World leaders call for ‘monumental transformation’ to tackle climate change 

John Forbes Kerry, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, United States said that climate crisis is the single greatest security challenge that we face at the 21st edition of the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) organised by The Energy And Resources Institute (TERI) on Wednesday in New Delhi. He called for “monumental transformation” in the way we deal with the concept of sustainability.

“Given the population growth rate on the planet, the level of current resource utilization is rapacious and not at all geared to the prospect of sustainability,” Kerry said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Glasgow had set an ambitious goal of 500 GW renewables by 2030. “The criticality of achieving that goal was very simple. It is the only way that India itself becomes compliant with the 1.5-degree goal, which we all ratified in Glasgow recently,” Kerry added.

Twenty countries on the planet account for 80 per cent of all emissions. “Unfortunately some of those countries are not yet adopting plans to do what the science tells us we do which is needed to reach the 1.5 degree Celsius and cut our emissions by 45 per cent in the course of this next 8 year period,” he said.

At the summit, international dignitaries and world leaders advocated for the reduction of wasteful consumption and ways to promote sustainable production patterns by raising awareness and encouraging responsible practices by all stakeholders, including governments, businesses and consumers. The world leaders also pressed for a deeper understanding and significance of Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP), which is one of the core elements of the global sustainable development agenda. 

“We have come together to discuss ways of moving from being a linear economy to a circular economy, which is the need of the hour. We cannot consume beyond what the earth and ecological system provides us. With respect to producers, we need eco-friendly product designs, better use of raw materials, seamless production methods, and sustainable ways to put the products to the market. We need a robust policy structure so that these processes strictly adhere to a zero-waste policy,” argued Teresa Ribera Rodríguez, Minister for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Spain.

France’s Minister of Ecological Transition, too, echoed similar views. 

“The objective of a resilient planet is to ensure a sustainable and just future throws light on the challenges we collectively have to face due to the evolution of world life, climate change and the loss of biodiversity. We are all one, in facing the consequences and developed countries will have to show the way. Our partnership with India is key to achieving ambitious and equitable solutions,” Barbara Pompili, the minister said.

World leaders and dignitaries from other countries like Norway, Germany and Canada also recognised the need to move away from the unilateral focus on private or corporate production and consumption patterns. 

“We have around 8 years left to implement the 2030 agenda for 'sustainable development'. Sustainable consumption is one of the key elements of the agenda, and to achieve it we need to focus on sustainable finance. We have to make sure that investments are transparent so that public and private investors can invest their money effectively in environmental protection and climate action. For better recovery and make sure these investments do not reach a status quo, we need a whole toolbox of legal, political and economic instruments,” said Steffi Lemke, Minister, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, Germany.

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