IIT Goa to Hold Capacity-Building Workshop for Better ESG Outcomes

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the Mission LiFE Cell of IIT Goa are holding a two-day technical workshop on 4-5 October to build the capacity of key stakeholders to achieve better ESG outcomes. While EcoEx is the industry partner, the Outlook Group is the media partner.

Participants from private sector businesses, Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and state government organisations are expected to attend the workshop titled ‘Environmental Regulations -- Facilitating ESG & Sustainability for Businesses’.  

The workshop is expected to focus on issues like environmental regulations, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) frameworks, and Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) adoption.

In recent years, India has witnessed various new environmental regulations, frameworks and standards. The workshop seeks to demystify these for adoption by businesses, which will in turn help India comply with its international commitments made at UN climate summits. 

At the UN climate change conference in Glasgow in 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented his climate action vision of Panchamrit, including achieving non-fossil fuel energy capacity of 500 GW; catering to at least half of the energy requirements from renewables; cutting CO2 emissions by 1 billion tonnes; and reducing carbon intensity below 45 percent -- all by 2030; and setting a net-zero emission target by 2070.

Besides, the ‘Mission LiFE’ (Lifestyle for Environment) was launched by the Prime Minister and UN Secretary-General António Guterres in October 2022 to advance the cause of sustainable lifestyles and address the climate crisis.

In a release issued on the eve of the event, Prof. Dhirendra Katti, Director of IIT Goa, said that the workshop seeks to facilitate partnerships to address the climate crisis in a time-bound manner.

Elaborating further, Prof Sundeep Nayak, Chairperson of the Mission LiFE Cell said that a series of such workshops will seek to build capacity of key stakeholders  to comply with sustainability reporting. Given the global impact of carbon footprint of Indian businesses through their supply chains, he added it is all the more important to adhere to environmental regulations and adopt sustainable business practices according to BRSR. Sharing of good practices by the workshop participants from India and countries like France and Taiwan is also set to facilitate learning by sharing.

Such workshops also assume significance because international investors, too, are keeping an eye on long-term value creation on the back of  businesses becoming climate resilient.