India’s NITI Aayog and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) have entered into a three-year partnership with the aim of creating a vision and action agenda for businesses and industries to contribute towards sustainable development goals (SDGs). They focus on specific activities to develop this agenda.
NITI Aayog and CII Partnership
The collaboration between NITI Aayog and CII spans three years, where the focus is on building a focused vision and action plan for industries to contribute significantly to Sustainable Development Goals. This partnership will involve compiling Annual Status Reports and creating Sector-specific Best Practice Documents, which will serve as valuable resources.
India’s Clean Energy Goals
Reiterating its commitment towards sustainability, the Government of India has declared that it plans to achieve its clean energy targets even sooner than 2022. Key to this ambitious plan is the implementation of advanced technology. There is a strong push for Research & Development (R&D) and innovation to stimulate demand for electric vehicles, hydrogen cars, and other similar solutions.
Technology Leapfrogging for Sustainable Growth
Technology leapfrogging refers to the process of moving from one position or situation to another without progressing through all or any of the intermediate stages. In the context of India’s sustainability goals, the country plans to advance from the current emission standards of BS-IV directly to BS-VI by 2020, skipping BS-V.
Understanding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Officially called “Transforming our world, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” SDGs consist of a set of 17 ‘Global Goals’ with a targeted 169 aims to be achieved within 15 years. Introduced on September 25, 2015, these goals aim to annihilate poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity and wellbeing for everyone.
The United Nations (UN) spearheaded these SDGs as a successor to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which concluded in 2015. The SDGs officially came into effect in January 2016, marking a renewed global commitment towards building a sustainable future.
Local Solutions for Diverse Challenges
In order to tackle the diverse challenges faced by India in its path towards sustainable development, local solutions are imperative. These solutions present an opportunity for innovation and can provide effective methods to address varying regional and national issues. The emphasis is on finding locally relevant ways to achieve sustainability, from pushing for clean energy to encouraging the use of electric vehicles.
Future Outlook
While the roadmap towards achieving SDGs is fraught with challenges, the partnership between NITI Aayog and CII presents an optimistic outlook. With both organizations committed to propelling businesses and industries towards contributing effectively to SDGs, India stands poised to not just achieve but potentially even surpass its sustainability targets ahead of 2022. The vision of a prosperous and sustainable India is indeed a possibility with strategic partnerships, technology leapfrogging, and locally relevant solutions all playing a crucial role.