Explore Business Standard
Sustainable Development
Environmentally sustainable mobility is no longer a distant goal, but a rapidly emerging reality, and there is a growing consensus among equipment manufacturers, governments and consumers on the issue, IESA said in a report. India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA), in its Automotive Electrification in India Market Report, highlighted key electrification trends in the country's automotive industry. As the world's fourth-largest automobile producer, India possesses the scale and potential to become a global leader across the automotive value chain. The Indian automotive sector stands at a pivotal juncture, with electrification and a renewed focus on sustainable mobility reshaping not only vehicle power trains but the entire ecosystem, the report said. "While petrol and diesel power trains continue to dominate, the increasing prevalence of sustainable mobility fuels, driven by enabling policies and growing awareness, underscores a growing consensus among OEMs, governments, and consumers
The Supreme Court on Wednesday underscored the need of sustainable development but advised against the use of bulldozers to clear forests in order to achieve it. A bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and Joymalya Bagchi was hearing a suo motu case over large-scale felling of trees in the Kancha Gachibowli area of Telangana. I am myself an advocate for sustainable development, but that doesn't mean that overnight you should employ 30 bulldozers and clear all the jungle, Chief Justice Gavai said. Senior advocate K Parameshwar, who is amicus curiae in the matter, informed the bench about several private parties wishing to respond to the state's affidavit. The bench took note of the statement and posted the hearing on August 13. On May 15, the top court said felling of trees next to the University of Hyderabad prima facie appeared to be "pre-planned" and asked the Telangana government to restore it or its officials could land in jail. The CJI said it was fo
India has for the first time secured a place among the top 100 out of 193 countries ranked for their progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to a report published on Tuesday. According to the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network's 10th and latest Sustainable Development Report (SDR), India ranks 99th on the 2025 SDG Index with a score of 67, while China ranks 49th with 74.4 and the US 44th with 75.2 points. Among India's neighbours, Bhutan takes 74th place with 70.5 points, Nepal ranks 85th with 68.6, Bangladesh 114th with 63.9 and Pakistan 140th with 57 points. India's maritime neighbours, Maldives and Sri Lanka, stood at 53rd and 93rd places, respectively. The report's authors said that SDG progress has stalled at the global level, with only 17 per cent of the 17 targets adopted by the UN member countries in 2015 projected to be achieved by 2030. "Conflicts, structural vulnerabilities and limited fiscal space impede SDG progress in many
The sheer size of the Indian economy, its demographic trends and the country's ambitions around sustainability make it a critical geography for global transition efforts, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) President and CEO Peter Bakker has said. Bakker said "India is a strategic focus for WBCSD," and pointed out the Council's work in areas, particularly transport and food, where the country has both major challenges and significant potential to lead. "We're also encouraged by the direction of policy in India," he told PTI in an email interview, highlighting the government's intent in the 2025 Union Budget to scale up investments in electric vehicles, renewable energy, green infrastructure, and the circular economy. Together, these developments create real momentum for business-led solutions, the Geneva-headquartered WBCSD chief said. "Our members are driving the development of data-driven infrastructure and unlocking innovative finance mechanisms to acceler
India's PM Gati Shakti initiative demonstrates that the country with the biggest population can have faster modes of transportation if attention is given to best and sustainable practices, Michael Wilson, former Supreme Court Judge of Hawaii, USA, said on Monday. PM Gati Shakti national master plan initiative was launched in October 2021 for integrated and planned development of critical infrastructure projects to reduce logistics costs. After visiting PM Gati Shakti Experiential Centre at Bharat Mandapam here, Wilson said it "shows that the country with the biggest population can have faster modes of transportation if attention is given to best and sustainable practices". He added that the experiential centre captures the talent, expertise and entrepreneurial spirit of the country to grow its economy that is sustainable. The centre is a modern audio-visual museum for the initiative and the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme. Using cutting-edge technologies like a 270-degree .
Flexible packaging and solutions firm UFlex Ltd is investing over Rs 750 crore to set up a woven polypropylene bags manufacturing plant in Mexico and a new recycling facility at Noida, to be operational in 2025-26, according to its Chairman and Managing Director Ashok Chaturvedi. The company's board had approved setting up of the woven polypropylene bags (WPP) manufacturing plant in Mexico at an investment of USD 50 million (nearly Rs 435 crore) to cater to North and South American pet food market, along with the recycling unit at Noida a an investment of Rs 317.11 crore last week. "With an estimated investment of USD 50 million, this plant will be the first WPP packaging plant in Mexico catering to the lucrative North and South American pet food (bags) market, estimated at approximately USD 90 billion USD in 2025 and expected to reach approximately USD 135 billion by 2030," Chaturvedi said. The plant in Mexico will have a capacity of 80 million bags per annum and the capacity will
Environment, carbon emission, biodiversity and malnutrition are among the issues that remain neglected by certain groups of countries, according to a recent study that analysed the trajectories of 166 nations towards attaining sustainable development. In 2015, member states of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Aimed at achieving human progress, economic prosperity, and planetary health, the framework outlines 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), including no poverty, zero hunger, quality education and gender equality. Questions, however, remain as to how different nations navigate their own paths toward these goals, said an international team of researchers from different countries, including Australia, China and Israel. Their study, published in the journal Nature Communications, found a "polarised global landscape" with systematically neglected SDG targets, potentially leaving behind millions of people. "Our results reveal a polarised glob
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday reviewed the progress under the National Health Mission (NHM) over the last three years and was informed that with significant progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), India is on track to meet its health targets well ahead of the 2030 deadline. The NHM has contributed to improving India's public health outcomes through its relentless efforts in expanding human resources, addressing critical health issues, and fostering an integrated response to health emergencies, the Cabinet was informed. Over the last three years, the NHM has driven substantial progress in multiple areas, including maternal and child health, disease elimination, and healthcare infrastructure, an official statement said. The Cabinet also gave its nod to continue the mission for the next two years for achievements of the targets under SDG. "With significant progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), India is on track to meet its .
Uttar Pradesh government has launched a unique initiative, "Parali Ke Badle Govansh Khaad" (cow manure in exchange for stubble) aimed at curbing stubble burning and promoting sustainable farming practices, officials said on Saturday. The initiative, launched on October 28, 2024, seeks to address environmental pollution caused by stubble burning while benefiting farmers through the distribution of cow manure for organic farming, a statement said. Under the campaign 2,90,208.16 quintals of straw were collected across the state and 1,55, 280.25 quintals of cow manure were distributed to farmers. The manure is being used to enhance soil fertility and encourage sustainable agricultural practices, it said. Several districts including Varanasi, Banda, Budaun, Jalaun, Bareilly, Amethi, Siddharthnagar, and Bahraich performed notably well during the campaign with large-scale collection of straw and distribution of manure, the statement added. The campaign not only reduces environmental hazar
India's circular economy could generate a market value of over USD 2 trillion and create 10 million jobs by 2050, the country's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said Monday. Addressing an event here, Kant further said the circular economy can be a driver of growth, and this transition not only promises cost savings but also positions India to capitalise on the global circular economy market. "This is a huge opportunity because, by 2050, India's circular economy could generate a market value of over USD 2 trillion and create close to 10 million jobs," he said. Currently, the size of the Indian economy is USD 3.7 trillion. Noting that industrialisation and urbanisation are creating an unsustainable India, Kant said, "We need circular economy as a beacon of hope". The country's natural resources are depleted at an unsustainable pace, generating massive amounts of waste. While pointing out that India is generating about close to 1.6 lakh tonnes of municipal solid waste per day, he said this .
The dynamism and contribution of India's vast youth is vital towards the country's development, green energy transition and achieving the sustainable development goals (SDG), Delhi's envoy to the United Nations said. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish was addressing the 8th Annual 1M1B Activate Impact Summit, organised by the UN Department of Global Communications associated NGO 1M1B' (One Million for One Billion) with the support of the Civil Society Unit, DGC Thursday. You, young people, are the future. You have to be closely working together not only to be part of the governance of the country, but also as part of our development pathways and enabling a green energy transition, meeting of Sustainable Development Goals, meeting the 2030 targets. In each one of these activities, your dynamism, your contribution is vital, Harish said. In his keynote address at the summit, attended by Indian youth leaders from various fields as well as UN ...