India high level panel on Circular Designing and Future of Sustainability: Now is Next was implemented by Foundation for Development Initiative at India International Centre, New Delhi on 22nd November, 2019, with support from the Swedish Institute, Stockholm based public diplomacy entity under the ministry of foreign affairs of the Swedish Government via Sweden Alumni Network India to delve deeper into practical and functional aspects of circular economy, its designing, application and potential opportunities. This high level panel brought senior experts and practising professionals from a range of sectoral fields, the outcome of the high level panel highlighted the ongoing debates and discussions around the theme of Circular Economy.
FDI is committed to address issues around Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) particularly Circular Economy on the lines of joint co-operation agreement between Governments of India and Sweden.
The opening plenary included. panellist and speakers – Pooran Chandra Pandey, Curator and Director, India High Level Panel, Senior Advisor to Sweden Alumni Network India, Delhi Chapter, Founding CEO, Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute, Germany, Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar, Former Ambassador of India to Kazakhstan, Sweden and Latvia, Anders Wickberg, Swedish Trade Commissioner to India and Head of Business Sweden, Ambassador Anup Mudgal, Former Indian High Commissioner to Mauritius, Mohd. Haleem Khan, ( IAS, Rtd), Former Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Government of India, Bishow Parajuli , Representative and Country Director, United Nations World Food Programme, Jayanthi Pushkaran, President, Sweden Alumni Network India Delhi Chapter, Monika Wirkkala, Head of the Talent Attraction Unit at the Swedish Institute.
High Level Panel was moderated by Pankaj Pachauri, Media Adviser to Former Indian Prime Minister, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, GoNews, Mohd. Haleem Khan, ( IAS, Rtd), Former Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Government of India, Anders Wickberg, Swedish Trade Commissioner to India and Head of Business Sweden, Vishvesh Prabhakar, Managing Director and Partner with Accenture Strategy India, Nishtha Satyam, Deputy Country Representative for UN Women, and Saharsh David, Head CSR, Sandvik Asia Pvt Ltd.
The Event was a confluence of perspectives and ideas shared by Govts, Think Tanks, Corporates, Business Chambers and Multilateral Institutions. The panel agreed that while Growth was an imperative however, we need to rethink Sustainability to integrate it in the development process. India has a big role to play nationally as well as globally If the world has to meet SDG targeted SDG goals. Amb. Sajjanhar stressed that unless India’s address challenge related to poverty first, it would be difficult to meet the defined miles towards sustainability.
Around 100 delegate representing though leaders from UN agencies, Media, Diplomacy, Business Chamber and Government and International Development institutions participated in the event.
The follow up from the India high level panel are proposed to be the following:
- Content of the panel will be curated, printed and presented to key stakeholders in government, private sector, media, UN and its systems and bilateral and multilateral agencies for outreach and potential collaboration
- Setting up of a core group drawn from various sectors and quarters to further ideate on the outcomes of the high level panel and evolve future possibilities
- High level panel outcomes will be converted into a book project to be brought by one of the leading publishing houses for wider dissemination of the concept and ideas around the theme within academic institutions including think tanks , and
- Exploring possibility of holding a summit on circular economy and sustainability in 2020.