Buoyed by the success of earlier editions, Confederation of Indian Industry's (CII) Jharkhand State Council organised the fourth edition of its annual flagship event, Green Conclave, on a virtual platform on Tuesday.
The theme of the conclave, organised in association with UN Global Compact Network India and Citizens Foundation, was “realising sustainable development goals”. Over 150 delegates took part.
The fourth Green Conclave deliberated on some important environment sustainability issues in India. The forum highlighted and tried to address some immediate gaps where policy intervention could help accelerate implementation of a circular economy, promote resource efficiency and help create a climate resilient Indian industry.
Addressing the conclave, Sandeep Shrivastava, senior vice-president (Corporate Environment and Sustainability) Aditya Birla Group, pointed out that industrialisation is inevitable for the development of a nation.
He affirmed that industry should focus on using the waste generated by itself as inputs for production. He said that waste management was not only essential from a public welfare perspective but could contribute to economic growth if the recycling industry was promoted alongside eco-industrial production.
Sanjay Sabherwal, chairman, CII Jharkhand State Council, and managing director, Metaldyne Industries, said industry should see undertaking green initiatives as an opportunity rather than additional cost.
"Green industrialisation offers huge opportunities for entrepreneurship development. Creating green industries that provide different types of environmental goods and services and contribute towards reducing negative environmental impacts is crucial at this juncture of globalisation," he explained.
K.S. Venkatagiri, executive director, CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre. said that CII was continuously working in the areas of environment sustainability.
CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre (CII-Godrej GBC) was established in 2004 to promote green practices and businesses.
Among the other speakers were Ganesh Reddy, secretary-cum-chief executive officer, Citizens Foundation, and Kamal Singh, executive director, UN Global Compact Network India.