India’s G20 Presidency has come at a time when the world is approaching the mid-point review of the 2030 Agenda with cascading and multiple crises threatening global social and development progress. The projected global growth is at the third-weakest pace in nearly three decades, disproportionately hindering development potential of emerging economies, including SIDS and LDCs. The SDG financing gap for low-income countries and lower-middle-income countries is in billions of dollars, while billions of people still live in climate vulnerable contexts. There is an urgent need for developing countries to be supported with adequate measures for ensuring liquidity, concessional financing, technological cooperation, effective mechanisms of debt relief and restructuring, and developing low carbon pathways. The developing countries in the backdrop of these challenges are to embark on a decarbonized development path that has never been tried before.
As nations strive towards attainment of the SDGs, attention now coalesces globally on an important agenda that India is driving for its G20 Presidency: a sustainable development model which will be a blueprint of strong actions for the next decade powering Green Development all over the world.
India will bring together leaders to articulate G20’s vision for the world to enable low carbon development, fulfil climate ambitions and achieve the SDGs. Envisioned as a comprehensive framework that will create space for innovation and out of the box thinking, India’s Green Development model will be powered through investments in sustainable lifestyle, leveraging green hydrogen for climate action, and accelerating progress on SDGs amongst other things.
The Observer Research Foundation (ORF), in partnership with India's G20 Secretariat and the UN Resident Coordinator's (UNRC) Office in India, is hosting an official side event at the Second Sherpa Meeting under India’s G20 Presidency titled Green Development: Need for an Ambitious Vision for 21st Century.
| 1400 – 1405 hrs | Welcome Remarks by India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant |
| 1405 – 1515 hrs | Plenary Session 1: A new paradigm for Sustainable and Green Development Moderator: Shamika Ravi, Member, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, Government of India Keynote Address: Jeffrey Sachs, Director, Centre for Sustainable Development, Columbia University Panelists: Ovais Sarmad, Deputy Executive Secretary, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Hon. Bogolo Kenewendo, United Nations Climate Change High-Level Champions’ Special Advisor, Africa Director Aniruddha Dasgupta, President and CEO, World Resources Institute Shloka Nath, CEO, India Climate Collaborative |
| 1515 – 1625 hrs | Plenary Session 2: Green Development and Financing for SDGs including Climate Action Moderator: Lily Han, Director, Innovative Finance, The Rockefeller Foundation Keynote Address: Avinash Persaud, Special Envoy to the Prime Minister of Barbados on Investment and Financial Services; and Member, Independent High-Level Expert Group on Climate Finance Panelists: Amar Bhattacharya, Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development, Centre for Sustainable Development, Brookings and Executive Secretary, Independent High-Level Expert Group on Climate Finance George Gray Molina, Head of Strategic Engagement and Chief Economist, United Nations Development Programme Nina Fenton, Head of Regional Representation, South Asia, European Investment Bank Stephen Waygood, Chief Responsible Investment Officer, AVIVA |
| 1625 – 1635 hrs | Closing Remarks and Vote of Thanks by Eenam Gambhir, Joint Secretary (G20) |
