Tag: UNICEF

background

News

Latest News Thumbnail

Three important Sustainability Updates

WriteCanvas News

Oil India, NABARD, and a Union Minister highlighted the importance of sustainability and ESG in three separate incidents.

Oil India

Oil India has joined the Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter.

By signing up for the Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC), Oil India Limited (OIL), a Maharatna CPSE and a major player in the exploration and production of natural gas and crude oil, has demonstrated its commitment to sustainable energy practices.

“This significant step underscores OIL’s dedication to reducing carbon emissions and zero flaring initiatives and contributing to a greener future for the nation,” Oil India stated in a regulatory filing. Oil India said it is decarbonizing at a rate that will enable it to reach Net Zero by 2040.

NABARD

In the second instance, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) products for rural institutions, with India experiencing an annual impact of $30 billion due to climate change.

Speaking at the FIBAC conference in Mumbai, KV Shaji, Chairman, NABARD, said, “…we are working with some international agencies to set up a carbon fund. This is because in the West a lot of developments are happening in the carbon credit market. We need to leverage those developments and our appetite for India.”

“We are working with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for setting up the carbon fund in India. We are also setting up some training institutes where we will have a climate change establishment,” he said.

Thirdly, Union Minister of State for Corporate Affairs and Road Transport and Highways, Harsh Malhotra emphasized India’s commitment to responsible business practices for sustainable development and ESG, emphasizing inclusiveness in achieving Viksit Bharat. He urged Indian businesses to adopt ethical and sustainable practices.

Justice Dipak Misra, former Chief Justice of India, highlighted the ethical importance of corporate governance and the role of Environmental and Social Responsibility (ESG) policies in ensuring businesses operate within justice and fairness. He emphasized that ESG is a philosophical thought and should not be treated as a legal compliance task. Misra urged nations to change the philosophy of commercial concerns and make corporate and individual awareness of the new lexicon of global thinkers.

Dr. Ajay Bhushan Prasad Pandey, Director General and CEO, IICA, emphasized the significance of responsible business conduct in India’s sustainable development agenda. The IICA’s School of Business Environment promotes responsible conduct through policy advocacy, research, and capacity-building programs.

Mr Malhotra and Justice (Retd.) Misra inaugurated the National Conference on Responsible Business Conduct 2024 recently.

The conference emphasized the importance of responsible business practices for sustainable development and the role of ESG, particularly inclusiveness, in achieving Viksit Bharat.

Key speakers included UNICEF Country Representative Cynthia McCaffery and ACCA CEO Helen Brand OBE. The conference also released a book and launched an online Data Portal on Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting.

Key discussions included ‘Responsible Governance: The Leadership Dialogue’, ‘Nature Restoration: Role of Business’, and ‘Sectoral Adaptation of the National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct in the Ready-Made Garment Sector’.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
«
»
background

News

Latest News Thumbnail

IICA, HP India, Launch ESG Professional Program

WriteCanvas News

HP and IICA have launched an ESG Professional Program. The HP Future Impact Leader – IICA Certified ESG Professional Programme, aims to equip organizations with the skills to lead sustainable initiatives.

The scholarship-based program is a significant step towards building a sustainable and responsible corporate ecosystem.

Dr. Ajay Bhushan Prasad Pandey, Director General & CEO, IICA and Chairperson, NFRA, and former Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India, delivered the keynote address.

He spoke about the growing importance of ESG in the global business landscape, highlighting its role in attracting investors and stakeholders.

He emphasized the importance of adopting ESG principles in business operations to identify cost-saving opportunities, reduce energy consumption, and minimize operational costs. He shared insights into the need for mandatory ESG reporting practices to avoid future reputational and compliance issues.

Dr. Pandey discussed the role of ESG regulations in India’s growth and development, motivating delegates to integrate ESG principles into their strategies.

He stressed the importance of mandatory ESG reporting practices to avoid reputational and compliance issues in the future.

He cited the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment and the 2015 UN Summit, emphasizing the importance of sustainable development.

According to him, adopting ESG core principles in business operations helps identify cost-saving opportunities, lower energy consumption, reduce resource waste, and minimize operational costs.

He highlighted the call by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to redefine the PPP (Pro-Planet-People) in the G20 Delhi Declaration.

He also referred to new research co-authored by Wharton’s Aline Gatignon, which offers insights into how various firms allocate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds across different dimensions.

Why is ESG important?

Rajeev Nair, Legal Head, HP India, underscored the importance of integrating legal frameworks with sustainable business practices. He spoke about HP’s commitment to sustainability and innovation, and how this program aligns with the company’s vision of creating a positive impact on society and the environment.

Geetanjali Master, Public Private Partnership Specialist, UNICEF India, spoke about the need for collaborative efforts required between public and private sectors to achieve sustainable development goals. Her address underscored the importance of partnerships in driving impactful ESG initiatives.

Dr Garima Dadhich, Associate Professor & Head of the School of Business Environment, IICA, shared the critical role of shaping sustainable business practices and the importance of developing ESG professionals and impact leaders.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
«
»
background

Blog

Latest News Thumbnail

Water Crisis: The Call to Action

Renjini Liza Varghese

The Water crisis unfolds before us daily. People struggling for water is no longer a rural phenomenon. It is rapidly spreading wings to the metropolitan areas too.

The situation is becoming grave each year. We witnessed devastating news stories after municipal water had run out to depleted reserves in Johannesburg. The same year, Chennai, a bustling metropolis in South India, grappled with a severe water crisis. These weren’t isolated incidents – Bengaluru, India’s Silicon Valley, is grappling with daily water struggles. These are stark warnings-a glimpse into a future.

The evidence is undeniable. There’s a growing consensus among experts that water scarcity could be the next global crisis, potentially even leading to wars. But amidst the growing despair, a question begs an answer: Why haven’t we found solutions?

I don’t want to analyze the underlying causes.

However, I want to highlight three crucial areas that need immediate action:
  • Lack of Awareness or Ignorance: Despite the problems caused due to water scarcity, people are indifferent. Sadly, they are not aware of efficient water practices, and recycling.
  • Blind Eye to Environmental Damage: I am worried about the “I don’t care” attitude towards the depletion of water sources. This includes turning a blind eye to unlawful activities such as reclaiming water bodies as land. The depletion of natural resources also continues unchecked.
  • Absence of Penalties: There is a disturbing lack of accountability for water wastage, which discourages responsible consumption. Without consequences, there is little incentive to conserve.

It is a common practice and the easiest excuse to blame population growth and geographical limitations. However, history narrates a different story.

In the 1970s and 80s, India, in partnership with UNICEF, undertook one of the largest rural water programs in history. This initiative was born out of the devastating Bihar drought of 1966 where 60 million people faced acute shortages of food and water. A stark reminder of how important water is to human life.

The program led to the widespread adoption of borewells and hand pumps. The initially installed hand pumps did not work for India because of the sheer volume of usage. This led to the innovation of Mark II hand pumps, a testament to India’s answer to water woes and the greatest gift to the world.

Call to Action:

Action and not Indifference: We can no longer afford to be passive bystanders. We need innovation and must embrace a solutions-oriented approach. We need more innovation in water management and conservation technologies.

Revive Our Waterways: Reviving and protecting natural water bodies like lakes and rivers is crucial. These ecosystems play a vital role in replenishing groundwater reserves and maintaining a healthy water cycle.

Beyond Recycling: Although water recycling is crucial, we must go beyond it. We must promote a culture of water awareness that emphasizes responsible consumption, source protection, and sustainable water management.

The UN’s theme for World Water Day 2024, “Water for Peace,” speaks volumes. It is our collective duty to ensure water availability, restrict consumption, and safeguard sources.

Let’s not sleepwalk into a future ravaged by water scarcity. This year can be the beginning of a new era of water stewardship, one where we work together for a sustainable future.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
«
»
background

Social investments, BRSR, ESG

Latest News Thumbnail

Social Finds Emphasis at BRSR workshop

WriteCanvas News

Social, a key component of Environment, Social and Governance or ESG, is finally getting its due.

In a recent SoBE workshop for BRSR professionals, speakers highlighted the significance of social responsibility and the impact of investments on businesses.

ESG and BRSR were the focal points of a one-day workshop conducted by The School of Business Environment (SoBE), a specialized division of the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), and some partners.

The ESG emphasis:

Dr. Ravi Raj Atrey, Chief Program Officer, SoBE, IICA, discussed ESG’s role in establishing a Responsible Brand, highlighting the connection between sustainability and responsible branding.

Dinesh Agrawal, Principal Consultant, Consocia Advisory, conducted a session on “Exploring the ‘S’ of ESG.” The session focused on the analysis of the social responsibility and impact of investments and businesses. Mr Agrawal emphasized that the letter “S” stands for several things, such as equitable labor practices, inclusivity and diversity, and worker welfare. The incorporation of social considerations into ESG frameworks is a reflection of the growing understanding that social responsibility and sustainable business practices are inextricably linked to long-term success and favorable societal outcomes.

The workshop:

Overall, the one-day workshop on Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) featured over eight technical sessions. These sessions emphasized the key components of BRSR Disclosures and resolution.

In his inaugural address, Praveen Kumar, DG & CEO, IICA, said that the training will fulfill the demand for ESG professionals. The role of ESG and BRSR is not merely on compliance or cost to the company. It is a strategic Investment.

Key highlights from other sessions:

The first technical session was on the Interlinking of ESG-NGRBC-BRSR Principles. Prof. Garima Dadhich, Associate Professor & Head SoBE, IICA, explained the various Principles of NGRBC and their relevance with BRSR.

The next session on BRSR- Industrial Perspective was taken by Bharat Wakhlu, Founder-President, The Wakhlu Advisory. He highlighted the importance of happy and healthy living for current and future generations, emphasizing the industrial sector’s duty and role.

In the session on Illustrating Top Companies BRSR Database, Dheeraj, Lead-Programmes, PRAXIS, discussed the growth and acceptance of BRSR by companies, emphasizing its role as a ‘Roadmap’ rather than a strict compliance format.

Pradeep Narayanan, CEO, Partner in Change, discussed the importance of human rights and DE & I in addressing social equity and inclusion. He pointed out the impact of issues on businesses and provided explanations for the materiality approach’ and saliency approach.

The Session on Women and Children Friendly Policies (NGRBC Principles 3, 5, and 8) was conducted by Shubrajyoti Bhowmik, Public and Private Partnership Officer, UNICEF. He emphasized the need to uphold women’s and children’s rights and establish safety precautions. Businesses must show their dedication to moral and socially conscious behavior, making a positive contribution to society and supporting global sustainability goals. This should not be done to satisfy policy requirements.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
«
»
background

Water Crisis

Latest News Thumbnail

Water crisis at the time of floods

Renjini Liza Varghese

In the last 30 days, we have seen floods in Hong Kong, Greece, Spain, India, Brazil, Bulgaria, Turkey, Oman, Guatemala, Mexico, Libya… The list continues.

While the world is busy pointing fingers at climate change, I am also noticing an alarming scare! Lack of potable drinking water in the climate disaster-affected areas. Take the case of Libya, for example. The death toll in the African country is reported to have crossed 11,000. What’s worse, the living face a severe potable water crisis.

Alarming data:

According to a UN SDG Indicator 2021 summary:

  • 2.3 billion people live in water-stressed countries
  • 26% of the world’s population lacked safely managed drinking water

According to UNICEF:

  1. Four billion people — almost 2/3 of the world’s population — experience severe water scarcity for at least one month each year.
  2. Half of the world’s population could live in areas facing water scarcity by 2025.
  3. Some 700 million people could be displaced by intense water scarcity by 2030.
  4. By 2040, roughly 1 in 4 children worldwide will be living in areas of extremely high water stress.

So far, the water crisis has been highlighted during droughts, dry spells and increased temperature levels. But drought is not the lone cause of water scarcity. Natural calamities, including floods, wipe out or contaminate water bodies and change water cycle patterns. The water scarcity in Libya is not an isolated case. The entire world will bear the brunt as the intensity and frequency of floods has increased.

Contextually, dramatic weather events over the last few years have brought about catastrophic changes in the lives of the people-especially at risk are women, children and vulnerable communities.

As per the UNICEF data, around 74% of natural disasters between 2001 and 2018 were water-related, including droughts and floods. The frequency and intensity of such events are only expected to increase with climate change.

And children bear the maximum brunt. “Water and sanitation-related diseases are one of the leading causes of death in children under 5 years old. Every day, over 1000 children under 5 years die from diseases linked to inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene,” the authors noted in the report.

The report further said that by 2040, almost 1 in 4 children will live in areas of extremely high water stress.

Yet another vulnerable sector, the women, also bear the impact. Historically, we have seen women struggling to fetch drinking water and water for hygiene and sanitation. When climate eventualities are on the rise, their struggles increase manifold. It is time we look at ways to address the water crisis.

Water and sanitation become very critical in a flood-affected area. Transporting potable water for daily use, reviving the water bodies and cleanzing the contaminated water infrastructure after a natural disaster is crucial. Till now, these were not the areas of focus. I think it is time for us to dig deep into this crisis and better manage our water resources.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
«
»
background

BRSR

Latest News Thumbnail

IICA, UNICEF organize BRSR workshop

WriteCanvas News

Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) yesterday organized a Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) workshop.

IICA collaborated with UNICEF and the National Stock Exchange—the workshop was conducted at the NSE premises in Mumbai.

More than 50 sustainability, corporate social responsibility (CSR), environment, social and governance (ESG) and Business Human Rights (BHR) professionals from key corporate houses attended the workshop.

The workshop covered topics such as use of CSR & ESG as tools for establishing responsible brands. Effective BRSR disclosures, digital tools, IT portal/software for BRSR and the application of family-friendly policies in business were also discussed. Attendees also got a comprehensive understanding of the BRSR framework, which is based on the nine principles of the National Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct (NGRBC). It must be noted that the BRSR framework is a mandatory disclosure for top 1000 listed companies.

Dr. Harish Ahuja, SVP & Head PSD, Power & Carbon Markets, Investor Awareness, NSE, inaugurated the workshop. H

The workshop was facilitated by eminent experts from UNICEF, StepChange and IICA, a leading institute in the field of ESG, CSR, BHR, and corporate sustainability. The renowned faculty and expert speakers included Prof. Garima Dadhich, Associate Professor & Head, SoBE, IICA; Mr. Ashok Kumar Gupta, Former Group General Counsel, Aditya Birla Group; Mr. Ankit Jain, CEO, StepChange; Dr. Ravi Raj Atrey, CPE, SoBE, IICA, and Mr. Shubhrajyoti Bhowmik, Partnership Officer – Private & Public Sector Engagements, UNICEF.

Three more workshops are scheduled in Indore (20 Sept.), Delhi (26 Sept.), and Bengaluru (29 Sept.), respectively.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
«
»

Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function twenty_twenty_one_the_posts_navigation() in /home2/writecxc/public_html/wp-content/themes/twentytwentyone-child/archive.php:31 Stack trace: #0 /home2/writecxc/public_html/wp-includes/template-loader.php(106): include() #1 /home2/writecxc/public_html/wp-blog-header.php(19): require_once('/home2/writecxc...') #2 /home2/writecxc/public_html/index.php(17): require('/home2/writecxc...') #3 {main} thrown in /home2/writecxc/public_html/wp-content/themes/twentytwentyone-child/archive.php on line 31