Indian business leaders sign action statement for a green recovery

As the world grapples with the dual impact of a public healthcare crisis and an economic crisis, it has become clear that we must “build forward better” by focusing on resilience and sustainable development.

In a populous country like India, the pandemic is likely to affect a large portion of the population and have severe long-term impacts on the economy. However, the negative impact on the economy should not divert attention from India’s goal of reducing emissions and tackling climate change. The next few months will be crucial in how we give meaning to building forward better in a post COVID-19 world. There is no question that investing in a clean, green future is the only way to ensure sustainable and equitable growth in the long-term.

Collaborative action between government, businesses and civil society will be needed to achieve inclusive growth and reduce India’s carbon emissions in line with the Paris Agreement.

Twenty CEOs of India’s leading businesses have signed a call to action that outlines 8 priorities for businesses to work alongside the government and civil society to stimulate green growth and create a more resilient India as it recovers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic:

1. Invest in social infrastructure, ensuring greater access and resilience
2. Accelerate the power sector transition and clean mobility adoption
3. Deploy solutions for growing & managing food to support expanding requirements
4. Collaborate and invest to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality
5. Pioneer green manufacturing and industrialization
6. Transform the green building revolution as the new normal across geographies & demographics
7. Invest in research for new clean energy sources to strengthen India's energy outlook
8. Provide access to green finance to support emission saving measures across sectors

You can read the complete business statement here.

The Business Statement was supported by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in partnership with the We Mean Business Coalition and its partners - the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), The Climate Group (TCG), the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and the World Resources Institute India (WRI India).