Press Release
The people of Rajasthan are by and large extremely conscious for their green. Rajasthan has 32, 869 sq. km. of forest land which is 9.60% of our total land. There are 3 national parks, 26 wildlife sanctuaries, 19 conservation reserves and 4 tiger projects. The Chief Minister of the State, Ashok Gehlot has a deep concern for conservation and growth of the green of Rajasthan. Distribution of medicinal plants of Tulsi, Ashwagandha, Giloy and Kaalmegh for each household was his unique initiative during the covid-19 period. Under this scheme, more than 518 lakh plants were distributed during 2021-22 and 127 lakh plants were distributed during the 2022-23. Rajasthan should become a model state for all other states in the country for its environment friendly initiatives. This was stated by Chairman, Rajasthan Small Industries Corporation Ltd, Rajiv Arora during the Special Address at the inaugural session of ‘Think Green & Embrace Green – Conference on Future Sustainability Roadmap’. The conference was organized jointly by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board to mark the World Environment Day.
Mr. Arora further said that going green does not start with doing green acts, it starts with a shift in consciousness. In a global survey, it was reported that that globally 55% of consumers across 60 countries are willing to pay higher prices for goods from environmentally conscious companies. Thinking and embracing green is essential to make the world a better place to live for the generations to come as we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children, added Arora.
Chairperson, Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board, Mr. Naveen Mahajan shed light on the initiatives being taken by the State Government on the occasion of World Environment Day. He highlighted the new e-waste policy of the State Government and said that it will not just help in guiding new ways to process the e-waste as per global standards but also help in preventing the loss of precious material such as gold, silver, platinum and palladium used in these electronic devices. Mr. Mahajan further said that when common citizens know the air pollution levels around them it stimulates them to behave as responsible citizen and take steps towards reducing the pollution. For this purpose, there are now 33 real time air quality monitors across the state.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, Chairman, CII & Managing Director, Manu Yantralaya Pvt. Ltd, Mr. Abhinav Banthia informed that this conference is the first ever Carbon Neutral Conference. The carbon footprint in terms of transportation and energy use etc. was calculated and initiatives will be taken to neutralize this consumption. 15 carbon neutral points were earned through this conference. The venue of the conference was also chosen keeping in mind that ITC Rajputana is a green hotel. He further said that the ‘Think Green’ initiative of CII acts as a subtle reminder for people to put the well being of the planet on priority and make informed as well as eco conscious choices. The Green Company Ratings give companies a roadmap to continue their journey in sustainability.
CEO, New Mobility Reliance Industries Ltd, Mr. Nitin Seth gave a comprehensive presentation on accelerating India’s Energy Transition to Green Hydrogen. He said that the automobile industry is the biggest industry of the country and there is a dire need to make the switch to cleaner, alternate fuels to address the environmental issues being faced by the country. He said that the Green Hydrogen is a critical enabler of ‘Net Zero Economy’. Even though there are ecosystem as well as cost challenges making it a difficult solution but it is still a doable way to address the environmental concerns.
Deputy Executive Director, Confederation of Indian Industry – Green Business Centre, Mr. Muthusezhiyan N said that the need of the hour is to improve efficiency and reduce resource intensity. He also threw light on the Green Company Ratings and IGBC Rating system and said that going green and adopting sustainable practices opens new market opportunities for the companies.
Deputy Head, CESD, CII – ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development, Mr. Shikhar Jain gave a detailed presentation on the CII Mission Life Initiative. He said that it promotes a lifestyle that revolves around mindful and deliberate utilization rather than mindless and destructive consumption to protect and preserve the environment.
On the occasion there was presentation of awards to Green Rating Companies. In all, 13 companies received the awards in platinum, gold and silver categories. The platinum rating award was given to Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Ltd. Tapukara. Some of the gold rating companies were Hindustan Zinc Ltd, Chittorgarh, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., Ajmer LPG Bottling Plant, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Jaipur Bottling Plant, Manu Yantralaya Pvt. Ltd., Jaipur, among others. The dignitaries also released the Climate Action Charter Report.
The Vote of Thanks was proposed by Vice Chairman, CII & Chief Executive Officer, Hindustan Zinc Ltd, Mr Arun Misra. Also present on the occasion was Senior Director & Head – Rajasthan Confederation of Indian Industry, Mr. Nitin Gupta.
Later there were sessions on Strategies for Achieving Carbon Neutrality Industry and Educating Industry on Technology and Turning waste resources into new products and materials.