The Centre for Post-Graduate Legal Studies (CPGLS) at the School of Law, UPES, in collaboration with the Uttarakhand Forest Department and Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board, successfully hosted the International Conference on New Paradigms in Environmental Sustainability and Energy Laws from 20th to 21st September 2024. This prestigious event brought together leading experts, professionals, students and policy makers from across the globe to engage in critical dialogues about the challenges and future directions in environmental sustainability and energy law.
The inaugural ceremony, held on 20th September 2024, featured a virtual address by the Honourable Forest Minister of Uttarakhand, Mr. Subodh Uniyal, who highlighted the crucial role of legal frameworks in addressing climate change and fostering sustainable development. In his address, he remarked, “Environmental laws are the bedrock of our efforts to protect nature. Our collective responsibility is to balance economic growth and environmental conservation. Conferences like this are essential for crafting the laws and policies that will secure the future of our forests and biodiversity.”
The event also saw participation from Padma Bhushan awardee, Dr. Anil Prakash Joshi, who delivered a keynote address on environmental welfare, and Dr. Dhananjai Mohan, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (HoFF), Uttarakhand, laid emphasis on the importance of policymaking for environmental welfare and addressing climate change.
The conference featured a series of plenary sessions and keynote addresses by esteemed speakers, including Mr. Nishant Verma, APCCF, Uttarakhand Forest Department; Dr. Ankur Kansal, Environment Engineer, Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board; Mr. Anoop Nautiyal, Founder of the Social Development for Communities (SDC) Foundation, and Shri Umesh Dwivedi, Member of Legislative Council, Uttar Pradesh, among others. The key themes explored were environmental governance, climate justice, biodiversity conservation, energy transition, and sustainable forest management.
Dr. Abhishek Sinha, Dean of the School of Law, UPES, expressed his gratitude to the participants and emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary research and collaboration. He said, “The success of this conference reflects the urgent need to address environmental issues with a legal perspective. The convergence of environmental science, policy, and law is key to ensuring a sustainable future, and we at UPES are committed to fostering research and dialogue in this area.”
The valedictory session on 21st September 2024 was graced by the presence of Prof. (Dr.) M.K Ramesh, Chair Professor Urban Poor and the Law (Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, GoI) and Dr. Pradeep Mehta, State Head, UNDP, Uttarakhand and concluded with a vote of thanks and the presentation of Best Paper awards, honouring outstanding contributions to the field.