Thaindian News

New Delhi, Jan 30 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will Feb 2 inaugurate the 12th edition of the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) which will focus on protection of natural resources and assess the progress made in protecting the planet in the last two decades.

DSDS 2012 will be the first important meeting of global leaders preceding the June 2012, Rio+20 Summit. The June 2012 Summit in Brazil marks twenty years of the 1992 Earth Summit which will witness leaders of the world come together to deliberate and devise a plan for a sustainable future.

Focusing on the theme, “Protecting the Global Commons: 20 Years Post Rio”, the summit will see participation of three head of states, dignitaries, Nobel laureates and ministers from 15 countries.

Organised by The Energy Research Institute (TERI), the summit has been held annually in New Delhi since 2001, tackling key developmental issues of the times.

R.K. Pachauri, director general, TERI, said: “The DSDS has clearly evolved as the most important gathering of leaders from all over the world and from every profession - including government, business and industry, research and academia and civil society - that focuses on the challenge of attaining sustainable development worldwide.”

Other dignitaries who will be at the summit include Finnish President Tarja Halonen, Kiribati President Anote Tong, and Seychelles President James Alix Michel.

“Two decades since Earth Summit, time is ripe to assess the progress made in protecting our planet. DSDS 2012 will examine what has since been achieved and how awareness had been created; it will attempt to define new directions to be followed; and set an agenda for further action,” said Pachauri.

DSDS 2012 will be preceded by the World CEO Sustainability Summit, on Feb 1. The event is co-organised by the TERI Business Council for Sustainable Development, India and, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Geneva.

The YUVA Meet 2012 under the theme of ‘Conserving Global Commons: Transforming Knowledge into Action’ aims at engaging the youth, recognising the fact that all articulation in the discourse on preserving the environment stands to benefit from the acceptance and action of the young.