20th Global Sustainability Summit (GSS)

20th Global Sustainability Summit: India Leads With “Resilient, Regenerative, Responsible” Vision.

India recently hosted the 20th Global Sustainability Summit (GSS) in New Delhi on September 2–3, 2025, a milestone event convened under the theme “Reimagining Sustainability: Resilient. Regenerative. Responsible.” Organized by the CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development, this summit reaffirmed India’s growing leadership on the global sustainability stage.

Summit Highlights & Key Features

Dignitaries and Delegates

• Union Ministers Bhupendra Yadav (Environment, Forest & Climate Change) and Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) were among the prominent figures in attendance. Also present was Chandrajit Banerjee, DG of CII.
• The summit gathered over 600 industry and international delegates from more than 10 countries.

Thematic Focus & Session Highlights

• Discussions centered on:
  • The newly introduced Environment Audit Rules 2025, which establish a robust two-tier audit system with designated agencies and registered auditors.
  • The Revised Green Credit Programme, encouraging voluntary environmental initiatives, especially by industries—though details are still emerging.
  • Amendments to the Forest Rules 2023, improving governance over forest resources.
• The summit featured high-level ministerial sessions, over 20 interactive panels, and B2B networking, solidifying collaboration between industry and policymakers.

Industry Innovations

• In a special CMDs & CXOs Roundtable, RSWM Ltd’s MD Rajeev Gupta detailed his company’s sustainability roadmap:
  • Achieved 100% zero liquid discharge (full water recycling).
  • Plans to cut fossil fuel usage by half by 2026, while currently deriving 27% of energy from renewables.

Why the Summit Matters

1. Policy Momentum: Launch of Environment Audit Rules, enhanced Green Credit initiatives, and strengthened forest protections illustrate India’s policy push toward holistic sustainability.
2. Leadership & Global Collaboration: The summit brought together public and private sectors, showcasing unified commitment in tackling climate change, resource management, and green economy transitions.
3. Corporate Role in Sustainability: RSWM’s efforts spotlight how industry alignment with sustainability—through clean operations and energy transitions—drives real change.
4. Strategic Messaging for UPSC-Goers: Demonstrates India’s balance of growth with ecological responsibility; a model worth exploring in policy discussions.

UPSC Relevance

• Prelims:
  • Identifying the summit—20th GSS, New Delhi, theme: “Resilient. Regenerative. Responsible.”
  • Key policy tools: Environment Audit Rules 2025, Green Credit Scheme, Forest Rules Amendment 2023.
• Mains (GS Paper 3 – Economy & Environment):
  • Analyze how environment auditing and green credit programmes incentivize corporate environmental responsibility.
  • Evaluate the role of public-private partnerships in sustainable development, using RSWM’s case as a reference.
  • Discuss India’s evolving sustainability governance in global and domestic contexts.