INTEGRATE CLIMATE IN CORPORATE STRATEGIES

Back in 2015, when the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs) were first outlined, India was the pioneer in taking an aggressive role in their implementation

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The government’s commitment could be seen in the efforts to take implementation of SDG guidelines down to the state levels.

The Economist, in its latest issue, has observed that there is no way that we can avoid the 1.5 degrees Celsius rise in temperatures. Last year, we reached the Earth Offshoot Day—by when we use up the entire year’s allowance of resources that the Earth can sustainably generate, as calculated by international research organisation Global Footprint Network—on July 28.

In relation to climate change, let us stop talking about relative contribution, past contribution, etc. and instead talk about absolute reduction. What we need is a set of ideas which will start at the national level and percolate down to the state and district levels and, most importantly, to every citizen.

We must start with measures to rapidly adapt to the changing climate. After all, we need to prepare ourselves for the extreme climate events that the world has seen. China’s drought caused the Yangtze to dry up in August 2022, resulting in a shortage of hydropower. It led to the destabilisation of the second largest nation in the world in terms of gross domestic product. France faced three heat waves this summer with temperatures edging right up to 40 degrees Celsius, something that has not happened since 1947. This is affecting livelihoods and causing massive migrations. Additionally, global wildlife populations have sunk 69% since 1970.