Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh inaugurated the three-day summit "Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) 2008" on 7 February. The theme, "Sustainable Development and Climatic Changedquo" focuses on encouraging relations among decision-makers and leaders to implement measures of sustainable development. "We need globally acceptable and socially inclusive solutions to the challenge of climate change," said PM.
There was also an announcement of a National Plan of Action on Climate Change that is set to release in June this year. Further, the need of setting up of a Venture Capital Fund to promote green technologies in industries and other user sectors with technological innovation were also discussed. The DSDS was attended by Presidents Maumoon Abdul Gayoom of the Maldives and Olafur Ragnar Grimsson of Iceland, and Prime Ministers Anders Fogh Rasmussen of Denmark, Jens Stoltenberg of Norway and Matti Vanhenen of Finland
Emphasizing on a knowledge partnership across countries to deal with environment crisis, the PM said, "The impact of climate change falls differently on people and the poor are the worst hit. We need technology innovations for reduction of energy use by industry and other user sectors. We need massive action for afforestation, drought proofing, flood protection and the need to protect our coastal areas and glaciers that feed our river systems."
Hosted by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), DSDS is the first major international meet on climate change after the UN summit in Bali, Indonesia, last December. The prime minister reiterated his stand, which he first mentioned at last year's G-8 summit in Germany, that India would never exceed the per capita carbon emissions of the developed countries.