Journey towards sustainability - An Evolution_Presentation made at NITK

Dr. Prasad Modak

Ekonnect Knowledge Foundation

Journey towards Sustainability - An Evolution

Outline of the Presentation

• Some Historical

• An Introduction to Sustainability

• Sustainability Evolution in Tiers

• Opportunities and Challenges

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How did it all begin?

Before Sustainability… Compliance as the Focus

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Public Health Engineering

Sanitary Engineering

Environmental Engineering

Environmental Science

Environmental Health & Safety

Environmental Law

Expansion, Extension, Integration & Specialization

Responding to Sustainability

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Environmental Planning

Environmental Economics and Finance

Environmental & Social Development

Environmental Policy

Environmental Communication

Environmental Management

Carbon Management

SUSTAINABILITY

Introduction to

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Sustainable Development

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“Sustainable development is

development that meets the needs of

the present without compromising the

ability of future generations to meet

their own needs.”

~ Brundtland Commission, “Our Common Future”

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People

Profit Planet

© Environmental Management Centre The Concept of Sustainability

Running for Sustainability

Risk or Opportunity?

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Benefits

• Be compliant

• Reduce risks

• Reduce costs

• Maximize performance

• Establish Brand

• Better Stakeholder

Management

(Neighborhood, Staff,

Supply Chains)

• More effectiveness in

Discharging CSR

• Framework for

Transparency

Improves Outcomes

Optimizes operations

Sustainability in an

Organization

Reduces Adverse Env and Social Impacts/

Risks


Shades of Sustainability

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Evolution of Sustainability

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Four Tiers of Sustainability

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Tier 1

• Compliance to Env Laws and Social Standards

• Establishing Environmental and Social Governance (ESG)

Tier 2

• Minimizing Footprints (Water, Energy, Carbon)

Tier 3

• Greening of Supply Chains/ Green Purchasing

• Stakeholder Engagements

• Social Inclusion

Tier 4

• Embedded Sustainability

• Sustainability as Business Driver

Going Beyond Compliance

Extending Boundaries

Mainstreaming

Meeting laws of the land, Market

/ Investor requirements

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Compliance – Meeting Laws of

the Land and Requirements of

the Market / Investors

Compliance with procedures

Generate and Maintain

Associated Documentation

Investing on mitigation measures

Deploying qualified staff

Monitoring and Reporting

Tier 1:Compliance

Minimum Eligibility Criteria for Sustainability

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Beyond Compliance

– Practicing „Smart‟

Sustainability

Water & Energy

Conservation

Green Buildings

ISO 14000 & 18000

Certification

Practicing 3Rs

Carbon Disclosure

Responding to Climate Change

Tier 2: Beyond Compliance

Conserve resources

Reduce Wastes/Emissions

Reduce risks and vulnerability

Join International Initiatives

“In a free enterprise, the community is not just another stakeholder in business but in

fact the very purpose of its existence”.

– J.R.D. Tata

Expanding Frontiers

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Extending Boundaries

CSR

Green Jobs and Social Inclusion

Green Purchasing

Assistance to suppliers for

EHS performance

Contractor Skill Training

and EHS Management

Extended Producer

Responsibility

Tier 3: Extending Boundaries

Green Purchasing

Greening of Supply Chains

Supporting Communities in Project Catchments

Practicing CSR

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Embedded Sustainability

Green IT Green Schools

Green Offices

Eco-cities

Smart Cities

Renewable Energy

Distributed Generation of

Power

Sustainable Mobility Solutions

Conservation Finance

Climate Insurance

Impact Funds

Tier 4: Embedded SustainAbility

Sustainability as the Business driver

Mainstreaming Sustainability

Sustainability Awareness Programme

Sustainabillty Reporting

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To make sustainability an everyday, enduring part of the

organization, it needs to become embedded in the

organizational culture.

Dr. Stephanie Bertels

Simon Fraser University and NBS

Embedded Sustainability

Sustainability @Corporate? 201X?

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Ecosystem Pays.. Will it continue to Pay?

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CHALLENGES

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Sustainability

Challenges

Businesses

Greenwash

Considered as

marketing

gimmick No tangible

outcome

Hard to define

Lack of metrics

for footprint

calculation

Regulators

Lack of policy

framework No incentives to

spur innovation

Lack of qualified

personnel

Considered as

‘cost’ without

Social Return

on Investment

No life

cycle

thinking

Top

management

not involved

Supply Chains

not considered

Not a

business

‘strategy’

Consumers not

interested

Lack of proper

communication

Lack of structured

framework to

stimulate markets

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People

Profit Planet

Social inclusion

Green jobs

Low Carbon

Living

Green buildings

Smart cities

Green economy


Business practices with low

environmental and social impacts

INNOVATION SUSTAINABILITY

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People

Profit

Planet

Values

Social inclusion

Green jobs

Low Carbon

Living

Green buildings

Smart cities

Green economy


Business practices with

low environmental and

social impacts

SHARED

RESPONSIBILTY SUSTAINABILITY

Ethics

Equity

Transparency

Do you want to be that odd man green?

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Let us walk together … Be part of the Process

Thank you

Thank you

Journey towards sustainability - An Evolution_Presentation made at NITK

Education

Transcript of Journey towards sustainability - An Evolution_Presentation made at NITK