New industry-led, voluntary program to measure and report GHG Emissions

NEW DELHI (JULY 22, 2013) - Today WRI India, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) launched the India Greenhouse Gas Program (India GHG Program), a voluntary initiative to standardize measurement and management of GHG emissions in India. Representatives from more than 20 founding member companies joined environmental and government leaders for the launch of the India GHG Program, which will promote profitable, sustainable and competitive businesses.

The India GHG Program was formally launched in New Delhi at the India Habitat Center with Mr. Jamshyd Godrej, Chairman, Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd and Chairman - Board of Directors of WRI India, Dr. R K Pachauri, Director General, TERI, Dr. Ajay Mathur, Director General, Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Mr. Krishan Dhawan, Chief Executive Officer, Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, Dr. Ashok Khosla, President, Development Alternatives, Mr. Pankaj Bhatia, Deputy Director Climate & Energy Program, WRI and Director GHG Protocol, Mr. Siddarthan Balasubramania, Director, WRI, and other industry leaders calling for urgent action to identify business opportunities in measuring and managing GHG emissions.

“Over the last few years, the discourse regarding the role and involvement of Indian industry in achieving the country’s carbon intensity goals has considerably matured. A number of progressive Indian companies have also opened avenues to measure and manage their environmental footprint to positively influence their suppliers, investors and consumers,” said Mr. Godrej. “These developments underscore the need for establishing a ‘center for excellence’ on GHG accounting in India, which helps enhance focus on the related opportunities and risks. This initiative by WRI India, CII and TERI is therefore a key step to building capabilities in the region. The India GHG Program aims to make measurement and management of GHG emissions standard practice for Indian businesses seeking a more competitive, profitable and sustainable business environment.”

Founding member companies including Godrej & Boyce, HCC Limited, Ford Motor Company (India), Mahindra Sanyo Steel, Jet Airways, Tata Teleservices, Bayer Group, Infosys Technologies, Tata Chemicals, NTPC, ITC, Yes Bank, Cummins India, Forbes Marshall, JK Tyres, Shree Cements, United Technologies, Ambuja Cement and GAIL have come together to launch this voluntary initiative to enhance profitability and competitiveness in a carbon, resource and energy-constrained world. The program has been made possible with the support from Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, Pirojsha Godrej Foundation and Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation & Nuclear Safety, Germany.

“I am happy to see the India GHG Program shaping up to help companies in India monitor their progress towards voluntary reduction goals in a consistent and credible manner, Dr. Pachauri said. The program will provide companies with tools and technical assistance to assess emission levels, identify opportunities to establish both annual and long-term reduction goals, and track their progress based on the GHG Protocol.” He further added, “The Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the IPCC assessed a range of economically viable and technologically feasible mitigation options. We found, for instance, that mitigation opportunities with net negative cost have the potential to reduce GHG emissions by about 6 gigatons of C02 equivalent per year in 2030.”

Dr. Mathur said, "This is an interesting initiative in India. We will be watching it with great interest, and explore possibilities for co-operation in the future".

The India GHG Program aims to help companies in India monitor their progress towards voluntary reduction goals in a consistent and credible manner. The program will provide companies with tools and technical assistance to build inventories, identify reduction opportunities, establish both annual and long-term reduction goals, and track their progress based on the GHG Protocol, the most widely used accounting and reporting standard in the world.

“CII is working with various stakeholders in facilitating GHG emission reductions, leading to India achieving its 20-25% committed reduction in GHG emission intensity by 2020. We see the India GHG Program as a strong step towards having industry lead GHG emission reduction initiatives, share best practices and mitigate its carbon risks,” said Mr. S Raghupathy, Executive Director, CII – Godrej Green Business Centre.

The India GHG Program is a powerful partnership between WRI India, TERI, and CII, building upon their extensive knowledge base and understanding of local business environment. The program leverages a deep commitment to support business leadership and develop robust, context-specific measurement and management tools.

The initiative has already received strong endorsement and support from industry leaders.

“Ford India is committed to bringing fuel efficient and safe vehicles to India that our customers want and value. And we are growing our manufacturing capabilities in India in an environmentally responsible way as part of our ONE FORD plan,” said Mr. Joginder Singh, president and managing director, Ford India. “Ford is proud to be India’s first automotive company to join the voluntary India Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, and is a reflection of our ongoing commitment to sustainability of manufacturing operations globally.”

In another statement, Ms. Niyati Sareen, General Manager and Spokesperson, HCC Limited said, “HCC has strong interwoven linkages between the triple bottom line performance and its overall business vision. HCC is looking forward to its participation in the India GHG program, a voluntary initiative promoted by WRI India, TERI and CII to enhance its internal capabilities and support sectoral leadership by engaging with peers going forward.”

Mr. Uday Gupta, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Mahindra Sanyo Steel added, “We are very happy to be associated with the India GHG Program being jointly spearheaded by WRI India, TERI and CII. This is an age that will require unprecedented collaboration of all to combat the risk of climate change and thereby discharge our obligation towards environmental responsibility. We at Mahindra Sanyo Special heartily welcome this initiative and promise to work together to create the long term environmental value thereby driving positive change to the society at large.”

The India GHG Program will also facilitate engagement of the business sector with policy makers, supporting progress and advancement towards national goals on carbon intensity and GHG emissions mitigation. In addition, the program will build a pool of trained and certified GHG practitioners and GHG measurement and management professionals.

“Indian Industry has set a powerful precedent in the region, by collaboratively engaging on a multi-stakeholder platform to take the next leap on GHG measurement and management. The India GHG Program strives to promote climate stewardship and innovation that will merge core business benefits along with the environmental and social agenda,” said Mr. Vivek P. Adhia, Senior Associate – Climate & Energy, WRI India.

To find out more about the India GHG Program visit: http://www.ghgprotocol.org/programs-and-registries/india

WRI India
WRI India’s mission is to go beyond research to put ideas into action, and work with governments, business, and civil society to build transformative solutions that protect the earth and improve people’s lives. WRI India is an independent non-profit organization, registered in the country as India Resources Trust. It seeks to find economically and environmentally sound solutions that are locally relevant, while adaptable at a national level. http://wri-india.org/

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)
From microbiology to global climate change, from smoke-filled rural kitchens to plush corporate boardrooms, from schoolchildren to heads of state—no sphere of human endeavor is unfamiliar to TERI. Headed by world-renowned economist and Head of the Nobel Prize winning UN Climate panel, Dr. R K Pachauri, TERI is best described as an independent, not-for-profit research institute focused on energy, environment, and sustainable development and devoted to efficient and sustainable use of natural resources. To engage with the Indian corporate sector, TERI set up TERI-BCSD (Business Council for Sustainable Development), a group of motivated corporate organizations, observing and supporting the aim of sustainable development for India’s economy. http://www.teriin.org/.

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry led and managed organization playing a proactive role in India’s development process. Founded over 118 years ago, India’s premier business association has over 7100 members including SMEs and MNCs. Extending its agenda beyond business, CII assists industry to identify and execute corporate citizenship programs – along with partnerships with civil society organizations to carry forward integrated and inclusive development. http://www.greenbusinesscentre.com/site/ciigbc/aboutus.jsp .

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol)
A global collaboration led by WBCSD and WRI. It provides the foundation for sustainable climate strategies and more efficient, resilient and profitable organizations. GHG Protocol standards are the most widely used accounting tools to measure, manage and report on greenhouse gas emissions.

Contact
Vivek P. Adhia, Senior Associate, WRI India, +91 9820290980, vivek.adhia@wri-india.org
Ms Zainab Naeem, Communications Research Associate, TERI, +91- 8800286575, zainab.naeem@teri.res.in
Samuel Sunder Singh, Executive Officer, CII Godrej GBC, +91 9866661680, Samuel.Sunder@cii.in

Photo: Thangaraj Kumaravel, Flickr