India Environment Portal Knowledge for change

About us Contact us
downtoearth-subscribe

Browse by subjects

Just passed!

Just passed! It was a moment of truth for Indian automobile companies. On October 29, 2001, captains of the auto industry waited with bated breath to learn where they stood on the ladder of environmental performance. India's first environmental and most comprehensive rating of the automobile sector was to be released in New Delhi. But with the results, reality sunk in.

To say that the sector performed poorly will only be an understatement: with a score of 31.4 per cent, it got a mere two leaves award, against a maximum of five leaves. Even the best company did not have much to rejoice: it got just three leaves. It was time for soul-searching. Companies were found wanting in more ways than one. And they accepted the verdict. Some were even willing to incorporate environment as an important consideration in corporate ethics. "Indian auto industry till now has been reactive. But now the time has come to become proactive to environmental concerns,' said A P Gandhi, president, Hyundai Motors India, which came second in the overall rating.

The Green Rating Project (grp) is the fruit of a two-year research by the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment. The project is funded by the United Nations Development Programme (undp) and the Union ministry of environment and forests. It is a public disclosure project and based on the principle of voluntary disclosure of information. The hallmark of the project is the transparency at every step. Awareness among all the stakeholders, that is, civil society, industry, financial institutions and the government, is the key element of the project.
Back to ratings To say that the top company is the best will be a misnomer as it scored less than 45 per cent marks meriting a three leaves award. The passenger car segment led the way

Related Content