Global Sustainability Summit 2025: Focus On Green Transition And Industry Collaboration

The Indian Institute of Sustainable Development (IISD) and Carbon Minus India (CMI) hosted ‘The Global Sustainability Summit (GSS) 2025’ to celebrate India's history of Resilience and Leadership in Sustainability in New Delhi.

The Global Sustainability Summit (GSS), 2025 was started with National Anthem followed by Lamp lightening where H. H. Swami Nityayogananda, Monk of the Ramakrishna Order, Acharya of Probationers', Belur Math, Kolkota, chanted Vedic Mantras and Presented a Powerful Discourse on how nature impacts in Planet’s Protection in line with LiFE Mission and the Hon’ble Minister of State, MoHUA, Shri. Tokhan Sahu, inaugurated the Global Sustainability Summit with his address to audience at the Plenary Hall. Dr. V. K. Saraswat, Member NITI Aayog, Shri Ashwani Bhatia, Whole-Time Member, SEBI; Shri. Laurent Gonnet, Lead Financial Sector Specialist, The World Bank, Ms. Geetu Joshi, Advisor, IER, UN & Sustainable Finance, Ministry of Finance; Ms. Rupinder Brar, Additional Secretary Coal, Shri. Rohit Kansal, Additional Secretary Textile, Ms Roop Rashi Mahapatra, Commissioner, Textile Committee, Goverdhan S Rawat, DMD, NABARD, Dr. R. K. Singh, SIDBI, Shri. Sunit Tandon, Former Director General IMC, Chief executive Lok Sabha TV, Director India Habitat Centre and Festival Director IFFI, Goa 2017, Ajit Managrulkar, Director General IMC Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Dr. Srikanta K Panigrahi, Director General and Distinguished Research Fellow at Indian Institute of Sustainable Development (IISD), Dr. Prasanna Acharya, Director Finance, Neyveli Lignite Corporation, Shobhana Chawala, Head Sustainable Finance, Standard Chartered Bank, Anoop Singh, CEO Powergrid Energy Services Limited, Rajeev Gupta, JMD of RSWM Ltd., Shyamlal Patnaik, Joint President & Business Head, Birla Cellulosic Business, Grasim industries, in addition to partnering originations such as RBI, Microsoft India, Invest India, KVIC, BloombergNEF, SECI, BMTPC, Manthan-PSA Office, Deloitte, RedFM 93.5, IIASA Vienna, NISE, IIM Lucknow, IIT Delhi, ICMAI, EDF, WWF, NHPC, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Power, Jal Shakti, MSME and their representatives as well as many global experts, policymakers, business and industry leaders, distinguished academicians, researchers, scientists, and other notable individuals joined the summit where MoUs were signed with institutions like Maharshi Karve Stree Shikshan Samstha (MKSSS), Pune, Building Materials And Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC), Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), The Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN). Diplomatic Missions those who joined are Republic of Germany, Japan, France, Mexico, Bhutan, Ethiopia and others along with multilaterals from The World Bank, UNEP, UNDP, UNFCCC, GEF, KFW. The digital release of the Technical compendium of the global summit was also done in the inaugural session with message from Bharat Ratna Prof. C.N.R. Rao, interviews of Shri. Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary, UNFCCC, many other powerful articles and technical analysis by the national and international dignitaries including Shri Bhupendra Yadav, Hon’ble Minister, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Om Birla, Speaker Lok Sabha, G. Kishan Reddy, Hon’ble Minister, Coal & Mines, Shri. Ashish Chauhan, MD & CEO, National Stock Exchange (NSE), Prof. K Vijay Raghavan, Former PSA, Dr. Roxy Mathew Koll, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Dr. Hema Diwan, Professor, IIM Mumbai, Shruthi Cauvery Iyer, Founder & Managing Partner, Vaia Climate, Bangalore.

The Global Sustainability Summit (GSS) 2025 featured a series of high-profile sessions designed to address critical sustainability challenges and opportunities. The summit commenced with the Inaugural Session focusing on LiFE Mission, setting the stage for discussions on sustainability-driven policies and actions. Key sessions delved into Sustainable Finance, and the CMD/CEOs’ ESG & BRSR Boardroom Challenge Roundtable, highlighting the role of leadership in driving ESG BRSR Compliance. Other sessions focused on Green Hydrogen, Renewable Energy & Decarbonisation, Sustainable Manufacturing & Cleaner Production, Sustainable Cities & Construction Management, Strengthening the Startup Ecosystem, showcasing innovations shaping a low-carbon future. Additionally, the Summit spotlighted Sustainable Fashion & Textile, emphasizing circularity in the industry. 

Organised in light of alarming global challenges such as the energy crisis, political unrest, and resource scarcity, the summit provided a platform to global experts, policymakers, business and industry leaders to discuss the best possible solutions to enhance lives of the masses through research, innovation and grassroots engagement, making India a global leader in sustainability and decarbonisation with centre of excellence.

Additionally, industry-oriented MoUs were signed with institutions like Maharshi Karve Stree Shikshan Samstha (MKSSS), Pune, Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC), Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), and the Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN) to promote sustainable practices for the generation of today and tomorrow.  

Sharing his vision for the Global summit, Dr. Srikanta K Panigrahi, Director General IISD briefed, “At a time when sustainability is at the centre of the global economic and environmental challenges when we are going through a series of transitions, the Global Sustainability Summit 2025 serves as a crucial platform to discuss and deliberate sustainable solutions. It is our endeavour to foster industry-wide collaborations, amongst industry, policymakers, and innovators, we aim to accelerate the transition towards a greener, sustainable and more resilient society, nation and the planet. “

Speaking in the round table discussion on ‘Challenges of Incorporating ESG, BRSR & Integrated Reporting (IR) Framework in Boardroom Decisions’, Rajeev Gupta, JMD of RSWM Ltd, said, “Sustainability at RSWM isn’t an initiative—it’s business as usual. From zero liquid discharge to renewable energy and recycled fibres, every decision we make is aligned with responsibility, not obligation. With 50% of our boilers already running on biofuels and a commitment to transition fully by 2026, along with converting 60 lakh PET bottles into fibre daily, we have embedded sustainability into every aspect of our operations. It’s not a separate agenda but the fundamental that is followed across all our operations. Platforms like the Global Sustainability Summit 2025 are instrumental in fostering industry-wide collaboration and aligning policies to accelerate the transition to a greener future."

The event also observed the digital release of the Technical Compendium GSS2025 in the presence of Smt. Roop Rashi Mahapatra, Textile Commissioner, Government of India along with Shri. G. Kishan Reddy, Hon’ble Minister, Coal & Mines, Dr. Hema Diwan, Professor, IIM Mumbai etc. among the other honourable dignitaries.

The Indian Institute of Sustainable Development (IISD), along with its Initiatives, School of Business Sustainability (SBS), Carbon Minus India (CMI, Carbon Management School (CMS) hosted of the Global Sustainability Summit (GSS) 2025, works together with a multitude of stakeholders across UN agencies, governments, corporates, NGOs, and institutions. IISD strives to put India into a Sustainable Path that is Inclusive and Equitable, involving People, Planet and Business and align India's development with the UN SDGs by practicing innovative solutions in meeting the requirements of the marginalised sections of society. Through proactive scientific inquiry, policy advocacy, and grassroots empowerment, the institute endeavours to preserve natural resources, advocate for social justice, and usher in a more sustainable future for Nation.