- ‘The imminent water crisis is a threat not only to communities but also to businesses’ warns Gulabchand
- HCC was India’s first company to endorse the UN CEO Water Mandate in May 2008
- HCC follows rigorous practices to reduce, re-use, recharge, and recycle water at project sites
The United Nations Leadership Forum on Climate Change has accorded rare recognition to HCC’s role in water resource management. Acknowledging the initiatives taken by India’s leading engineering and construction company, the Leadership Forum has invited HCC Chairman and Managing Director Mr Ajit Gulabchand to participate in a Roundtable Discussion on the global crisis in water and sanitation at the UN Summit on Climate Change being held at UN headquarters in New York today (i.e. September 22).
The Summit is a critical step in the run-up to the United Nations Conference on Climate Change to be held in December 2009 at Copenhagen. Bringing together over 300 global business leaders, representatives of non-government organisations, experts and about 50 Heads of State and Government, the Summit will focus attention on the need for urgent action on issues that impact climate change. Summit conclusions will provide guidance to representative Government negotiators in the decision-making at the Copenhagen Conference.
Since the turn of the century, the UN has focused on involving business houses in development processes. HCC is part of the UN Global Compact, which provides both a policy platform and a practical framework for companies that are committed to sustainability and responsible business practices.
HCC is also part a group of 18 companies worldwide that were first to sign the UN CEO Water Mandate in May 2008. It was the only Indian company in the group.
Mr. Ajit Gulabchand, Chairman and Managing Director, HCC said: “We believe that at the heart of the business of developing new infrastructure is the awareness of the environment. HCC is particularly sensitive to the crisis around water availability and management of water resources practices.”
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Speaking on the Roundtable, Mr. Gulabchand warned: “The imminent water crisis is a threat not only to communities but also to businesses. HCC is pledged to the UN CEO Mandate. I expect the Roundtable will help catapult this agenda to the national and global levels.”
HCC has undertaken a series of initiatives in the area of water management. On rigorous analysis of water-use and sourcing patterns, it has implemented improved water management practices at all project sites. Notable among these are the Badarpur Elevated Highway project outside Delhi, where storm-water runoff is used to recharge the aquifer, a water-recycling project at Visakhapatnam and efficiency measures at its Lavasa Hill City project near Pune. HCC also encourages its suppliers to improve their water conservation, quality monitoring, waste-water treatment and recycling practices.
About the UN Leadership Forum for Climate Change
The UN Leadership Forum on Climate Change has been organised by the UN Global Compact in collaboration with several other UN agencies.
The Summit on Climate Change has been convened to focus Heads of State and Government on the need for urgent action, and to mobilise the highest level political will needed to reach a fair, effective, and scientifically ambitious global climate deal at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this December.
The Summit aims to advance the negotiations, but is not a negotiating session itself. It provides a forum where leaders can discuss fundamental issues, find common ground and provide guidance to their negotiators.
About UN CEO Water Mandate
The UN CEO Water Mandate is an initiative by business leaders in partnership with the UN, an extension of the UN Global Compact with business houses. The CEO Water Mandate seeks to make a positive impact with respect to the emerging global water crisis by mobilising a critical mass of business leaders to advance water sustainability solutions in partnership with the United Nations, civil society organisations, governments, and other stakeholders.
About HCC
HCC, India’s leading engineering, construction and infrastructure development company, was the first Indian signatory to the UN Water Mandate, and is also an industry partner in the Global Water Challenge, the UN Global Compact, the World Economic Forum and Asia Society. With a rich heritage of experience, the Company specialises in large-scale infrastructure development deploying New Age construction technologies. The Company has managed and executed several technically complex and high value projects across segments like transportation, hydro and nuclear power generation, marine, irrigation and water supply projects as well as integrated urban development and management. For more information, please visit www.hccindia.com.
