Reimagining Sustainable Development for a Post-2030 World: TERI Facilitates Thought Leadership to Center Global South Priorities

As SDG Deadline Nears, TERI Convenes Thought Leaders to Chart the Road Beyond 2030

New Delhi, 29 September 2026: The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) today convened a dialogue titled, “Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 and Beyond” at India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi. The event brought together senior policymakers, diplomats, multilateral representatives, and sustainability experts to deliberate on the contours of a global development framework beyond 2030, with a particular emphasis on perspectives from the Global South.

The dialogue was convened against the backdrop of a decade of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) implementation since 2016, and amid growing recognition that progress across the 17 Goals remains uneven as the 2030 deadline approaches. Discussions drew on findings that only a limited share of assessed targets is on track, with several goals, including those on water and sanitation, inequality, and life below water, showing stagnation or regression. Participants noted that the Pact for the Future, adopted by the UN General Assembly, calls on member states to "plan for the future" and accelerate implementation of the 2030 Agenda "by 2030 and beyond," and that the 2027 SDG Summit is expected to formally initiate intergovernmental discussions on a follow-up framework.

Keynote Addresses

The keynote segment, chaired by Mr R R Rashmi, Distinguished Fellow, TERI, featured addresses from:

• Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, Ministry of External Affairs, who highlighted (via a video message), “The Global South has changed profoundly in its population, economic weight and capabilities. Yet, its influence within international financial institutions has not kept pace. This imbalance continues to exist even within the United Nations. Its membership has grown from 51 countries in 1945 to 193 countries today. Yet, the distribution of permanent seats on the Security Council remains unchanged.”
• Ms Rajasree Ray, Senior Economic Advisor, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, who observed, “When we look at the global data, I think it is more important to look at the underneath data rather than the global average. When we look at other SDGs—water, sanitation, etc.—these are the areas we have not achieved. So, beyond 2030, when we build a new framework, we need to look at these.”
• Dr Balakrishna Pisupati, Country Head – India, UNEP, who remarked, “The future of development goals is going to be based on resilience and second element of it is that strengthen governance. You may have the best systems in place, you may have the best resources, you may have the best laws and regulations and frameworks but in the absence of a proper governance system that looks at institutional support that not just promotes the future development but sustains the development achievements that we already have gained, we will definitely meet up in probably 2045 once again to be sort of discussed.”
• Dr Jyotsna Padiyar, IAS, Commissioner, Government of Maharashtra, who shared, “Beyond 2030, we need to look at the quality of services being provided—the quality of education, air, health, etc.—and focus on sustainable prosperity instead of mere growth in numbers.”
• Ms Ruchika Gupta, Deputy Director General, MoSPI, who added, “India’s experience has shown that sustainable development monitoring encourages robust data systems and institutional coordination. Whatever comes after 2030 should allow greater flexibility at the national and subnational levels. The objective of localisation should not be only about data, but it should also be used for resource allocation and programme distribution.”
• Mr Arvinn Gadgil, Minister Counsellor & DCM, Royal Norwegian Embassy, who said, “The only legitimate way for this agenda to survive beyond 2030 is if the national statistics systems are functioning better and independently. We need investment in national statistics systems. But without them, we will get nowhere with whatever next framework is there.”
• Mr Soumya Garnaik, Country Director, GGGI, who noted, “The more important factor which I could see as a challenge is the understanding of the SDG. The definitions which are given, whether it is 17 goals or the sub-goals which are given, 169 targets, etc., there is a massive mismatch of understanding these goals. So finally, that is something we need to see while we go beyond 2030, how to simplify that. How to simplify that in such a manner that it is understandable by everyone as well as everyone understands in the same way.”

Mr R R Rashmi, Distinguished Fellow, TERI, while summing up the seven addresses noted, “Clearly we need to go beyond the existing framework but build on it rather than throw it out of the window. How do we build upon this is the real question, what should be the key priorities, what should be the structure of the framework beyond 2030, do we have to renegotiate the entire framework all afresh or we build on it and include a few new elements because many of the speakers have also emphasized that in the last 15 years a number of developments have taken place.”

Roundtable Discussion

The roundtable discussion brought together an extensive group of discussants from over 40 organisations. The wide-ranging discussion converged on the need to strengthen means of implementation — particularly financing, technology access, and data systems — and to ensure that the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities remains central to any future framework. Discussants also flagged the governance of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, the localization of implementation, and the role of multilateral reform in enabling more effective global cooperation.

The dialogue concluded with closing remarks that synthesized the day’s discussions and outlined key takeaways to inform ongoing and future engagement on the post-2030 agenda.

About the Dialogue

The dialogue opened with introductory remarks by Dr Shailly Kedia, Senior Fellow and Director, TERI, who welcomed the participants and set the context for reflecting on the progress and challenges of the 2030 Agenda. Ms Ishita Srivastava, Associate Fellow, TERI, followed with a framing presentation outlining the key issues shaping the Agenda 2030 endgame and the questions guiding the deliberations.

The discussion explored three broad pathways for a post-2030 sustainable development framework: incremental reform of the existing SDG architecture with revised targets and an extended timeline; continuation of the current framework with updated targets and indicators; and a more transformative approach featuring stronger legal mandates, deeper localization and enhanced intergovernmental accountability.

The dialogue also examined persistent implementation gaps, governance and accountability challenges, and the need for a framework that better reflects the priorities and realities of the Global South. The insights are expected to contribute to ongoing discussions ahead of the 2027 SDG Summit and the third Global Sustainable Development Report, scheduled for publication in September 2027.