India’s goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070 will require innovative approaches to the big problems confronting us today. Sustainable development and clear strategies to tackle climate change remain at the heart of this challenge. Several of these themes will be up for a threadbare discussion at the India Today Environment Conclave 2025 being held in Bengaluru on February 4. The event will see the participation of Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, deputy chief minister D.K. Shivakumar, the state’s environment minister Eshwar Khandre and experts.

India is the seventh country most vulnerable to climate change, notes the Economic Survey 2024-25. The country suffers from “weather extremes and hazards, slow onset events such as sea-level rise, biodiversity loss and water insecurity” while facing the climate-change consequences of historical emissions, which impose huge costs on resource-constrained countries. “Vulnerable developing countries such as India need to undertake climate adaptation on an urgent footing as this has a direct impact on lives, livelihoods and the economy,” noted the Economic Survey.

In this backdrop, the India Today Environment Conclave 2025 seeks to present ideas and solutions on a wide spectrum of issues related to sustainability and conservation. The premier event will bring together leading experts, policymakers and environmental leaders to discuss key advancements and challenges in the environmental sector.

Urgency is the watchword when it comes to environmental issues. Rising human-animal conflict is one such critical area. Alongside this, rapid urbanisation has intensified problems such as urban heat island effect, carbon emissions and air pollution. Thereby, the transition to a greener future has to operate on many fronts. As the Economic Survey notes: “Following a low-carbon development pathway and achieving the net-zero carbon emissions goal necessitate a fundamental shift in mindset and behaviour towards mindful consumption and production.”

Karnataka is among the key stakeholders in these conversations. Nearly 60 per cent of the ecologically-critical Western Ghats are located in Karnataka, the largest state by geographical area in southern India. The state is home to a fourth of India’s elephant population and has the second-largest tiger count in the country.

At the same time, it is a high-growth state. Karnataka is the second-highest contributor to Goods and Services Tax (GST), after Maharashtra. State capital Bengaluru has grown at a frenetic pace for the past 25 years to become a key innovation hub while also facing infrastructural challenges owing to the rapid expansion.

The conclave will feature keynote addresses by Siddaramaiah, D.K. Shivakumar and Eshwar Khandre. Six panel discussions spanning a range of topics, from tiger conservation to human-animal conflict, climate change, e-waste, urbanisation challenges in Bengaluru and innovative initiatives by eco-warriors, have been lined up for brainstorming.

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