
Some of the prominent speakers to be present at WSDS 2025 include Prof Jim Skea, Chair, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; Martin Raiser, Vice President, South Asia, The World Bank; Prof Jeffrey Sachs, President, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network; Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator in India, United Nations; Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Chairperson, M S Swaminathan Research Foundation; Prof Petteri Taalas, Director General, Finnish Meteorological Institute; Dia Mirza, Actor, Producer, UN Secretary General's Advocate for SDGs, UNEP Goodwill Ambassador; Manish Chourasia, Chief Operating Officer, Tata Capital Ltd; Helen Clarkson, CEO, Climate Group; Sujata Gupta, Director, Asian Development Bank; Dr Pema Gyamtsho, Director General, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD); Amanda Maxwell, Managing Director, Global Division, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Dr Julie Reviere, Country Director, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
A key highlight will be the Sustainable Development Leadership Award (SDLA), which recognises global leaders for contributions to sustainability, launches of knowledge documents, and the Act4Earth Manifesto, encapsulating the Summit’s key takeaways and promoting year-round stakeholder engagement.
Instituted in 2001 as the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit, WSDS has a legacy of over two decades as a premier global platform for sustainability discourse, mobilizing collective action through high-level ministerial sessions, plenaries, thematic tracks, and exhibitions on green innovations.
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