The session was chaired by HE Ms Tarja Halonen, President, Finland. The session marked the regional launch of the report, which elicited an invigorating discussion on the key recommendations of the report. It was pointed out that the road to sustainable development had changed track and the panelists reflected on the lack of success in achieving the objectives. The two main reasons cited were discrimination against women and lack of access to resources and energy. Another key message that was highlighted was that the global community cannot carry on with the "business as usual" scenario and a change is required in the growth narrative.

Dr Prannoy Roy, chair and moderator of the session emphasized on the importance of global summits like DSDS. Opening the session, HE Mr Anote Tong, President, Kiribati emphasized on the need for global focus on sustainable development and pointed out that human beings are central to the process. Mr Tong also said that carbon tax was the need of the hour, even though it is likely to face criticism. He also reiterated that multi and bilateral organizations should assess what they are doing for sustainable commons.

HE Ms Tarja Halonen, President, Finland, emphasized on the need for social justice. She stressed on the need for keeping the people who are part of the biodiversity of a country or region in mind. Talking about resources she quoted Mahatma Gandhi in saying that “there is enough for everybody's need, but not for everybody's greed". Pricing models for products was an important thrust of her address. Sustainable agriculture was the other major focus area of Ms Halonen's address.

Actions and not words was the call given by HE Mr James Alix Michel, President, Seychelles. He pointed out that we have to address these problems through not only G7 and G20, but also G193 where all nations of the world can come together. President Michel stressed that time has come to develop strong political will to come together and work towards sustainable development. In his concluding remarks, he called upon citizens to put pressure on their respective governments to become responsible and move towards sustainable development.

The panel members agreed that leadership to preserve the global commons is fraught with challenges. These include the fact that the 'middle class' is expected to rise by 3 billion by 2030; and the realization that despite Copenhagen, Cancun, and Durban, there have been few encouraging signs. Moreover, unlike Kyoto, when a handful of countries participated; today 190-odd nations are vying to reach a similar agreement. For so many countries to reach consensus will itself be a huge challenge.

The skeptics tend to overlook that the issue of sustainability is being increasingly reflected in politics. It is now up to politicians to judiciously balance short-term political compulsion with long-term sustainability requirements. Simultaneously, it needs to be understood that leaders, in their efforts toward guiding the world towards sustainability, need public support. Hence, NGOs and the media have extremely important roles to play.

In developing countries, such as those in Africa, people burn wood and damage forests to survive, simply because they have no other alternative. Since African nations also face serious challenges regarding adaptation, their ability to contribute to environmental mitigation is rather limited. However, such a situation does not exempt leaders of Africa from leading responsibly. It is indeed encouraging to notice that some of them have already taken the initiative in motivating their countrymen to plant trees. This brings us to the point of devising the correct performance indices that will reflect true commitment to environment.

The time has come to change the way we use our resources, including human resources. Our leaders need to recognize that since half of the people in the world are women, it is necessary to motivate them to realize their full potential. Only then can the goal of sustainable development be reached.

The session was chaired by Dr R K Pachauri and moderated by Mr Terry Taminnen. In his keynote address, Mr Arnold Schwarzenegger reiterated two key messages, which are important for managing the global commons. First, he reiterated that it was possible to have sustainable development action in an economically viable environment. Second, he urged all stakeholders not to wait for international agreements, but initiate local action to the extent possible. He gave the example of California, where he was till recently the governor, and cited that most people were skeptical about very "radical" steps. But, California now has a vibrant green economy and has achieved energy efficiency and large-scale renewable energy deployment. Mr Schwarzenegger also suggested that it was important not only to have top-down approaches for sustainable development, but also bottom-up initiatives.

The panelists concurred that climate action must start at the provincial level. The panel highlighted the importance of a body like R20, which promotes interventions at the local level. Ms Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of Delhi, emphasized on the human resource, health, and education dimensions. Dr Pachauri concluded by saying that new innovations are decisive in transitioning to a sustainable development pathway.

Dr R K Pachauri welcomed the august delegation to the 12th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit, highlighting the environmental and water sectors and referring to the "tragedy of the commons". He reflected on the progression of international talks, from Stockholm, to Rio, and finally looking ahead to the upcoming Rio+20. According to Dr Pachauri, energy security would be the biggest challenge in times to come.

Hon'ble Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh, India reminded the audience about the upcoming United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in June 2012 that marks the twentieth anniversary of the landmark 1992 Earth Summit. He reiterated poverty eradication as the overarching objective of India's approach towards sustainable development and commended India for playing an important role in the climate change negotiations at COP17 where the agreement on the second commitment period to the Kyoto Protocol was reached. Dr Singh stressed that India has believed in moving forward with focus on equity, but differentiated responsibilities as central dimensions. He expressed satisfaction that the National Action Plan on Climate Change and the eight national missions under it were making satisfactory progress and stated that the Twelfth Five-Year Plan would be designed to ensure sustainable development and inclusive growth. He seemed delighted to report that the tiger population is on the rise in India, as is the forest cover.

Concluding the session, Dr Arcot Ramachandran thanked the Prime Minister for his presence and his encouraging inaugural address. He highlighted the urgent need to set standards.

Dr Iwan Azis chaired the panel and informed the participants that the panel discussion would revolve around ADB's recent publication - the Asia 2050 report. Dr Bindu N Lohani provided a comprehensive overview of the study and mentioned that it was commissioned to examine the possible scenarios for 2050 for Asia and to draw the attention of policy-makers.

Ms Frances Bainecke emphasized on taking action as urbanization was taking over Asia and there was a need to deal with issues at an early stage. Dr Kandeh K Yumkella reiterated that shared global affluence could reduce poverty and create wealth pockets. Growth in Asia is linked to global prosperity. Mr S (Kris) Gopalakrishnan mentioned the need for new holistic models of development/employment/job creation/social development.

Dr Naoko Ishii stated that action on climate change is in our interest. Asia is uniquely positioned to make a difference through policy interventions. Mr Hon Cheung focused on debt financing as an interesting instrument to finance projects on sustainable technologies and models. Dr R K Pachauri said that an ideal pattern of growth should include health, education, and disaster management, and highlighted the importance of culture and innovation.

TERI-BCSD organized a special luncheon meeting of Indian CEO's and other dignitaries with former California governor, HE Mr Arnold Schwarzenegger. Dr Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Senior Associate Dean for Executive Programs and Lester Crown Professor in the Practice of Management, Yale School of Management, Yale University, USA, Dr R K Pachauri, Director-General, TERI, Mr Terry Tamminen, Founder and President, Seventh Generation Advisors, USA, and Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Hon'ble Chief Minister, Government of Himachal Pradesh, India. This session also included a voting session where issues like organizational sustainability and effective partnerships were deliberated upon. Addressing the gathering, Mr Schwarzenegger said, "No one can tell if there will be an energy future. If there is no energy policy in place, there will be no environment."

The 4th Green Globe Awards ceremony felicitated the efforts of those unsung heroes who have contributed towards sustainable development in India in several categories. Introducing the event, Dr Pachauri said that the Green Globe Awards were important to recognize the initiatives of those who were working towards saving the planet. While the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation won the award in the Manufacturing category, IndusInd bank received the award in the Business category for running ATMs on solar power. The Centre for Research on Environment and Development from Meghalaya was the big winner in the NGO sector and the state government of Madhya Pradesh won the award for Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Development by a State Government. Husk Power Systems was the winner in the Product, Innovation, and Design category, while Joydeep Gupta was the recipient of the Green Globe Award 2012 in the Media category. A special award was presented to the Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL cricket team for being carbon neutral. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Bjorn Stigson, former President of WBSCD. While Rahul Saini won the award in the Yuva category, the Salwan Public School was the winner in the Outstanding Contribution by Educational Institution category. The award for Outstanding Contribution by a Celebrity was presented to Abhishek Bachchan for his initiative to save paper and reducing energy consumption during film shootings and his contribution towards LaBL. Receiving the award Abhishek Bachchan, also the chief guest of the event, said that he became more conscious about the environment after having met Dr Pachauri and started taking steps to conserve energy. He said that he tried to lead by example and was even prepared to star in a film which has the minimum carbon footprint provided someone makes it.

HE Ms Patricia Espinosa Cantellano was concerned that even after 20 years of Rio, the world is still struggling to make sustainable development a part of social and economic planning. She stressed that the need of the hour is to take right political decisions and argued that with the support of NGOs, academia, local communities and other organized civil societies, the government can be more effective. She also mentioned that we have to use our financial and technological resources to bring together the Millennium Development Goals and climate change initiatives. Ms Cantellano emphasized on the need for a common goal and called for uniting all efforts with a genuine political will under a proactive leadership, which will pave the way for strong initiatives and carry on the spirit of Rio, Cancun, and Durban. Mr Haruhiko Kuroda urged for corrective action that needs to be taken as regards climate change and preserving the global commons. He added that the ADB was playing animportant role in inculcating green growth in the Asia-Pacific region. Arguing in favour of international cooperation to combat the global problem of climate change, he prescribed a green growth with a perfect network of regional cooperation and links with global partnerships for going ahead. He concluded by adding that the green energy development initiative is making a noticeable change in the Asia-Pacific region and hoped for the development of the Green Climate Fund by 2020. Professor Ostrom called for a polycentric approach. She added that the problem with the global change is that everyone wants to focus only on the international level; but we actually need to look regionally and locally at policies to enhance possibilities. She also added that effective monitoring by resource users can mitigate the problem of commons and categorically emphasized the need for a more interdisciplinary approach for a sustainable solution.

Dr R K Pachauri introduced the panel and emphasized that increase in global temperature would endanger biodiversity. The session was chaired and moderated Dr Ashok Khosla emphasized that the present level of degradation of natural resources is beyond the regenerative capacity of the earth. Setting the theme for the session, Mr M F Farooqui stated that biodiversity and issues of global commons are closely interlinked.

Ms Jayanti Natarajan, in her keynote address, stressed on the fact that interlinking the interest of global commons and economics is required in the day-to-day lives of common persons. She also emphasized that the global regime for protecting biodiversity should be rooted in the principle of the Rio Declaration. Prof. Kazuhiko Takeuchi focused on the Satoyama Initiative, which focuses on issues such as resilience of society equipped with traditional knowledge and the need for new business model for sustainable exploitation of resources.

Dr Abdul Rahim Nik emphasized challenges, such as inventory of biodiversity and proper law enforcement in managing biodiversity in Malaysia. Dr P P Bhojvaid stated that forests are responsible for creation and sustenance of soil, water, and all flora and fauna, and interaction of all these externalities are important in protecting forest resources. Prof. Timothy Gregoire stated that innovation like standardization in measurement procedures is needed for conservation of biodiversity. Prof. Paavo Pelkonen stressed that sustainable forest management is the need of the hour along with the promotion of the concept of bio-economy.

Professor Jeffrey A Sonnenfield started the session by explaining the notion of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Mr Sai Ramakrishna Karuturi talked about his company's initiatives in developing the land and food production of Ethiopia by investing in rainwater harvesting and supporting organic mode of farming. Mahesh Makhija pointed out that they entered the renewable energy space in 2oo1 not just because of environmental consciousness but because it is also a lucrative business opportunity. Mr Stigson emphasized on the partnership between businesses and society for addressing today's sustainability challenges. Mr Pasi Rousu discussed his company's initiatives in finding new ways of addressing sustainability by using byproducts of biorefining in India and China. Ms Hilde Tonne called for exercising CSR as a win-win approach. She underscored the role of (1) developing technology by opening up new business avenues and focusing on energy efficiency; (2) adopting a project-based approach towards CSR; and (3) cleaning up the supply chain by eradicating child labour and exercising zero tolerance to corruption. Mr Venkatesh Valluri delineated the role of converging business, technology, and society as an emerging strategy to stay in business. Dr Bhaskar Chatterjee emphasized on the Indian government's two important CSR policies: (1) all CSR activities should be mandatorily reported and (2) large business corporations are expected to put at least 2% of their profit after tax into CSR activities.

Starting the session, Dr Kandeh K Yumkella emphasized that for Asia to account for 50% of the global GDP by 2050, sustainable management of global commons will be crucial.

Mr Malik Amin Aslam said that despite being one of the lowest greenhouse gas emitters, Pakistan is highly vulnerable to climate change and that the country's cost of adaptation could be 3%-5% of the GDP.

HE Dr Pema Gyamtsho mentioned about the importance of common properties of natural resources across territorial boundaries. He said that the region should not wait for global agreements and should take action towards minimizing the impacts of climate change.

Pointing at the enormous diversity of the region, HE Mr Mohamed Aslam said that there are several common problems related to resource management. He added that countries like Maldives are at the front line of bearing the impacts of climate change and that there is a moral duty of the global community to protect them. He further said that since faith plays an important role in the region, religious scholars should be involved in the process.

HE Mr U Win Tun highlighted the challenges faced by the region in addressing environmental problems and stressed the role of technology and capacity building for resolving these issues.

Mr Hemraj Tater underlined that poor people are worst affected by climate change and that green economy can provide an important paradigm for resource management.

In this session, the speakers highlighted that although countries in South Asia have to formulate domestic action plans to address climate change, there is a need for regional cooperation in research and development and data sharing. The potential for south-south cooperation needs to be harnessed.

The session highlighted that Africa must take adaptation measures to address the impacts of human- induced climate change. Adaptation measures will also demand a change in lifestyles of the common middle-income section of the people of Africa. While addressing those challenges, it is important to maintain a balance between present and future use of natural resources. In the current context, Africa does not have a strong voice in the global forum and, hence, requires support from international organizations. The support can come through strong South-South cooperation between India and Africa. In addition to these challenges of adaptation, issues such as food security, role of science and technology, and renewable energy have to be addressed while charting out a growth and development pathway for African nations. In order to grow and develop, Africa has to address the challenges of desertification, land degradation, food security, and biodiversity, including preservation of wildlife, forest cover, and availability of water and energy. Developmental goals of the continent have to be achieved by addressing the challenges faced from exploitation of two resources–petroleum and minerals. The empowerment of women, education, and community-based resource management are key components of achieving developmental goals. Renewable energy resources like solar, hydro, wind, and agri-waste have already been tapped for fostering green growth in Africa. The energy potential in these resources needs to be enhanced through basic infrastructure creation and partnerships between the government and the private sector as well as the civil society. However, the implementation of all of these will require a strong political will.

Mr Ashok Jaitly chaired and moderated the session putting forth few critical issues concerning water. Dr Dan Blackmore emphasized on the human aspect of water management. Mr Henry Saint Bris emphasized the significance of decentralized alternatives of water management to overcome water stress in urban areas. He expressed concern that the traditional infrastructural arrangements were inadequate leading to about 40% of the loss of water. He stated that large future cities need to invent new solutions through decentralized water management, involving all stakeholders, thus, reflecting a new vision.

Mr Serge Lepeltier shared the significance of the expectations from the forthcoming 6th World Water Forum being organized in France in March 2012 and emphasized the need for collective actions in water and sanitation sector. Dr David Molden spoke about the ambiguity over the quantity of water available in the Himalayan region. Mr Suresh Prabhu stressed the need to customize innovative water related technologies with traditional knowledge.

Prof. Johan Rockstrom reiterated that if mitigation to climate change is about the gases, then adaptation to climate change is about the water. Dr Shiv Someshwar discussed the knowledge related dynamics between micro and macro level of water management. Mr Ashok Jaitly concluded the session by emphasizing the need for good governance to manage global and local commons. This session also discussed issues relating to productivity and efficiency of water, virtual water, the mismatch between demand and supply, and strategies and solutions to resolve local conflicts, and enhancement of regional cooperation.

Dr Ligia Noronha chaired and moderated the session and highlighted the importance of looking at not just issues of over consumption, but also issues of under consumption in the context of the sustainable development discourse. Ms Connie Hedegaard, in her keynote address, emphasized on the importance of redefining growth characterized by efficient use of resources and optimum pricing.

Mr Peter Bakker defined the vision of sustainable consumption as better products and services, enlightened consumers, maximized total value, new measures, and a cohesive and responsive market place. Mr Warren Evans urged rich countries to take a lead in making consumption sustainable through an appropriate regulatory framework. Mr Pierre Jacquet mentioned that we need to focus on under- consumption in developing countries the way we focus on over-consumption in developed countries. He also emphasized the need to address problems of food security, energy, and involvement of local people.

Mr Bittu Sahgal, through a video message, communicated the need to care for Nature and to take urgent action to protect it. He emphasized on the role of children in bringing about a change. Prof. Petteri Taalas shared meteorological data, which indicated the significant changes in temperature, hydrosphere, snow cover, glaciers, and so on and highlighted the need to recognize these changes and take appropriate actions.

Dr R K Pachauri welcomed the panel and informed the audience that the summary of the proceedings of the Summit will be made available for wider dissemination. Chairing and moderating the session, HE Dasho Paljor J Dorji said that to think ahead we need to look back and for this we have to stop and plan our future actions. Hon. Stephane Dion stated that there is no single solution to attain sustainable development and expressed the need for a global price on carbon, which will generate revenues that could used to address climate change issues.

HE Ms Heidi Hautala focused on the "Modern Trinity"-economic, environmental, and social goals for sustainable development- and emphasized on bridging the gap between the North and the South. She also spoke of the role of public finances in tackling the economic crisis. HE Ms Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul oriented her talk on the impact of ongoing globalization, power shifts in the world, and climate change and its consequences. HE Dr Naoko Ishii, citing the example of natural disasters, emphasized on the importance of local action on developing resilience in development process. While Mr Janusz Zaleski emphasized on mobilizing finances for environmental protection and effective policy, HE Dr Assuncao Cristas emphasized on efficiency both in the production and consumption processes and the fact that decarbonizing the economy and empowerment of citizens are the key to sustainable development. HE Ms Maria Mutagamba emphasized on the right to live, including eradication of diseases, water and food security, and access to energy based on the LaBL model.

The moderator Ambassador C Dasgupta set the tone of the session by drawing the attention of the panel on the method to arrive at an international agreement on equity within the international legal framework. Mr Ted Hanisch opined that, although progress had been made in a number of areas, the success of intergovernmental efforts have been limited. He also raised an important question on the need for a smarter differentiation of countries than the present Annex 1 and 2 scenario. Mr Carl Pope stressed that the high carbon pathway is no longer possible, and Latin America, Africa, and Asia cannot follow the European and the American pathways. These countries have to develop an alternative development trajectory. Mr Ghulam Mohd Malikyar highlighted the vulnerability of Afghanistan to the impacts of climate change and provided an update on the water scarce conditions in the country. While Dr Halldor Thorgeirsson explained that the basis of all negotiations must be policy and not technology as technology remains static, Dr Laurence Tubiana stressed on the fact that availability of funds is not really the problem in the sustainability arena. The problem is whether these funds are being utilized in the right manner and direction.

The session began by a tribute from Dr R K Pachauri to Prof. Sachs. He mentioned that Prof. Sachs has been a great supporter and active participant in DSDS and a patron of World Sustainable Development Forum, which shows his unrelenting commitment to the cause of sustainable development.

Dr Prodipto Ghosh set the scene by highlighting that information revolution has progressed rapidly in the last decade. He mentioned that due to easy access and affordability in current times, IT revolution has helped in empowerment of society, development of skill and capabilities, and greater accountability of all involved.

Prof. Sachs emphasized on the role that technology can play in sustainable development and the need of the hour to overcome deep structural challenges that limit diffusion of technology for sustainable development. He discussed in detail the four pillars of the sustainable development goals, which are ending extreme poverty, ensuring environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and good governance.

Dr. Srivastava introduced and moderated the session. Dr. Lee Yee Cheong highlighted his work in Africa and emphasized the role of Military Engineers in Climate Change Adaptation. Mr. Keating sensitized the audience to the challenges faced by people in Afghanistan viz., poverty, unemployment, drought and governance challenges. Ms. Markovic highlighted Indo-Swedish knowledge sharing initiatives such as solar-powered GSM to serve rural population, task force on sustainable lifestyles and resource sharing in India and Africa. Mr. Mori suggested three-pronged approach for innovative development: creative knowledge generation, effective knowledge management and enhancing social capital through human interactions. Dr. Ramanathan reiterated the impact of GHGs on climate change and emphasized the need for translating existing knowledge into actions. He highlighted projects in collaboration with TERI which involved assessing the impact of traditional chullahs on health of rural women and innovations for reducing emissions from cookstoves. Prof. Vartiainen opined that knowledge on socio-political processes is essential to improve sustainable development outcomes. Dr. Srivastava wrapped up the session by questioning whether ever-increasing supply of knowledge was impeding the human capacities for absorption and utilization in decision making. She further enquired whether knowledge generation is leading to knowledge imperialism and mistrust or to equitable knowledge sharing?

Mr David Sandalow chaired and moderated the session. Dr Ajay Mathur stated that India has been working towards addressing market failures through building codes and energy labeling of appliances. In his view, a natural cooperation exists between governments to improve the energy scenario. Ms Fiza Farhan emphasized the need for action on the field through individual contributions. She gave an overview of the activities undertaken by her organization, which has been working at the grassroots level on energy financing schemes.

Mr Binu Parthan highlighted the need to combine renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions to achieve energy access for all. These solutions need to be linked with the volatile needs of the poor. Mr Kazuo Furukawa informed the audience that the Japanese government has been involved in over 100 projects and signed more than 150 MoUs with several other countries in its effort to conserve energy. Mr Christof Schoser stated that there is a need for a broader approach to reducing GHGs. He also mentioned that country-wise energy policies need to be linked to efficient resource utilization. The panel then deliberated on cost effectiveness of the clean energy technology and the impact of these technologies on the global commons.

The session began with Mr Suman Bery acknowledging that the topic of discussion was designed to be "deliberatively provocative". Dr Subho Banerjee spoke about the need to recognize the sustainable development agenda and its challenges within climate negotiations and focused on "more differentiated understanding" of the issue.

Mr Hironori Hamanaka emphasized that accelerating the movement towards a low carbon economy is necessary for long-term economic and social development. Dr Artur Runge-Metzger highlighted that reducing emissions and economic growth are compatible goals. He discussed the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), which provides for equal treatment of sectors with high risk of carbon leakage.

Prof. Luigi Paganetto spoke about the fact that an energy technology revolution is required to foster economic growth. Dr Tumur Ochir Sanjbegz emphasized that the integration of mitigation and adaptation action and improvement in the area of technology transfer are key for sustainable development.

Dr Gopa Sabharwal said that the binaries of North and South are problematic, reductionist, and exclusivist. She highlighted the need for collaboration and cooperation in the areas of education and research. Mr Ali Sheikh insisted that the evidence base for climate change is imperative for good decision making. Thus, there is a need to strengthen linkages between science and policy.

Dr R K Pachauri announced the "TERI Georgescu-Reogen Annual Award", paying tribute to Prof. Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen, the founder of the discipline of ecological economics on his 106th birth anniversary. He summarized the events at the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit by emphasizing on the key messages-de-materialisation and integration of technologies for sustainable development.

Dr Pachauri then provided a succinct summary of the Summit deliberations referring to the issue of poverty eradication and sustainable development raised by Dr Manmohan Singh, Hon'ble Prime Minister of India. The surprise of the evening was young climate enthusiasts from TERI University providing a fresh perspective on the youth as being the "untapped global common".

At the end of the session, Dr Pachauri announced the next DSDS (30 January–2 February 2013) on the theme "The Global Challenge for Resource Efficient and Low Carbon Development".