Developing countries more vulnerable to climate change

The developing economies are more vulnerable to climate change as they are closely tied to climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture and forestry, said Indian President Pranab Mukherjee.

Citing the Paris agreement, the president said promising initiatives have been taken both at the national and international levels for addressing the challenge of climate change. All need to work together for their common future.

He said these while inaugurating the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, India.

The threat of climate change is real and immediate, which concerns the whole world as its ill-effects are all-pervasive, he said. The world is facing challenges in all the three dimensions of sustainable development -- economic, social and environmental, which also presents an opportunity to work together.

The president said it was necessary to follow a twin-tracked approach of limiting the rise of climate change while ensuring the existence of sufficient resources to meet future developmental requirements.

“We should aim at creating a society that is prosperous but not wasteful. Our society must learn to exercise restraint in consumption while continuing to use resources in moderation,” he said.

Over a billion-and-a-quarter people are still living in poverty and patterns of unsustainable production and consumption are endangering our planet's eco-systems. 

The Energy and Resource Institute (Teri) organised the summit in collaboration with UNDP with the slogan “Beyond 2015: People Planet and Progress”.

The president formally inaugurated the conference on the second day.

Pawan Chamling, the chief minister of Sikkim, was given sustainable development leadership award, while Ahok Chaowla, chairman of Teri, delivered the welcome speech and Ajay Mathur, director general of Teri, delivered the vote of thanks.

There were 10 sessions on different thematic subjects including a ministerial one titled “People's Aspiration and Sustainability: New Governance Paradigm”.

On the second day, in a session, the speakers also praised Bangladesh's achievement on renewable energy.