Sector Experts Discuss Current Status of Preparedness to Combat Climate Change and Managing Environment & Energy Sustainably

· This Summit was held under the overall guidance of Hon’ble Mr. Justice Swatanter Kumar, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India, and Former Chairperson, National Green Tribunal (NGT) was present at the Summit along with international dignitaries such as Hon’ble Mr. Justice Tshering Wangchuk, Chief Justice of Bhutan was the chief guest for the entire summit and Hon’ble Mr. Justice Ananda Mohan Bhattarai, Judge, Supreme Court, Nepal, was the Guest of Honour. Shri Arun Khurana, Founder/Director of SRC, was the brain behind integrating two vital sectors, Environment & Energy, for finding sustainable solutions to contemporary global problems, particularly the climate change.

· Short films by Mr. Mike Pandey, noted wildlife and environmental filmmaker and Mr. Anand Arya were screened at the Summit.

New Delhi June 25th, 2019: Leading environment and energy professionals, academicians, senior government officials and legal experts from India and neighbouring countries converged here at the first “Sustainable Environment and Energy Summit 2019”, organised by Social Responsibility Council (SRC). The congregation discussed various challenges related to climate change; doing sustainable green business through optimal use of energy; controlling the rapid escalation in pollution levels; and sustainable environmental management.

Several champions of environmental cause and leading legal luminaries attended the summit, including Hon’ble Mr. Justice Swatanter Kumar, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India and Former Chairperson, National Green Tribunal; Mr. Vivek Saxena, Country Representative, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN); Dr. Ajay Achyutrao Deshpande, Member of Asian Development Bank (ADB-CRP); and Former Member, National Green Tribunal.

Senior Government Officials who marked their presence, included: Mr. Sanjeev Khirwar, IAS, Secretary, Department of Environment, Government of Delhi; Dr. J. R. Bhatt, Advisor, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change; Mr. Subhash Chandra, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and Head of Forest Forces, Goa; and Former Joint Secretary, Mines, among others. Key international dignitaries present at the summit included Hon’ble Mr. Justice Tshering Wangchuk, Chief Justice of Bhutan and Hon’ble Mr. Justice Ananda Mohan Bhattarai, Judge, Supreme Court, Nepal.

“The environment around us is degrading every day and very rapidly. There is an urgent need not only to discuss how to counter this fast degradation of environment but to find feasible way to implement those plans. But all this cannot be done in isolation. Which is why, this summit is important. We had prominent academicians, senior government officials, as well as, environmental and legal experts to chart a course of action for the future. The sessions were planned in a way so that all the necessary aspects of sustainability and doing green business are comprehensively attended to, right from pollution control to various sources of energy and their optimum use. Very recently, the Government of UK had announced a target of cutting down emissions to zero by 2020. An ambitious target setting like this is a good start but only sustainable means can help achieve it. We are focussing on this part and I am sure that this will help us attain economic prosperity and save the environment as well,” says Mr. Arun Khurana, Founder and Director, Social Responsibility Council (SRC).

The discussion sessions held at the summit included topic such as ‘Climate Change and Sustainable Development’; ‘Environment, Sustainability, and Energy’; ‘Green Business and Smart Energy Resources’; and ‘Sustainable Environmental Management & Pollution Control’. Besides, short films by Mr. Mike Pandey, noted wildlife and the environmental filmmaker, and Mr. Anand Arya were screened at the Summit.