Sustainability Reporting Gaining Momentum

More and more companies are touting their contribution to sustainable development via Corporate Social Responsibility actions, their environmental commitment and their social awareness. Nevertheless, civil society is hardly satisfied with lip service, now demanding proofs of their engagement, beyond the mere listing of a series of vague actions. As the matter is serious, invoking responsibility entails accountability. This is where reporting has a significant role to play.

A growing number of companies, professional organizations and experts (Confederation of Indian Industry, TERI, Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs) are considering reporting an essential way to ensure that companies are engaging in sustainable development and that their action has a real impact. Voluntary commitment is slowly moving toward mandatory requirement applying first to listed companies (SEBI decision in November 2011) and maybe soon to others.

Sustainability reporting is not easy, given that it serves to assess the outcome of actions on variables that are not easily measurable. Too go beyond mere ‘green-washing’, this kind of reporting must take the various stakeholders’ seriously, by being sincere and accurate when presenting the outcome of actions. Citizens, shareholders and others can surely be trusted to judge actions whose main goal is to make the world they live in better.

What do you think? Would you be interested in receiving detailed information about what companies are doing to care for a better world? Would that impact your consumer behavior?

Let’s Pool Our Efforts for Sustainable Mobility

Cities are often said to be shaped by their mass transit system. For anyone commuting in Chennai and experiencing increased traffic congestion this is a relevant issue. Years of urban planning experience have shown that a collaborative approach is the only way that can actually embed sustainable mobility into the bustling city.

Aside from the emergence of new technologies in transportation, fuel and urban design, the shaping of new business models and collaborative partnerships is also fuelling urban planning. A platform such as City Connect (a partnership between the Confederation of Indian Industry CII, Tamil Nadu and Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy (JCCD) created in 2007, which brings together industry, government and civil society stakeholders around urban India, has proven to be a crucial step towards an overarching approach to transport issues.

An example of this effort to pool various points of view and skills: Chennai City Connect, backed by Michelin India, has recently hired consulting firm Civitas to study the autorickshaw sector in Chennai. The report is now out and gives constructive insight into how to enhance sustainable mobility in Chennai.

Please share your thoughts on how to prevent lively Chennai from becoming a dead-end and turn it back into the crossroads it once was!

Carbon Footprint Study Draft Report: Renewable Energies a Top Priority for Tamil Nadu

Did you know that 75% of Tamil Nadu’s emissions stem from energy and power-related sources? This fact was revealed in the draft report of the Carbon Footprint Study by the Confederation of Indian Industry. The study, sponsored by Michelin India, is the first of its kind in Tamil Nadu. Its purpose is to help the State gain a greater insight into its carbon situation. Both total and per capita emissions have been calculated from data provided by 15 State departments.

Clearly, the outcome of the study points to an urgent need to adopt a renewable energy strategy to lower the overall carbon footprint of Tamil Nadu and bring it in line with the national commitment of reducing emissions intensity by 20 to 25% of 2005 levels by 2020.

The report lays down several recommendations including: adoption of voluntary renewable power obligation targets; creation of green funds; charge of a fuel tax on diesel and petrol to fund bio-fuel research, support technology absorption and public transportation system; adoption of green buildings in residential and commercial space.

Astonishingly, we also learn that a single tree can sequester 30 kg of carbon per year while the per capita carbon footprint stands at 1.59 tons. Afforestation would be the most obvious step, not to mention that it would entail so many other benefits…