The Indian corporate sector has realised the dangers posed by climate change, and is slowly, but surely, amalgamating green technology with it score growth strategy Climate change has increasingly become central to the policy concerns of the government. Even the corporate sector is waking up to the threat posed by climate change. It is time corporates in India moved beyond treating climate change as a corporate social responsibility issue, and instead treated it as a key environmental condition shaping corporate strategy. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh released the country's National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) last year. The NAPCC serves as the first countrywide framework on climate change with the approval and support of the government. Through its eight national missions, it provides a framework for addressing climate change as a core development issue. The eight national missions include: National Solar Mission, National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency, National Mission on Sustainable Habitat, National Water Mission, National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem, National Mission for a Green India, National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, and National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change. Underlining the need for the corporate sector to participate in actions mitigating climate change, Dr. R.K. Pachauri, director general, TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute), says, "Corporate organisations have to effectively evaluate the climate change impacts of direct concern to them, and also put in place effective measures and policies by which adaptation to these impacts can be brought about." "Additionally, since mitigation of green house gases (GHGs) would be required across the globe, and would open up new market opportunities, this is also an area that the corporate sector needs to address effectively," he says. As Arun Seth, who heads BT in India, says, "Communication services have transformed global commerce and the way millions of people around the world live and work. In the current economic downturn, technology can play an important role in helping businesses reduce costs and increase productivity. There is great potential for communications technology to bring wider benefits by enabling more individuals and communities to participate in the global economy and by supporting efforts to tackle climate change." "Responsible behaviour and sustainable development matter to BT. We want to grow in a way that benefits our customers and society, using communications technology to help tackle social and environmental challenges," he says. Putting words into action, BT has now set one of the most aggressive carbon reduction targets in the world -to reduce the carbon intensity of its global business by 80 per cent by 2020. However, BT is not alone in its fight against climate change. Sensing the'need for urgent action, corporate members of TERI-BCSD (Business Council for Sustainable Development) have drawn up a white paper called the 'Corporate Action Plan on Climate Change', as an effort to put a stamp of corporate intentions and plans on India's NAPCC. TERI-BCSD is a grouping of motivated corporate organisations observing and supporting the aim of sustainable development for the country's economy. Currently, the network has a total of 84 corporate members across India representing a varied section of Indian industry. The TERI-BCSD members include, among others, ACC, ABN Amro Bank, BT India, Cairn India, Coca-Cola India, GMR group, ONGC, Shell India, JSW Steel, Dr Reddy's Laboratories, HSBC, Wipro Technologies and Vodafone group. The Corporate Action Plan was tabled at the CEO forum of the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit in February 2009 after discussing it before eight select ministries and after consultations with representatives from all relevant sectors, including an interactive session with Ban Ki-Moon, the United Nations Secretary General. The Plan presents a vision for the corporate sector under each of its eight national missions, and presents the expectations of the corporate sector from the government in terms of enabling policies and incentives that would help in following the roadmap for the industry. The document attempts to complement the ministerial efforts in developing plans of action under each national mission. Lauding the effort Pachauri says, "This corporate effort also spells out actions that the government may need to take to ensure effectiveness of efforts by business. It, therefore, marks a remarkable initiative by business and industry to address national imperatives and priorities." Through this initiative, the corporate sector has identified several paths forward for the industry to reduce its carbon footprint, manage its impact better, and become more eco-efficient. Energy initiatives The industrial sector is the largest consumer of energy, accounting for nearly 50 per cent of the commercial energy consumption in the country. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency has identified nine industries as energy-guzzlers, which include steel, cement, fertilisers, paper and pulp. Therefore, for the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE) to succeed, participation of the corporate sector is important. NATIONAL SOLAR MISSION Challenges