New Delhi:
The two-day Hindustan Times Environment Conclave begins Wednesday with Bhupender Yadavs speech describing the government’s roadmap to sustainable development. This years Conclave’s theme is Environmental, Social, and Governance, also known as ESG.
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Yadav’s address will be followed, among other things, by sessions by industry and environment professionals on circular economy and energy transition and net-zero emission.
The HT Environment Conclave on Wednesday and Thursday is being held in the backdrop investors increasingly giving importance to ESG, as the climate crisis looms large over business. The conclave comes at a moment when India is slowly recovering from the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and is preparing for a transition towards a low-carbon economy in this decade.
Prime Minister NarendraModi, announcing that India’s nonfossil energy capability will reach 500 GW in 2030 at the Glasgow climate conference last November, met half of India’s energy needs.
He also announced that India will reduce its projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes by 2030, decrease the economy’s carbon intensity by 45%, and reach net-zero emissions by 2070. Net-zero refers to completely eliminating the greenhouse gases caused by human activity through reducing and absorption of emissions.
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The conclave will seek to identify the challenges and opportunities of this transition to a low carbon economy.
On Wednesday, Yadav’s keynote speech will be followed by a session entitled Circular Economy: How can you effectively and efficiently reduce wastage by Swati Singh Sambyal (UN Habitat waste management specialist). Sambyal will focus on lifestyle changes one can make to reduce consumption, and wastage.
Arun Krishnamurthy (founder, Environmentalist Foundation of India), will follow her session with a personal account of his journey to quit a corporate job in order to save natural spaces across India.
Day 1 of the conclave will feature sessions by industry leaders such as Priya Agarwal Shebbar, director, Vedanta Resource, who will speak about ESG in industry; Rajev Kumar Jain (chief operating officer (refrigerant company), Gujarat Fluorochemicals), who will discuss carbon emission in the developing world.
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On Thursday, Day 2 of HT Environment Conclave will be kicked off by a fireside chat with Shivraj Singh Chouhan, chief minister Madhya Pradesh.
The session will be followed by Nivit Yadav (programme director, industrial pollution unit), Centre for Science and Environment. He will discuss how industries can reduce carbon and their environmental footprints. Senior fellow and senior director, electricity andfuels division, The Energy and Resources Institute will discuss how India can achieve its net zero emissions goal by 2070.
It will be followed with a joint session on sustainable industry infrastructure by George Menezes chief operating officer, Godrej Electricals and Electronics and KS Vekatgiri executive director, CII – Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre.
Pragya Koor, actor, producer and environmental activist who founded Ek Saath The Earth Foundation will be the last speaker. Her topic will be on the role youth play in environmental movements.
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