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SI2 - Sustainable Investment in India: Sustainable development of portfolio investment in
India’s publicly listed companies

The Indian business community, in common with the rest of world, is increasingly aware of the power of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues to create or destroy shareholder value in companies across a wide range of industries and markets. This same understanding underpins the move by portfolio investors worldwide to incorporate ESG-related risks and opportunities into their investment decisions and ownership practices. Sustainable investment now accounts for around US$3.7 trillion of global assets under management. ESG investment practices are rapidly becoming mainstream and this figure is therefore likely to continue to grow significantly.

India’s remarkable economic success story goes hand-in-hand with serious sustainable development challenges. Inadequate infrastructure is now one of the main obstacles to continued growth. Water scarcity is leading to hardship and conflict. Energy is in short supply. India’s reliance on fossil fuels and rapid industrialisation mean that its emissions of greenhouse gases are rising swiftly. Climate change could cause major changes to monsoon conditions and lead to other severe impacts. In rural India, poverty remains a major problem. In the congested cities, skilled human capital is in short supply in key growth industries.
Details

Sustainable building design: strengthening capacities for planning and implementation
As part of the European Union funded Asia Urbs programme, TERI-Europe was engaged in a project aimed at improving urban environment through the introduction of sustainability measures in building design. The project was jointly implemented by RENUE (Renewable Energy for the Urban Environment) in the UK, ICAEN (Institut Catalana d’ Energia) in Barcelona, Spain, TERI, Delhi, India, and the Haryana Energy Development Agency, India. The project aimed at exchanging advice and good practices between the EU (European Union) and India to assist the local authority in Gurgaon to formulate urban development strategies and develop sustainable building design plans.
Project website

Energy efficiency and building design
TERI-Europe assisted the London Borough of Merton in organizing a major seminar on energy efficiency and in incorporating renewable energy technologies in building design. The seminar was part of the activities of the Asia Urbs project on building design.

Developing clean development mechanism projects for renewable energy technologies
TERI-Europe has completed a study sponsored by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK, which seeks to cast commercially viable renewable energy projects as potential CDM (clean development mechanism) projects. TERI-Europe worked with five proponents of different types of renewable energy technologies to assist in the calculation of baselines and transaction costs. As part of this activity, a set of guidelines for developing CDM projects in the renewable energy sector has been elaborated. Additional information on potential partners in India and the UK, interested in developing CDM projects in India, has also been provided.

Facilitating sustainable trade in the textile and clothing sector
TERI-Europe completed a comprehensive review of environmental and social requirements faced by textile and clothing exporters, exporting to the EU. This information has been compiled in a CD Rom, which contains a database on environmental and social requirements for the textile and clothing sector and provides exporters with a ready tool to access information on technologies, retail sources, and trade links.

As part of the same programme, sponsored jointly by the EU and the Commonwealth Science Council, pilot demonstrations on management of supply chains, as well as adherence to environmental, social, and trade regulations were conducted in two factories each in Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka.

The results of the above activities were used as a basis for elaborating a strategy for sustainable trade in the textile and clothing sector.

Promoting corporate responsibility in India
TERI-Europe has completed a major exercise (sponsored by DfiD) to document corporate responsibility practices in Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka with a view to developing training modules for companies and academic institutes on environmentally and socially responsible business practices.

As part of this programme, a poll conducted by TERI-Europe has revealed a compelling agenda for corporations in India to demonstrate their social responsibilities. The poll of over 1200 individuals in Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, and Tiruppur surveyed the perceptions and expectations of workers, company executives, and the general public towards business in India. This poll was the first of its kind to include workers in a survey of corporate responsibility, thereby giving a unique balance to the results.

Five major findings emerged from the survey.

The IT sector is regarded as the most responsible, and the alcohol and the tobacco industries as the least responsible.
Public expectations of corporations in social and environmental matters are high and rising.
More trust is placed in the media and NGOs than in business or trade unions, and global companies operating in India are rated low in terms of their trustworthiness.
Gender discrimination is a real issue in the workplace.
Workers and management have sharply diverging perceptions of labour conditions.

The results of the poll are presented in a report Altered Images: understanding and encouraging corporate responsibility in India.

Corporate responsibility in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka
Following on from previous year’s activities, TERI-Europe published two additional reports on corporate responsibility practices in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka (Altered Images—updates 2 and 3). This was part of a major exercise (sponsored by DfiD, UK) to document corporate responsibility practices in Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka with a view to developing training modules for companies and academic institutes on environmentally and socially responsible business practices.

Other corporate responsibility projects and programmes
Partnership with Unilever on developing a corporate management programme on HIV/AIDS in India.
Training for MNCs and Indian companies on sustainability reporting.
TERI-Europe is a faculty member of SustainAbility, UK, advising on corporate responsibility issues relevant to India.

Sustainable trade and supply chain management programme
The aims of this programme are listed below
Provide Indian exporters/producers with detailed information on sustainability requirements (regulatory and voluntary) in the EU countries and analyse the impacts of these for Indian producers.
Sensitize European buyers about the capabilities of Indian suppliers. Provide technical support to meet environmental requirements.
The programme is being developed in partnership with the recently established Sustainable Trade and Innovation Centre located in Geneva and the European Partners for the Environment, Brussels.

Sustainable supply chains: electronics
As part of its efforts to make international trade more sustainable, TERI-Europe has been engaged in a major international effort on the promotion of sustainable trade and innovation. While continuing its work with the textile and garment sector to elaborate a sustainable trade strategy, TERI-Europe, together with the Centre for Sustainable Design in the UK, has launched a new initiative to assist the electronics industry, including component suppliers from Asia, to meet the forthcoming EU legislations relating to environmental requirements in the electronics industry. The specific objectives of the project are as follows.

To provide the right type of information to Asian suppliers with respect to the implications of the EU directives relating to the electronics and electronic components sectors ( e.g. WEEE, RoHS, EuP, IPP), and other directives due to come into force after 2005. This will be done through a series of working conferences in China, India, Thailand, and Europe.
To undertake a gap and needs analysis for the electronics industry in China, India, and Thailand and elaborate a capacity-building plan for these countries, keeping in mind the forthcoming EU legislation and other environmental requirements to be met by the sector. The gap and needs analysis will pay special attention to the needs of smaller suppliers who risk being marginalized due to rationalization of supply chains, and, therefore, being deprived of a livelihood.
To develop a set of training tools elaborated on the basis of the capacity-building plans, needs assessments, and the outcome of the working conferences in Asia and the UK. The training tools will be designed to include elements that will require close technological cooperation between the Asian and European partners in future.
To facilitate interaction and dialogue between the Asian and European stakeholders (who will include the standard setters as well as major electronic buyers and MNCs) in the electronics industry.
To create a system for managing and disseminating information to Asian suppliers, which can be sustained after the project ends.

The project, funded under the Asia Pro Eco programme of the EU, has been selected by the EU as ‘model’ project rated highly by the EU’s Directorate General of Environment.

INSTEP in the UK
TERI-Europe hosted an event on INSTEP (Integrating New and Sustainable Technologies for Elimination of Poverty) in March 2005, in collaboration with the India Environment Trust, London. Dr R K Pachauri, Director-General, TERI and Dr Leena Srivastava, Executive Director, TERI presented TERI's INSTEP programme to an audience of NRIs and British persons with an interest in development and poverty reduction.
Instep fund website

Insurance and climate change
A study investigating the exposure and potential of the Indian insurance industry to cover risks related to climate change is presently being undertaken in collaboration with the Insurance Regulation and Development Agency, India, and the Association of British Insurers. The project is funded by the DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), UK. Links have been established with the German re-insurers Munich Re, and TERI-Europe has joined a major international initiative, the MCII (Munich Climate and Insurance Initiative), to encourage the insurance sector to play a more active role in adaptation measures.

 

Partners

New Economics Foundation, London, UK
RENUE, London, UK
Merton Council, Environment Division, London, UK
The Centre, Brussels, Belgium
Instituto Catalán de la Energía (ICAEN), Barcelona, Spain
Oxford Brookes University, UK
Centre for Clean Air Policy, Washington DC, USA
Centre for Sustainable Design, Farnham, Surrey, UK
New Academy for Business, Bath, UK
Centre for Policy Dialogue - BANGLADESH
Sage Training - Sri Lanka
SustainAbility, London, UK
International Institute for Environment and Development, London, UK
World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Geneva, Switzerland
European Partners for the Environment, Brussels, Belgium