An urgent collective action, leading to partnerships among various stakeholders is the need of the hour to address the multifaceted challenges facing the world today, an international summit organised by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) here this week has underscored.

Living up to its theme, “Partnerships for Accelerating Sustainable Development and Climate Solutions”, the three-day World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) 2025 that concluded on Friday (7 March), highlighted the critical role of collaborative partnerships in addressing complex sustainability challenges and environmental concerns.

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The challenges confronting the world are complex and interconnected, necessitating collective action on an unprecedented scale, the summit underscored. Partnerships hold the key to addressing the issues by accelerating problem-solving and fostering implementation, the participants felt.

“Sustainable development serves as a bridge between two epistemic communities — the development community and the environmental community,” said Mr Nitin Desai, Chairman, TERI, as he underscored the necessity of sustained dialogue among diverse stakeholders to drive long-term environmental and developmental impact. “This, in essence, is the real challenge of sustainability: How can we achieve development while also protecting the environment? It’s not an easy task.”

In his inaugural address, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav reaffirmed India’s commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability. He reiterated the need to confront the issue of speciesism, which, like racism, prioritizes human interests over the well-being of other species and ecosystems.

“True sustainability can only be achieved when all forms of life are considered equally important and when environmental policies account for the protection and restoration of wildlife and biodiversity,” he emphasised. Collaborations for fostering environmental sustainability is not an option, rather it is a necessity. The time to act is NOW.”

Speaking along the same lines, the Prime Minister of Guyana, Brigadier (Retd) Mark Phillips, underscored the pivotal role of international partnerships in addressing sustainability challenges. Delivering the keynote address at the inaugural session, he stated, “Guyana stands as a testament to leadership, partnerships, and convergence in the pursuit of sustainability. In Guyana, growth does not come at the expense of environmental sustainability.”

Brazil’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change Marina Silva also stressed the urgency of global cooperation in tackling climate change. She commented in her keynote address, “As we move towards COP30, we must accelerate the implementation of the commitments made in Dubai and Baku. We must advance on our transitions from fossil fuels while stepping up on climate finance.”

The three days of deliberations of the 24th edition of WSDS, spanning 5-7 March, saw leaders across several sectors, both public and private, corporate and academia, participate in insightful debates and strategic policy dialogues, leading to bold global commitments.

According to TERI, the first global stock-take has shown that the goal of containing global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures will require a 43 per cent reduction in global emissions by 2030. However, the current nationally determined contributions (NDC), presented at the 2015 UN Conference of Parties meet on Climate Change held in Paris, are projected to lead to only a two per cent reduction.

Similarly, the mid-point review of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlights significant challenges. Out of 69 targets, only 13 per cent are on track, while 18 per cent are not even being monitored. These findings reveal critical gaps, not only in implementation but also in the availability of data to measure progress effectively.

In a special “Global Leadership” video message, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J Mohammed reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to global climate action and emphasised the urgency of accelerating progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She spoke about the pertinent climate issues being faced by the world today and explained, “Hunger is increasing, and we have witnessed the warmest years on record, with carbon dioxide levels continuing to rise. But we cannot give up hope or dilute our ambitions. It’s time for us to rescue the SDGs as a plan of action for people, planet, and prosperity.”

World Bank Vice-President Martin Raiser highlighted the importance of sustainable financing and global cooperation in achieving climate goals. He said, “WSDS is an excellent opportunity and a reflection of ideas and experiences to drive the change we want to see. We see green transition as a driver of investment and growth of jobs. There is no better country in the world than India to drive green transition not only because of its scale and entrepreneurial talent, but also because of the necessity, since India is one of the most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change. We need to think of resilience in terms of reallocation of resources in terms of adaptation of households and businesses.”

Delivering the keynote address at the valedictory session, Dia Mirza, actor, producer, UNEP Goodwill Ambassador, and UN Secretary-General’s Advocate for SDGs, emphasised the power of individual and collective action in addressing climate challenges. “The road ahead is not easy. There will be challenges, and there will be moments of doubt. But, if we work together, if we stay committed to the values that drive us — the pursuit of justice, equity, and sustainability — I believe we can meet this moment with the urgency and determination it requires,” she said.