The Regional Conference on Environment – 2025, organized by the National Green Tribunal, Southern Zone Bench, Chennai, in collaboration with the Southern State Pollution Control Boards and Committees, was held on December 6, 2025 at Kalaivanar Arangam, Chennai. The event was conducted under the leadership of Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Chairperson, NGT, with the guidance of Mrs. Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, Judicial Member, NGT, Southern Zone Bench. The Conference was formally inaugurated by Justice M M Sundresh, Judge, Supreme Court of India. The inaugural session commenced with Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana extending a warm welcome to the dignitaries and participants. In his address, Justice Prakash Shrivastava emphasized that environmental protection is not merely a constitutional mandate under Articles 21, 48(A), and 51(A)(g), but also a shared moral responsibility. He highlighted that the NGT’s initiatives extend beyond adjudication to creating awareness and guiding institutions toward sustainable environmental practices. Guest of Honour P S Raman, Advocate General of Tamil Nadu, stressed the need for strengthening environmental governance, quoting Hubert Reeves on human insanity and underscoring sustainable development. Thangam Thennarasu, Minister, Government of Tamil Nadu, spoke about the State’s evidence-based environmental journey, noting Tamil Nadu’s unique geographical identity and cultural ethos, and reaffirmed that environmental protection is deeply rooted in its tradition, ecological wisdom, and developmental priorities. Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, Chief Justice of the High Court of Madras and Guest of Honour, expressed concern over the alarming global decline in wildlife populations, referencing a WWF report indicating an almost 69% decrease in populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. He emphasized the need for preventive measures to safeguard humanity itself from becoming endangered, instead of relying only on judicial remedies. Special Guest Justice Aravind Kumar, Judge, Supreme Court of India, highlighted the gap between “law on paper and life on the ground” and proposed the idea of “cooperative ecological federalism” among the southern states, suggesting that the conference could mark the beginning of a “Southern Environmental Compact.” Justice M M Sundresh, in his address, stressed the significance of traditional wisdom and shared personal experiences concerning communities affected by dyeing industry pollution, stating that “when the environment is impacted, the world gets affected.” He also emphasized the urgent need to protect coastal zones.