The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the first edition of the World Sustainable Development Summit on the theme ‘Beyond 2015: People, Planet and Progress’ organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in New Delhi today (October 6, 2016).Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the threat of climate change is real and immediate. It concerns the whole world as its ill-effects are all-pervasive. As a developing country with shared concerns on climate vulnerability, India has a vital stake in an equitable and multi-lateral approach towards climate change. India ratified the landmark Paris Agreement four days ago. This will be a major boost to our fight against climate change.The President said that we need to follow a twin-tracked approach of limiting the rise of climate change while ensuring the existence of sufficient resources to meet our future developmental requirements. This objective mandates the efficient use of earth’s natural resource.
We should aim at creating a society that is prosperous but not wasteful. We should make use of our abundant renewable sources to create a society that is self-sustaining and mindful of its responsibilities towards the present and future generations. Our society must learn to exercise restraint in consumption while continuing to use resources in moderation.The President said that the theme of the Summit ‘Beyond 2015: People, Planet and Progress’ will motivate us to transform the way we think about progress. The barometer of prosperity is not merely economic growth but the well-being and availability of opportunities for all. He expressed hope that the World Sustainable Development Summit would deliberate on policy discourse and conceptualize new solutions to find innovative pathways of development.On the occasion, the President presented the Sustainable Development Leadership Award to Shri Pawan Kumar Chamling, Chief of Minister of Sikkim.