Indian Companies with Solutions that the World Needs - SUSTAINABILITY AS A DRIVER FOR INNOVATION AND PROFIT
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The joint CII-WWF report about sustainability as a driver for profit and innovation was one of the most exciting project during 2008. This report will hopefully be discussed and used during 2009 as it becomes clear to more companies that it is time to move beyond incremental improvements. We have begun to draft the strategy and during 2009 there will be a number of initiatives and we will probably see a global study looking into how the world’s leading companies are integrating poverty alleviation and low carbon solutions into their core business.
Below is the press release from WWF India (Still global media are slow to pick up interesting things from the emerging economies so it was probably not picked up a lot)…
11 Dec 2008
New Delhi, 11th Dec, 08: As the global negotiation on climate policy continue to unveil and steps towards stalemate, a new report by WWF and CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development (CESD) brings out successful stories of how Indian businesses are using innovation as a driver for sustainability and profit. The report, released during the CII Sustainability Summit ’08 highlights how successful organisations are bringing forward solutions to tackle twin challenges of poverty and climate change.
Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, Confederation of Indian Industry, described the report as a major step towards sustainability and innovation, and said “Sustainable business and social entrepreneurship will shape future economic growth for the world and that the businesses featured in this report reflect the incredible potential in the alignment of sustainable development needs and business value”. He added, “the cases outlined are stories of great determination to achieve sustainable practices, but they also showcase the huge opportunities that emerge from such practices’.
With a special focus on climate change, this report stresses the need for rapid global emission reductions as the driver for new thinking. It provides examples from Indian companies that can be used both by industry and governments to make strategic decisions from an economic, social and environmental perspective. It demonstrates through case studies how leading Indian companies are integrating low carbon development into their strategies and targeting sustainability without losing sight of core business objectives.
Ravi Singh, Secretary General and CEO, WWF-India, speaking to the press at the release noted, “Through this report we are attempting to bring forward a special focus on climate change and the need for rapid global emission reductions as a driver for new thinking where leading companies must integrate poverty alleviation and low carbon development in their strategies”.
He added, “Climate change is still only the tip of an iceberg as we must ensure a more resource efficient development if we are to ensure biodiversity and avoid an ecological crisis that would make the current financial crisis pale in comparison”.