India CEO forum organized to share best practices and facilitate cross-learning on climate change issues.

India CEO forum organized to share best practices and facilitate cross-learning on climate change issues.

India CEO Forum on Climate Change organized by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), as the pioneering initiative of the government, inviting industry representatives, exchanged views on climate change issues and discussed opportunities to collaborate in regard to fulfilling India’s national as well as international climate change commitments.

Businesses are recognised as crucial to meeting global climate change goals and forum on Climate Change focused on driving transition to a low-carbon economy. It delivered powerful messages as leaders from the private and public sector gathered to showcase their commitment to tackle climate change.

The Forum consisted of high-level discussions across several sessions covering topics from India’s Nationally Determined Contributions to discussions on the 2019 United Nations Secretary General’s Climate Summit, to be held on 23^rd September, 2019 in New York, in which India along with Sweden will be leading the discussions on Industry Transition. The sessions voiced deliberations from the government on India’s international commitments to fighting climate change as well as deliberations from businesses on private sector actions around climate change and future visions for a low-carbon trajectory.

From the government, Mr. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, Mr. C.K. Mishra, Secretary, MoEFCC, Mr. Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Secretary Ministry of Power, Mr. A.K. Jain, Additional Secretary, MoEFCC and Mr. Ravi S. Prasad, Additional Secretary, MoEFCC set the tone for the discussions. Several prominent members from India’s private and public sector spoke at the Forum to share ways in which they are supporting India to meet its climate change objectives. A separate high-level CEO session was also organized exclusively for industry leaders. The Forum brought together more than 50 high-profile leaders from the Indian business world.

Secretary MoEFCC, Shri C.K. Mishra highlighted that the forum was being conducted to create a mechanism for the government and businesses to formally talk about climate change issues and develop a common voice at global forums so that there is no disconnect between the stand of the government and that of the industries. He said that this forum will help the government move from a language-based narrative on climate change to an action-based narrative and highlighted the important role that businesses play in dealing with global warming issues and a platform like this will help share best practices and facilitate cross-learning.

CEO Niti Aayog, Shri Amitabh Kant complimented MoEFCC for this initiative and bringing together the government, public sector and private sector. He said that Government’s policies need to have cross-sectional coordination and involve all players including the government, private sector and researchers. “Private sector should start technologically leapfrogging which will be much easier to achieve in India rather than western nations where the availability of old technology is more widespread.” said Sh. Kant

The forum was successful in clearly communicating to the industry leadership the government’s vision on climate change and for the first time, seeking the views of the industries on the same as well examples of the climate initiatives being undertaken by the private and public sector. MoEFCC resolved to organize more such meetings and encouraged industry to also take the lead in furthering discussions on climate change.