From Vision to Action: TERI’s WSDS Turns 25
NEW DELHI: The 25th edition of the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) – the Silver Jubilee edition of the flagship global platform convened by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) – commenced Wednesday at Taj Palace, New Delhi, under the umbrella theme “परिवर्तन | Transformations: Vision, Voices and Values for Sustainable Development.” The Summit is being held from February 25-27.
The Summit’s Inaugural Address delivered by Bharrat Jagdeo, Vice President, Guyana, setting the tone for the three days of high-level dialogue, partnerships, and action. Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, addressed the audience.
The inaugural session featured global leaders and dignitaries, reaffirming WSDS’s legacy as the only independently convened international summit on sustainable development based in the Global South.
Over the past 25 years, WSDS has convened Heads of State and Government, ministers, Nobel Laureates, business leaders, and civil society actors from across the world. The 2026 Silver Jubilee edition will come at a pivotal moment—when the first Global Stocktake under the Paris
Agreement has underscored the urgent need for a 43% reduction in global emissions by 2030, and when progress on the Sustainable Development Goals remains uneven. The Summit will focus on catalysing systemic and paradigm shifts—moving beyond incremental change towards deep transformations that will align climate ambition with development priorities and equity.
HIM-CONNECT: Spotlighting 24 Himalayan Innovations
A special feature of this year’s Summit will be HIM-CONNECT, an initiative by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), which will be held on February 26-27 at TerraZone in conjunction with WSDS.
HIM-CONNECT will aim to bridge the gap between scientific research and market-ready solutions in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR). Designed to bridge science, innovation and entrepreneurship with investment and policy pathways for the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), the HIM-CONNECT Expo will feature 24 innovators from premier institutions—including IITs, CSIR laboratories, NITs, and leading Himalayan universities and research institutions—showcasing region-specific technologies tailored to fragile mountain ecosystems.
The 24 innovations on display will span diverse sectors critical to Himalayan resilience, including waste upcycling, climate-resilient vernacular housing, landslide prediction systems, clean water solutions, solar heating technologies, traditional and value-added mountain foods, and green infrastructure solutions. Together, these innovations will demonstrate scalable pathways for sustainable development and climate adaptation in the Himalayas.
30 expo stalls from diverse organizations/initiatives—including leading IITs, national research institutions, EIACP centres, and UNDP-supported projects—will be part of this innovation mela. Curated lab-to-market interactions will facilitate partnerships to upscale and commercialize technologies tailored to fragile mountain ecosystems.
Three Days of Transformative Dialogue
Over three transformative days, the Summit will bring together leaders and stakeholders to shape actionable pathways for sustainable development. Plenary discussions will span themes including, Transformations through and for Nature, Towards a Himalayan Coalition for Sustainable Development, Greening Manufacturing and Trade, Future Tech for People, Planet, and Prosperity, Ministerial: Multilateralism as a Force for Hope and Impact,
Multilateralism as a Force for Hope and Impact, The Climate Finance Imperative and Accelerating Clean Energy Solutions.
The Summit will also feature the exclusive Dinner of Hope, the launch of LaBL 2.0, and the Expo @ TerraZone, showcasing sustainability initiatives by partners and TERI.
A special commemorative release marking the Silver Jubilee milestone will be launched titled, World Sustainable Development Summit (2001–2026): 25 Editions of Driving Ambition and Action on Sustainable Development – An Archival Pocketbook. This Archival Pocketbook aims to chronicle 25 editions of WSDS, documenting its evolution as a global platform shaping climate discourse, sustainable development pathways and Global South leadership. Capturing defining moments, landmark declarations and transformative partnerships, the publication will serve as both a historical record and a reflection of the Summit’s enduring commitment to turning ambition into action.
The Valedictory Session, themed “Reflections, Resurgence, and Resolve for Our Common Future,” will chart the way forward, building on 25 years of dialogue to drive implementation at scale.
As the global community grapples with climate urgency, geopolitical complexity and widening development gaps, WSDS 2026 will seek to transform dialogue into delivery. By aligning vision with values and amplifying diverse voices—from ministers and multilateral leaders to innovators and youth changemakers—the Silver Jubilee edition will aim to shape actionable pathways for a just, resilient and low-carbon future.