Publications

Climate change is the grave issue that people across the globe are dealing with over last few decades as it has deep impact on our planet’s ecosystem and ecology. Five years ago,196 countries signed The Paris Agreement, and collectively pledged to set out a global framework to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.

India being one of the signatories to the agreement has committed for a decarbonised future, adopt carbon reduction methodologies and practices. Different initiatives are taken to achieve zero emission targets. Technological innovations and solutions are also critical to get the desired results.One such solution is sustainable manufacturing, where fewer natural resources are utilized and efforts are focused to reduce pollution and waste, recycle and reuse materials, and moderate emissions in their processes.

The conferencefocused on solutions for reducing carbon emissions and understand the best practices of Indian Industry in designing and manufacturing products from sustainable materials.

Studies commissioned by the G20 nations, carried out by the International Resource Panel, in 2017, show that there is substantial scope reducing for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through material efficiency strategies. 

Such strategies result in reductions above and beyond those attainable through decarbonization, improved energy efficiency, and so on. Strategies of material efficient design, yield improvements both in manufacturing and recovery; methods to intensify use, extend lifespan, repair,  can be effective in reducing life-cycle GHG emissions.

In India, where growth is occurring rapidly, in all sectors of the economy, such strategies when applied through the product's life cycle, can help meet the NDCs, increase employment, reduce resource consumption, and adverse environmental impacts. 

Before examining/quantifying the potential for application of such strategies in India, a scoping study was carried out to identify sectors of the economy to focus on. This report summarises the results of the scoping study.