During last week of August 2020, a webinar session was organized by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) on ‘Paradigm Shift in Business Sustainability – Strategies to Meet the Challenges in the Post COVID-19 scenario’, At the session, Dr. J. P. Gupta, Chairman, Environment Committee, PHDCCI stated, ‘environment is a key driving factor for running the industry and there is a need to run the industry with consideration towards the environment for sustainability and growth’, while introducing Dr. Sujit Kumar Bajpayee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.
Speaking at the session, Dr. Sujit mentioned, pandemic and climate change are related to anthropogenic activities. Due to e-pandemic, many businesses need to change models of sustainability and understand that we all need to take ownership of the future. Industries must come forward to conserve the environment and to ensure long-term business sustainability. Due to the lockdown, CO2 emissions are predicted to fall down around 8% in 2020. He threw light on the impact of Covid-19, that has molded our ways of sustaining business and that there is a need to recover business from this pandemic. The key to long-term business sustainability is the need to take care of workers, employees, nature, and environment. Covid-19 has forced individuals, institutions, and society to rethink the ways we have conducted so far and our decision making at home, work, and society.
Adding further, he said, while the pandemic has given a lot of challenges, it provided an opportunity to jump-start the economies, rebuild societies through recovery plans and focus on climate change and environment conservation. Talking about the importance of environment and conservation of natural resources, he remarked upon the importance of bio-diversity – the foundation of life on earth, its connection to human lives that allows us to grow while catering to our basic, cultural and spiritual needs. We need to realize that our life and livelihood revolves around nature and the environment.
D. Sujit concluded saying, the nature is also an essential source of many medicines. And, industries like agriculture, construction, food and beverages are highly dependent on nature. Such industries require direct extractions of resources from the forest or rely on ecosystem services such as healthy soil, clean water, and a stable climate. Due to many reasons, lots of species have gone extinct which has disrupted the eco-system. The impact of this pandemic is so complex that it will be continued to be analyzed for years. We need to manage our ecology in the right manner; help nature to help ourselves and conserve the bio-diversity to sustain nature to stabilize the earth.
Dr. D. K. Aggarwal, President, PHDCCI observed that the silver lining of the pandemic is the improvement in the quality of air and water. We could see the goodness of ‘Nature’ due to the lockdown and, we can see that it has taken its course of stabilizing the things. Talking about business sustainability, he said, in today’s times, it is driven toward the contribution to the environment and society. The environment is pivotal, we owe our duty and responsibility towards it to ensure that we do not pollute or damage it. In these times, many companies are investing their funds in environmental, social, and corporate governance companies. We need to give back to the planet, people, and profit to sustain the environment. There is a change in business models, and the technology is driving factors for running the business. It’s time to change the business models, which look at the environment and contributes to ‘Self-reliant’ India.
Saurabh Sanyal, Secretary-General, PHDCI delivered a formal vote of thanks to all the delegates and participants assuring that PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry will stand in full solidarity with the government and environment to grow an eco-friendly self-reliant country.
The session was moderated by Dr. Ranjeet Mehta, Principal Director, PHDCCI; and witnessed the presence of Dr. R. K. Somany, PHDCCI Former President, and other industry stalwarts’ pan-India.
