Program Launched to Help Companies in India Deal with Global Warming

In the same month that a similar program was launched in Brazil, India kicked off a climate program here today with more than 40 member companies from a wide range of industries, including cement, pharmaceuticals, engineering, and many more.

“The India Greenhouse Gas Inventory Program will allow our companies to consistently and credibly monitor their emissions. We need a standardized protocol that is accepted all over the world to ensure credibility,” said Mr. K P Nyati, Principal Advisor, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The India GHG Inventory Program is being implemented by the Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Center (GBC) of CII.

“This new program will help India establish a national model of emissions accounting. You can’t manage what you don’t measure,” said Manish Bapna, executive vice president of the World Resources Institute (WRI).

WRI partnered with CII-GBC and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in establishing the program, which is modeled after EPA’s Climate Leaders program

“We’re glad to be working with Indian industry on this important initiative,” said Jim Sullivan, director of the U.S. EPA’s Climate Leaders program. “By adopting greenhouse gas management strategies that make business sense, India ‘s industry leaders are demonstrating that a healthy environment and a healthy economy can, in fact, go hand-in-hand.”

India ranks seventh in the world in terms of annual GHG emissions and is responsible for nearly 3.6 percent of world emissions. The country will now have an accounting system, based on international standards and best practices,, that will help identify opportunities to cut emissions, and reduce waste and costs associated with high emissions levels.

“For many businesses, compiling a comprehensive inventory of their GHG emissions is the first key step in developing an effective GHG management and reduction strategy. A GHG inventory will improve the company’s understanding of its GHG emissions profile and thereby its potential GHG liability or exposure in a carbon constrained economy,” noted Mr A K Kaul, Ex-Chairperson, CII Delhi State Council.

As a developing country, India has no GHG reduction obligation under the international climate treaty known as the Kyoto Protocol, and corporate GHG reporting is voluntary. Nonetheless, some companies choose to inventory their emissions in order to identify potential efficiency improvements or meet environmental performance goals.

“The Government of India’s industrial policy aims not only at a sustained growth but also in being internationally competitive…we believe that a low carbon economy is an absolute must for a better future,” said Mr R Muralidhar, Under Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. “To achieve that, an inclusive approach to environmental issues is a must.”

Much like the new “Brazil GHG Protocol Program,” India ‘s program will be based on the standardized framework of the GHG Protocol, and representatives from member companies will receive training on international best practices in GHG accounting and management. The GHG Protocol was created by WRI and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development ( WBCSD) and is considered the global standard for accounting of GHG emissions by governments, businesses, and other organizations. Sixty-three percent of Fortune 500 companies use the GHG protocol to disclose their emissions, according to a new study by the Corporate Register.

The 45 member companies of the India GHG Inventory Program are: Air Treatment Engg., Apollo Hospitals Enterprises, Ashok Leyland, Bhuhari Holdings, Bosch Limited, Capricon Food Products, Cavinkare, Century Rayon, Control Techniques India, DCW, Elantas Beck India, Elico, ETA Engineering, Godrej & Boyce Mfg Co., Godrej Industries, Grundfos Pumps India, HIRCO, IM GEARS, Infosys Technologies, JBM Group, Khiviraj Tech Park, Kirloskar Oil Engines, Loyal Textile Mills, NICCO Corporation, NICCO Parks & Resorts, NTTF Industries, Praj Industries, Raman Fibrescience, Simpson & Co., T V Sundram Iyengar & Sons, Tata Power, The Tata Iron & Steel Co., The Tinplate Company of India, Thirumalai Chemicals, TTK LIG Ltd, Veena Die Casting & Engineers, Wipro, WS Industries, Birla Corporation, Dalmia Cement (Bharath), Kesoram Cement, Vasavadatta Cement, My Home Industries, Madras Cement, and Century Cement.

Funding for the program is provided by the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate and the U.S. EPA.

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The World Resources Institute ( www.wri.org ) is an independent, non-partisan and nonprofit organization with a staff of more than 100 scientists, economists, policy experts, business analysts, statistical analysts, mapmakers, and communicators developing and promoting policies that will help protect the Earth and improve people’s lives.

CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre is a public-private partnership engaged in energy efficiency, renewable energy, recycling and climate change activities in manufacturing and building sector, to promote “green” concepts leading to higher efficiency, equitable growth and sustainable development.

U.S. EPA’s Climate Leaders program is an industry-government partnership that works with companies to develop comprehensive climate change strategies to reduce their impact on the global environment by completing a corporate-wide inventory of their greenhouse gas emissions based on a quality management system, setting aggressive reduction goals, and annually reporting their progress to EPA.