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New Delhi: The global climate conversation must shift from rhetoric to results, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav declared while inaugurating World Sustainable Development Summit 2026, the annual forum of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), warning that the next 25 years will test whether nations can turn ambition into enforceable action. Dr. Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI, read out a Special Message shared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi – who is in state visit to Israel.
Opening the Summit ON Thursday in presence of Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, Vice President of Guyana, Yadav said the moment demanded more than ceremonial reflection. “Today is not merely a celebration of legacy, it is a defining moment for humanity and for the planet,” he asserted, framing the gathering’s theme — Transformations: Vision, Voices, and Values for Sustainable Development — as a “strategic necessity.”
Positioning India as a leading voice from the Global South, the Minister underlined that the forum has evolved into a platform uniting governments, industry, academia, civil society and communities to convert sustainability science into policy and partnerships. But he cautioned that dialogue alone is no longer enough. Yadav said leadership at the centre now demands execution. “The next 25 years must be about execution. We must move: From pledges to performance. From targets to trajectories. From ambition to accountability.”
In a pointed call for measurable outcomes, he urged that the Summit be remembered as the moment “Vision became actionable. Voices became inclusive. Values became institutional,” adding, “Let not remain a theme. Let it become a global movement.”
‘Awareness Is Over — Now Comes Action’: Guyana flags Global Backsliding
In a stark assessment of the geopolitical climate, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, Vice President of Guyana, warned that climate progress is growing more difficult as major economies retreat from commitments.
“When this Summit began twenty-five years ago, the focus was on raising awareness,” Jagdeo said. “Today, the challenge is no longer awareness, but resolute action and higher ambition.”
He cautioned that scaling climate targets, especially in carbon pricing, multilateral frameworks, and hard-to-abate sectors like aviation and shipping, will be “far more difficult” if leading economies step back.Yet Jagdeo pointed to Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy, launched in 2009, as proof that environmental stewardship can yield economic returns. The country has monetised its standing forests through the sale of high-quality carbon credits in voluntary and compliance markets, generating hundreds of millions of dollars.
“We have shown that sustainability delivers real economic value,” he said, adding that Guyana is simultaneously pursuing responsible oil development — a balancing act he presented as pragmatic climate leadership rather than contradiction.
Siddharth Sharma, CEO, Tata Trusts, addressing the assembly said climate action must move beyond boardrooms and conferences, urging that its language be democratized so communities understand its local impact, with equal focus on adaptation and mitigation.
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