World leaders voice their concern for sustainable development and call for innovation

The 14th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit, organized by the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), witnessed an array of speakers voicing their opinion on the theme of the conference: ‘Attaining energy, water and food security for all’. Sustainable growth and development was stressed by various speakers, especially in the context of developing countries facing a crisis in midst of climate change and scarcity of natural resources. At a discussion during the Leadership Panel, discussing the Demographic Challenge, speaker’s spoke of the need for incentives to change the present paradigm of development.

Lord John Prescott, former Deputy Prime Minister and Member of Parliament, House of Lords, UK, argued that the idea that sustainability can be triggered by eco-growth alone is highly questionable. He said: “Access to food and water is a human right. If we merely stopped the waste of food, we could feed 870 million more people. “Market on its own can’t come to any equitable solution.”

He added: “It is how we distribute energy, food and water that is forcing a billion people to be dehydrated and starving. It is not the availability; it is the global distribution.”

During the discussion on the role of water management in addressing the Water-Food-Energy nexus, Mr Takehiko Nakao, President, Asian Development Bank, said: “In advanced societies, we should teach children the culture of not wasting food.” “Industrialization and Urbanization are reducing water for agriculture.” “70% of the world’s water is used for agriculture. Food wasted is also water wasted.”

Dr Bharrat Jadgeo, former President of Guyana, said: “We should work towards a global framework with the help of a system of incentives, allowing use of breakthrough technology and allowing opening of oceans.” He asked: “Can we make a system of incentives that will align the profit motive with growing sustainable practices?” Mr Göran Persson, former Prime Minister, Sweden, said: “The problem of climate change is first and foremost a question of technology.” “We don’t have time to wait, nor time to waste. It is extremely important that countries like India take the lead.” He added, “We need economic growth, and it can be combined with a low ecological footprint. We should fear countries that do not grow economically. Children are our link to the future, without which we have no motivation for sustainable development practices.”

Mr Nitin Desai, Distinguished Fellow, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) said: “The challenge will be to decentralize the concentration of resources with the corporations.” Ms Tarja Halonen, former President, Finland said: “The disproportion of men to women in the world must be changed. The view, in some countries, that men are more valuable than women is a mindset of the past, and must be changed for future sustainable development for all.” “There is a victory in the nature of an aging country. It is an indicator of a nation’s health,” she said.