The escalating developments in the area of sustainability form the focal point of thought leadership at the Centre. The activities entail research and training on the macro - economic, political, and business aspects of achieving sustainable practices.

• Sustainability Innovation : The Centre's latest thought - and - action - report - "Indian companies with solutions that the world needs" - produced with support from WWF, is an attempt to highlight how Indian businesses are responding to sustainability as a driver for innovation and profits. The report presents a roadmap for how companies can do just that and remain competitive. It details five success stories and two promising illustrations that put forth solutions to tackle the twin challenges of poverty and climate change. These companies have demonstrated how climate change and developmental issues can be integrated into their company strategy for targeting sustainability without losing sight of core business objectives and remain in the leadership league not only in local but also global markets.


• Green Public Procurement : The Centre is developing Green Public Procurement guidelines for the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. The purpose of the project would be to develop green procurement guidelines and build capacity of key stakeholder constituencies to assist them in formulating, implementing, and / or enforcing green procurement policy at the national and sub - national levels.


• Stakeholder Engagement : The Centre is helping the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India and German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) develop a handbook on Stakeholder Engagement. The handbook will primarily provide a stakeholder engagement model suitable to Indian conditions. In order to generate such a model, the Centre will research stakeholder engagement practices of various companies in certain sector - based issues, such as rehabilitation, land acquisition, human rights. Information on these practices will be analysed and modelled around a pragmatic stakeholder engagement framework.


• "Indian Businesses on the Journey to Sustainability Excellence" : This action - packed report illustrates some of the best practices on sustainability by companies in India. Information gathered from the three - year process of the CII-ITC Sustainability Awards, the report explains the Sustainable Business Excellence Model in use. The Sustainability Awards are a unique initiative to identify and recognise Indian business for their exemplary performance in economic, social and environmental dimensions of all their imperatives. In its three successful years so far, 36 companies have been recognised in different categories after spending 1000 hours per application. Such rigourous assessment is based on the Sustainable Business Excellence Model, developed by the CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development, on the basis of the EFQM Business Excellence Model. This report attempts at presenting the Model for a much wider base of companies to assess their sustainability performance, and by emulating the leadership companies illustrated herein. The report is yet another effort by the Centre to create awareness, promote policy and practices, and create capacity to mainstream sustainability practices in Indian industry."