Rebuilding Chennai’s green cover

Last June, Chennai recorded a nine year high of 42 degree Celsius and most importantly this temperature was recorded at Nungambakkam, a well known residential area. This was just one highlight of a scorching summer that Chennai experienced last year. As we prepare to face yet another bout of solar excess, we have to address the increasing climate extremes and the need to have a robust strategy to revert to the green, comparatively colder summers. Surprise as it may be to many, Chennai was not always this hot and actually experienced monsoon, winters and even a good amount of sea breeze during the summers that made life much easier when the mercury rose.  The connection between local climate patterns and forest cover has been...

LIVE COVERAGE OF RV DEBATING TOURNAMENT ON ROAD SAFETY & SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY

The RV Debating Tournament 2012, conducted with the support of Michelin India, is one of the biggest tournaments in India that will focus on issues long championed by Michelin. RV college who is soon to be hosting the largest annual student competition in the world ,WUDC where more than a thousand university students aggregate in places across the world and participate in a week long competition . The current debate which will happen over the weekend covers many intuitive topics on issues that affect our lifestyle, some of which Michelin has championed for long. Issues such as policies on road safety that needs to be tackled through innovative ideas, Sustainable mobility which is fast becoming a buzz word for most manufacturers as well as government policies. Also new progressive ideas...

Greenhouse Gas Protocol: a New Ally for New Opportunities?

India’s commitment to sustainable economy topics has become a central focus of industrial and political thought. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) is an international accounting tool used by government and business leaders to detect, quantify and control greenhouse gas emissions. It results from the partnership between the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, which brings together the world’s businesses, governments and environmental institutions to work on sustainable issues. The GHG protocol has made its way in India since the Energy Resources Institute partnered with the above-mentioned organizations to launch two new tools, the Product Life Cycle and Corporate Value Chain, to meet new GHG Protocol standards. The launch took place...

India Shining: Even the Sun Has a Price

Solar projects have grown in number over the past decade but could stall if India does not consider new areas of opportunity. Innovative financing mechanisms that would enable the market to expand are being widely discussed. Public-private partnerships could be the answer, based on the US model. Different tools are under consideration such as the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and the use of agency funding to finance solar programs. The Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for financing solar energy projects appeals to India. Through a PPA, a third-party investor assumes all financing, installation and maintenance costs, and the district or government agrees to buy the power back, at a fixed reduced rate. This international financing tool provides immediate cost-savings and environmental benefits,...

Team Building and Sustainability Building: Could CSR Communication Be the Winning Formula?

CSR consists of a commitment to the society in which a business operates. Consequently, more and more business managers seek to implement Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. CSR is perceived as a tool to help secure a sustainable competitive advantage by integrating social and business goals. Above all, testing CSR measures in India is an opportunity for employees from the bottom to provide input and be proud of participating in their firm’s CSR development. CSR measures have to be enhanced by strategic communication to deliver the appropriate message. CSR communication is a key tool for taking the pulse a healthy work environment in a business, since it provides an outlook on a company’s goodwill from within and without. It has a twofold impact. One, employees become eager...