Waste is not just a challenge—it is a critical opportunity for climate action. As we confront the realities of a warming planet, unmanaged and mismanaged waste has become a critical contributor to environmental degradation. This session explores how transforming waste systems is integral to building climate resilience. It will highlight the urgent need for a shift from linear to circular models—where reducing, reusing, and regenerating resources becomes central to climate strategy.

Chair: Dr. Suneel Pandey, Senior Fellow and Director, TERI

Panellists:

• Dr. Y. Malini Reddy, Director and Head, Sustainability Policy Research and Advocacy, Re Sustainability Limited
• Ms. Shobha Raghavan, Chief Executive Officer, Saahas Zero Waste
• Mr. Vibhor Sood, Environmental Policy and Resource Efficiency Advisor, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
• Shalini Goyal Bhalla, Founder & Managing Director, International Council for Circular Economy
• Ms. Pankti Pandey, Climate Activist and Founder, Zerowasteadda

Video Message: Dr. Rajagopalan Vasudevan (Padma Shri Awardee) Prof. Chemistry, Dean ECA, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai