Date: 3rd August 2023 (Thursday)
Time: 9.30 am to 4 pm
Venue: Magnolia Hall, India Habitat Center

Introduction

India’s Presidency of the G20 this year has been a watershed moment, allowing India to play an important role in finding solutions to address key issues impacting mother earth in the spirit of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, or the ‘World is One Family’ with ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ as the vision for G20 2023.

The G20, which unites the established and emerging economies of the globe and represents two-thirds of the world’s population and 85 percent of the global GDP, is a significant forum for international economic cooperation. India is taking over the presidency at a crucial juncture when the world is facing multiple headwinds – climate change, terrorism, war, and pandemics. Therefore, India’s G20 priorities range from scaling up renewable energy to ensuring the implementation of SDGs and addressing climate change, from trade and investment to multilateral reforms; from agriculture to financial inclusion and women-led development and many more with the concept of Lifestyle ForEnvironment (LiFE), which India’s Prime Minister introduced as the binding fabric.

Civil 20 or C20, an official engagement group of G20, provides a platform for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) around the world to bring forth a non-government and non-business voice to G20. It provides space through which global CSOs can contribute in a structured and sustained manner to the G20.

Role of civil society and health professionals in the discussion around climate change, air pollution, health and resilience:

Civil society and health professionals play a crucial role in the discussion around climate change, air pollution, and health by raising awareness, advocating for policy changes, and promoting sustainable practices to reduce the impact of environmental pollutants on human health.

Civil society organizations can mobilize public support and influence policy decisions. They can raise awareness about the health impacts of climate change and air pollution, advocate for clean energy policies, and promote sustainable practices, such as reducing carbon emissions and promoting public transportation. Their efforts can help create a groundswell of demand and public support for policies that promote climate action.

Health professionals, including doctors, nurses, and public health experts, are on the frontline of responding to the health impacts of climate change and air pollution. They are usually the most trusted voices and play a very important role in educating their patients and communities about the health impacts of environmental pollutants and by advocating for public health policies that prioritize the health of individuals and the planet. Health professionals can also use their expertise to research the impacts of climate change and air pollution on health, including developing preventive measures and interventions. The climate crisis presents an urgent opportunity for healthcare professionals to heighten public awareness, stimulate dialogue and change public policy on issues critical to the people’s and the planet’s health.

The urgent need to address the global environmental and climate crisis and move towards a sustainable future cannot be overstated. The interconnectedness of various factors such as climate change, air pollution, public health, just transition, climate resilience, and social justice demands comprehensive and collaborative efforts. This meeting aims to bring together experts, policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders from diverse sectors to explore the interdependencies of these critical issues and develop actionable strategies for a sustainable and resilient future.

The primary objective of this meeting is to foster dialogue, exchange knowledge, and catalyze partnerships among stakeholders to develop a holistic approach toward addressing climate change, air pollution and health, climate resilience, and social justice. Through interactive sessions and discussions, the meeting will aim to achieve the following goals:

Enhance understanding: Deepen the understanding of the interconnectedness between climate
change, air pollution, health, just transition, climate resilience and social justice, including their
impacts on societies, economies, and ecosystems.

• Enhance understanding: Deepen the understanding of the interconnectedness between climate change, air pollution, health, just transition, climate resilience and social justice, including their impacts on societies, economies, and ecosystems.

• Identify synergies: Explore the potential synergies and co-benefits that can be achieved by addressing these interconnected issues simultaneously, highlighting opportunities for sustainable development, improved public health, and equitable transitions.

• Knowledge exchange: Facilitate the exchange of knowledge, best practices, and innovative solutions among participants, showcasing successful case studies, research findings, and policy interventions from different regions and sectors.

• Policy and strategy development: Generate actionable recommendations for policymakers, governments, and relevant stakeholders to strengthen their efforts in combating climate change, reducing air pollution, promoting public health, ensuring a just transition, and enhancing climate
  resilience.

• Collaborative partnerships: Foster collaboration among diverse stakeholders, including governments, international organizations, civil society, academia, and the private sector, to collectively address the interconnected challenges and work towards sustainable solutions.

Provisional Agenda

9.30 to 10.00 am	Registration
10.00 to 10.10 am	Welcome and context setting	Sanjay Vashist, CANSA
10.10 to 10.20 am	G20 Sherpa Keynote (TBC)
10.20 to 10.40 am	Keynote by Justice Najmi Waziri (TBC)
10.40 to 11.00 am	Keynote: Navigating Climate, Air Pollution, and Health: Assessing the health risks associated with air pollution and identifying effective mitigation and adaptation strategies.	Dr Arvind Kumar Founder Trustee, Lung Care Foundation
11.00 to 11.15 am	TEA BREAK
11.15 to 12.15 pm	Moderated session on role of health professionals in building Climate resilience and recommendations to G20.	Panelists: Dr Jaideep Menon, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences Kochi, Dr Rajat Jain, President, Doctors for You Dr Harsh Vardhan Puri, Doctors For Clean Air Dr Sonali Vaid, Public Health Expert Interventions: Bharati Chaturvedi, Founder & Director, Chintan Moderator: Shweta Narayan, HCWH
12:20 pm to 1.30 pm	Moderated session on Impacts, Issues and Challenges for Cities to tackle Climate Change: Reinventing frameworks for strategic planning and multi-level governance that could ensure localization of SDG’s. While exploring measures to build resilience at the individual, community, and national levels to cope with the impacts of climate change, heat, extreme weather and air pollution. ● 12 min for each panelist ● 5 min each of each intervention ● 10 min for Q & A	Panelists: Mr. PK Das, Founder , Questions of Cities (QOC) Dr. Raj Shankar Ghosh, Public Health Foundation of India Dr Purvi Patel, National Center For Disease Control Representative from Delhi Government (TBC) Bhavreen Khandari, Warrior Moms Interventions: Rajiv Suri, Citizen Activist Jayanto Basu, ENGIO Moderator : Nakul Sharma
1.30 pm to 2.30 pm	LUNCH BREAK
2.30 to 3.45 pm	Moderated session on Policy and implementation: Discussing policy frameworks, regulatory measures, and practical approaches to address these interconnected challenges and achieve sustainable development goals.	Panelists: Ambassador Manjeev Singh Puri, Former Ambassador of India to the European Union, Belgium, Luxembourg and Nepal. Prof Vinod Menon, Founder Member, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Adv. Aditya Prasad, Legal expert Dr. Vinod Sharma, Vice Chairman at Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority, Govt. of Sikkim Dr. Edmond Fernandes, Public Health Expert Youth Climate Activist TBC Moderator: Sanjay Vashist
3.45 pm to 4:00 pm	Launch of the declaration document	CANSA, HCWH, Warrior Moms, LCF
4.00 pm to 4.15 pm	Closing Keynote – C20 Sherpa (TBC)
4.15 pm to 4.30 pm	Wrap up and thanks	Sanjay Vashist/ Nakul Sharma CANSA

Question for Panelists: here