Publications

The concept of the circular economy focuses on closed-loop cycles of materials and energy and growth within the regenerative capacity of the environment. Given the environmental, resource related and geopolitical challenges companies face, the circular economy has evolved as a new path to competitiveness—an alternative for our current business models. Therefore, adopting a circular economy is crucial to a company’s survival. The CII-ITC CESD has put together to have this CEO’s Guide on Circular Economy and Competitiveness.

This publication provides insights on biodiversity and its links with businesses, maps seven major sectors for its impacts and dependencies on biodiversity and benchmarks best practices on biodiversity management globally in those sectors. At the end it provides a detailed and informative roadmap for implementing biodiversity management in any company. The publication promotes biodiversity, not as a problem, but as an opportunity to help decision-making processes and achieve broad social and economic goals.

India is an agrarian economy with the agriculture sector as a key contributor to GDP. India is one of the centres of origin for many valuable crops and is considered as a global agriculture powerhouse. Operations within the entire agriculture value chain- production, processing, distribution, consumption and waste, not only have impacts on biodiversity but these impacts pose a threat to businesses. The ‘Guidebook for Mainstreaming Biodiversity: Indian Agriculture Sector’ provides insights into inter-linkages of Indian agri-business and biodiversity as well as the relevant National Biodiversity Targets (NBTs).

India is one of the mega biodiversity countries supporting major forest types varying from alpine pastures in Himalayas to temperate, sub-tropical, tropical forests and mangroves in coastal areas. The forestry sector in India covers industries like Wood & Furniture, Pulp & Paper, Non-wood Forest Produce (NWFPs), Fuelwood, etc. The major source of raw material is forest, farm forestry and social forestry. Each industry in the forestry sector has its own implications with respect to its dependency and impact on biodiversity. The ‘Guidebook for Mainstreaming Biodiversity: Indian Forestry Sector’ provides insights into inter-linkages of Indian business operating in the forestry sector and biodiversity as well as the relevant National Biodiversity Targets (NBTs).

Mining in India dates back to the Indus valley civilization and the sector has grown huge with technology and modernisation. India is rich in many on-shore and off-shore minerals and is a large resource base for key minerals. The impacts and dependencies of mining activity on biodiversity and ecosystem services varies throughout the life cycle of mining and is also based on the methodology of ore extraction i.e. open cast mine or underground. The impact of mining sector also depends on the life of mine operation and impacts can occur over a period of time along with the geography of the area. The ‘Guidebook for Mainstreaming Biodiversity: Indian Mining Sector’ provides insights into inter-linkages of Indian business operating in the mining sector and biodiversity as well as relevant National Biodiversity Targets (NBTs)

India is expected to be the world's third-largest automotive market in terms of volume by 2026 backed by its huge population and increasing affluence and affordability due to innovative financing schemes. Indian automotive industry accounts for over 7 per cent of the country’s GDP, it accounts for 22 per cent of the manufacturing GDP. The transport sector of India is the third most GHG (Greenhouse gas) emitting sector, where the major contribution comes from the road transport sector. Automobile sector also has the largest supply chain, which means long chain of auto-component manufacturers, owing to the production system it follows. Many of the large automobile companies in India have been progressive in reducing their manufacturing emissions and also have been stewards in climate action, however, their supply chain which is long and has many MSMEs involved are not fully aware of their carbon footprint and also how to reduce it.

The baseline study conducted by CII with support from Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation with help from multiple automobile companies and there supply chain, provide a more detailed understanding in terms of awareness, capacity, capability and other challenges. The study was done based on survey conducted at sites of the auto component manufacturers to get clear understanding of the challenge and what could be possible solutions.