As we crossed the 400 ppm mark of CO2 in atmosphere globally, 2015 became the hottest year, bringing impacts of climate change right at our doorstep. The frequency of extreme weather patterns in the country continued to rise dramatically. At the moment Chennai is faced with severe floods, Delhi with pollution levels ten times above permissible levels, Bangalore with more than 40 of its lakes vomiting toxic foam on the roads, and Marathwada region with deadly droughts causing farmer suicides. For businesses this translates to a compromise of supply chain continuity, ease of doing business, community health and employees safety.
It is time thus for businesses to get into bigger actions, greater collaborations and more meaningful engagements. This is the time to showcase accountability and responsibility like never before.
Cities cover 2% of the world’s surface area, consume 75% of global natural resources and cause 80% of ‘greenhouse’ gas emission. There is a big mandate and a great opportunity lying ahead of us. Most corporations have their stakeholders ie employees, consumers, business partners either residing and/or working in the cities, however, seldom see it as part of its ‘responsibility’ and long-term sustainability strategy. CSR efforts remain largely concentrated in communities around factories or rural areas alone.
We invite you to be part of the first-of-its kind Urban Biodiversity Roundtable and find solutions together to some of the most pressing ecological problems in your cities of operations. In turn you will also be contributing to the government’s smart cities development agenda, making it a win-win situation for all.