Presenting Saturday Editorial:🌷🙏🎓
Resilience-forum/AG/02/20200307/ESD/ec0DRR
Special Theme: Environment as Risk Driver and Risk Media in Business Continuity Planning
by Prof Anil Kumar Gupta
NIDM India
sustainability (7)
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The fast growing economy, rapid industrialization and growing urban population in India along with increasing wastewater generation are some of the major reasons for concern and reiterate the need for appropriate water management practices. Centre for Science and Environment recognizes this need and has developed a five-day hands on training programme aimed at giving practical exposure to participants on wastewater treatment for industrial and urban wastewater management including reuse and recycle.
The objective of this programme is to build capacity and create awareness among regulators, developers, consultants, NGOs, students and academicians to understand wastewater treatment process, technologies and affordable treatment options. The programme further aims at evaluating the performance and design parameters along with the applicable cost implication associated with each treatment system.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Issues and challenges of urban and industrial wastewater treatment, conservation/ efficiency including reuse and recycle.
Wastewater treatment technologies including advanced treatment options
Decentralized approaches in treating urban wastewater (existing and emerging)
Planning, designing, monitoring and inspection of wastewater treatment systems
Proficiency on water and wastewater accounting
Sector specific exposure on wastewater treatment and management such as construction and industrial projects (distillery, tannery, textile, refinery, power plant etc).
Concept of zero discharge with case studies
Issues and challenges with Common Effluent Treatment Plants and way ahead
State of art practices for wastewater management
Law, policy options and standards for wastewater treatment
Hands on experience in wastewater sampling and analysis
OPEN FOR ALL:Regulators, Consultants, Engineers, Environment Managers, NGOs, Academics and Students
A certificate of participation will be awarded to all at the end of the programme
TOOLS
Lectures by experts, site visits to existing projects, practical group exercises, presentations by participants, reference materials and film screening.
COURSE FEE:
Rs. 15,000 (Concession for Academicians, NGOs and Students)
Note: Accommodation can be arranged nearby the training centre, would incur extra charges.
COURSE DURATION
Date: August 24-28, 2015
Timings: 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM daily
Venue: Anil Agarwal Green College
Centre for Science and Environment,
38, Tughlakabad Institutional Area (Near Batra Hospital)
New Delhi- 110062
FOR REGISTERATION: digvijay@cseindia.org
Last Date for Applying: August 20, 2015
For information contact:
Digvijay Singh Bisht, Senior Research Associate,
Industry and Environment Unit
Centre for Science and Environment
Tel: + 91-11-29955124/ 6110, Extension: 204
Fax: + 91-11-29955879
Mob. No.: + 91 9891921959
E-mail: digvijay@cseindia.org
Image - Green Business Intelligence
Based on research by SAS on how C-level executives view their Sustainability strategy shaping up the future, one executive encapsulates the idea that " Keeping my organization successful for the long term in an environmentally responsible manner". Doing so requires integrating and analyzing data from various Sustainability and Business related drivers.Information from such analysis has to be used to achieve the goals and challenge the existing organizational structure to achieve higher Sustainability index. Through intelligent monitoring tools such as a Smart Energy meter, companies have access to vast amounts of data.By using Business Analytics to interpret such information's companies can capitalize on their wealth of data to make efficient and accurate decisions.
Requirements of Green Business Intelligence
Framework
Framework
--> The management of Sustainability performance requires a Fact Based Decision making Framework. This will enable organizations to measure,manage and report on the Triple Bottom line and determine Business strategies that reduce risks and increase the profit value. Adopting such a framework enables organizations to gain competitive advantages in Financial management planning,Sustainable Business growth and High impact risk management.
--> An important feature of such a framework should be to use Predictive Analysis. This feature can be used to protect the environment by examining the data in greater detail thereby helping in mitigating the risks. For example, Yorkshire Water has effectively used predictive analytics to identify areas at risk of flooding in the UK, and improved the detection of blockages that could lead to flooding by 25-30%. The increased knowledge and insight allowed them to meet regulatory targets and also predict and avoid damage to the environment.
Data Analytics
--> Understanding and embracing a Fact based decision making System has a prerequisite - the data should be quantifiable, measurable and actionable. To support such a goal the Sustainability Business Analytics require three things, as mentioned by Software Advice in its article on Data collection and Business Intelligence.
1. Automated Data Collection - Danone, a Multinational Food corporation used its ERP data to determine the product footprint so as to evaluate its impact on the environment.The result was that the Analytics and the Management teams were able to benchmark the sustainability of its products within its portfolio in its specific location. Thus, Automate data collection provides direction to the development of Business strategy for performing the BI assessment.
2. Efficient implementation of BI tools - Business decisions have to be taken by analyzing the data across multiple Business and Sustainability dimensions. Under such circumstances BI tools become imperative. Visualization and 'Data Storytelling' become important to weed out unnecessary data.
3. Accountable Sustainability Teams - World wide mandates to reduce GHG emissions are compelling companies to look for new approaches to Sustainability management.To reduce the Environmental impact of these Businesses, different Business processes have to be streamlines to improve efficiency,enhance quality and add activities that are more environmental friendly. This means that the Sustainability teams have to be data-centric and Green BI proponents. Thus, the more accountable the CSR teams will be the more accountable the businesses and the marketplace will be,where conversation and efficiency can be more easily achieved.
1. Automated Data Collection - Danone, a Multinational Food corporation used its ERP data to determine the product footprint so as to evaluate its impact on the environment.The result was that the Analytics and the Management teams were able to benchmark the sustainability of its products within its portfolio in its specific location. Thus, Automate data collection provides direction to the development of Business strategy for performing the BI assessment.
2. Efficient implementation of BI tools - Business decisions have to be taken by analyzing the data across multiple Business and Sustainability dimensions. Under such circumstances BI tools become imperative. Visualization and 'Data Storytelling' become important to weed out unnecessary data.
3. Accountable Sustainability Teams - World wide mandates to reduce GHG emissions are compelling companies to look for new approaches to Sustainability management.To reduce the Environmental impact of these Businesses, different Business processes have to be streamlines to improve efficiency,enhance quality and add activities that are more environmental friendly. This means that the Sustainability teams have to be data-centric and Green BI proponents. Thus, the more accountable the CSR teams will be the more accountable the businesses and the marketplace will be,where conversation and efficiency can be more easily achieved.
System Analytics
--> Data mining capabilities should include metric analytics and forecasting. Out of the many Sustainability drivers and key variables the System should be able to identify key parameters that have the greatest impact on goal attainment.
--> Include Strategy Scorecards and Maps to manage and forecast the finances and resources needed to achieve the desired outcomes across the enterprise. Using such Systems Sustainability teams should be able to prioritize organizational strategies, align investments with product strategies and talent development activities.
Conclusion
Increasingly Businesses are facing responsiveness towards Social, Economic and Environmental changes around them throughout the world. Corporate leaders across industries are striving to transform their organizations to Fully formed Sustainable organization. Green Business Analytics enables such organization to measure,manage and report its Sustainability performance indicators,calculate its carbon footprint and evaluate alternative scenarios to take actions that have greatest impact in achieving its objective. Thus Green BI increases the organizations competitiveness. Hence, Green BI can deliver cost effective results so that all stakeholders can proudly embrace its solutions.
--> Include Strategy Scorecards and Maps to manage and forecast the finances and resources needed to achieve the desired outcomes across the enterprise. Using such Systems Sustainability teams should be able to prioritize organizational strategies, align investments with product strategies and talent development activities.
Conclusion
Increasingly Businesses are facing responsiveness towards Social, Economic and Environmental changes around them throughout the world. Corporate leaders across industries are striving to transform their organizations to Fully formed Sustainable organization. Green Business Analytics enables such organization to measure,manage and report its Sustainability performance indicators,calculate its carbon footprint and evaluate alternative scenarios to take actions that have greatest impact in achieving its objective. Thus Green BI increases the organizations competitiveness. Hence, Green BI can deliver cost effective results so that all stakeholders can proudly embrace its solutions.
Mission Sustainability @Schools should address the areas of Energy Conservation,Waste Reduction, Water Conservation,School Grounds and Transportation. The schools should have check-lists and audit mechanisms to keep their Sustainability goals in place for these respective areas.
Water Conservation
Water Conservation
GHS Uttarahalli a School based in Bangalore has made 'Greening Experience' as a part of their Students curriculum. There teachers and students Teamed up to create a Rain Water harvesting unit that will save both Money and Water for the school. The students had a field experience of creating an Environmental unit and see it work too.
Water Usage audit must be performed on a daily basis at the school level and also to encourage students to assess their personal usage 'Water Usage' worksheets must be presented to them. More so Schools should haveWater Reduction Checklist including measures such as Regular repairs of Leaks in taps and fountains,replace toilets with Low Flow toilets,organize class level clean up drives.
School Grounds
Green School grounds contribute to the overall well being of the students and the community involved. Natural planting of trees and shrubs can diminish Noise pollution and assist in cooling classrooms. Students should be encouraged to do gardening as such exercises provides them hands on opportunity to grow food,understand benefits of vegetables and promote sustainability. The School Yard Greening checklist should involve - creating a design that responds to the schools Ecological setting, involving local gardening community for delivering lectures on greening and biodiversity, establish a maintenance plan including weeding,watering,trimming and pruning. Thus Green School grounds promote Healthy activities for the community involved.
Transportation
Walking or Cycling to Schools promote health and reduces fuel consumption.Private Organizations,NGO's can partner with schools to issueStart Up Cycling or Walking kits that involve - Road Safety Tips,Neighbourhood Maps plotting customized Maps for Walking/Cycling routes,Reflective Vests for Students/Community Volunteer to wear and so on.
Transportation Audit can be integrated with the students curriculum.Students should be encouraged to use CO2 Calculators to find out how much Emission they can reduce using Sustainable Transportation.Sustainable Transportation checklist should involve Encourage students and staffs to walk or cycle to school,Host a bike to School event,Provide incentives for Car Pools if students stay at parts far away from School.
Reduce,Reuse,Recycle
Waste Segregation should be integrated with the existing curriculum for students. They should learn the importance of Segregation and understand the value of Waste reduction. Also Students should be taught to develop their own DIY Compost. As large scale Composting program can generate revenue by the sale of Finished Compost,this money can be used to offset the cost of Recycling.
Energy Conservation
Energy generation process from Renewable resources should be promoted at Schools through Curriculum. Energy Usage calculation can be taught at various levels at Schools so that students and teachers understand the importance of Energy conservation. Energy Audit check-list should have - Energy usage for Heating or Cooling,GHG emission due to Energy usage, Energy Saver Mode for Electronic equipments, Promotion of Natural lighting usage,Energy Star rating for Equipments and so on.
Thus, Sustainable Schools Best Practices Guide must be created and promoted. Such a guide should enlist these Checklists for respective areas,so that Schools can perform Self Audit to evaluate and tabulate their Sustainability Goals. More so, to promote Sustainability within Schoolcertain steps can be taken -
> Establish a School Green Team involving both Students and Teachers
> Organize Green Schools Surveys and Events to Educate the school community about the benefits of Greening and Sustainability
> Develop short and long term goals for Sustainability
> Appoint Consulting organization or Advising Authority for enhancing Sustainability at School
Hence, creating a School wide approach to Sustainability will engage our children in the Sustainability framework and ultimately Save our Earth.
Water Usage audit must be performed on a daily basis at the school level and also to encourage students to assess their personal usage 'Water Usage' worksheets must be presented to them. More so Schools should haveWater Reduction Checklist including measures such as Regular repairs of Leaks in taps and fountains,replace toilets with Low Flow toilets,organize class level clean up drives.
School Grounds
Green School grounds contribute to the overall well being of the students and the community involved. Natural planting of trees and shrubs can diminish Noise pollution and assist in cooling classrooms. Students should be encouraged to do gardening as such exercises provides them hands on opportunity to grow food,understand benefits of vegetables and promote sustainability. The School Yard Greening checklist should involve - creating a design that responds to the schools Ecological setting, involving local gardening community for delivering lectures on greening and biodiversity, establish a maintenance plan including weeding,watering,trimming and pruning. Thus Green School grounds promote Healthy activities for the community involved.
Transportation
Walking or Cycling to Schools promote health and reduces fuel consumption.Private Organizations,NGO's can partner with schools to issueStart Up Cycling or Walking kits that involve - Road Safety Tips,Neighbourhood Maps plotting customized Maps for Walking/Cycling routes,Reflective Vests for Students/Community Volunteer to wear and so on.
Transportation Audit can be integrated with the students curriculum.Students should be encouraged to use CO2 Calculators to find out how much Emission they can reduce using Sustainable Transportation.Sustainable Transportation checklist should involve Encourage students and staffs to walk or cycle to school,Host a bike to School event,Provide incentives for Car Pools if students stay at parts far away from School.
Reduce,Reuse,Recycle
Waste Segregation should be integrated with the existing curriculum for students. They should learn the importance of Segregation and understand the value of Waste reduction. Also Students should be taught to develop their own DIY Compost. As large scale Composting program can generate revenue by the sale of Finished Compost,this money can be used to offset the cost of Recycling.
Energy Conservation
Energy generation process from Renewable resources should be promoted at Schools through Curriculum. Energy Usage calculation can be taught at various levels at Schools so that students and teachers understand the importance of Energy conservation. Energy Audit check-list should have - Energy usage for Heating or Cooling,GHG emission due to Energy usage, Energy Saver Mode for Electronic equipments, Promotion of Natural lighting usage,Energy Star rating for Equipments and so on.
Thus, Sustainable Schools Best Practices Guide must be created and promoted. Such a guide should enlist these Checklists for respective areas,so that Schools can perform Self Audit to evaluate and tabulate their Sustainability Goals. More so, to promote Sustainability within Schoolcertain steps can be taken -
> Establish a School Green Team involving both Students and Teachers
> Organize Green Schools Surveys and Events to Educate the school community about the benefits of Greening and Sustainability
> Develop short and long term goals for Sustainability
> Appoint Consulting organization or Advising Authority for enhancing Sustainability at School
Hence, creating a School wide approach to Sustainability will engage our children in the Sustainability framework and ultimately Save our Earth.
India is a country of Sharp contrasts.On one hand one of its richest state Gujarat boasts about its economic turn around,but on the other hand a UN health report reveals that large number of Gujarati women are malnourished. Likewise India is rated as the biggest source of Billionaires in S.E.Asia, by Forbes,yet around 40% of the total Indian population livebelow poverty line. What lacks is a proper framework of development that includes social alleviation policies and social innovations.
Image- Poverty
Social Enterprise is not new. Vinoba Bhave, the founder of India’s Land Gift Movement, Robert Owen, the founder of cooperative movement and Florence Nightingale, founder of first nursing school and developer of modern nursing practices are few examples of Social entrepreneurship. The issues that social enterprises deal with are social justice, inequality and inclusion, environment, trade justice and development.
Short-Comings of Existing Framework
In the twentieth century Social Enterprise has embraced charities and community organisations.
1.The way social enterprises operate now is often to address the limitationsof public service provision. Some social enterprises, based on charities, are established to meet needs.
2.The state Governments find it difficult to cope with diversity of needs of users,
especially niche and specialist needs as consumers have become increasingly aware of their distinct needs and able to voice their demands. Social enterprises are often developed just to cater for needs which the state does not fully meet.
3.The state Governments create a culture of paternalism, encouraging a dependency culture.Here Social enterprises come to see themselves as recipients of solutions delivered to them by professionals rather than participants in creating solutions.
However, Social enterprises should have their own Business values built on a model of self-help that encourages people to be participants in creating solutions for one another. They should mobilise peer-to-peer systems of support, for example, rather than relying on
professionals. Thus,Government needs a framework for social innovation that improves social outcomes.
Strategies to Improve the Framework
1. Larger Scale = Greater Impact
In-order to strengthen the existing Social Enterprises,these businesses should Champion the Economics of Scale.Enterprises should operate at a National level and a become household name.Organizations must find ways of clustering together, helping themselves to form alliances, federations and networks that give them scale. The Grameen Bank has achieved this, first in Bangladesh and then around the world. Grameen is impressive because it operates at scale.
2.Social Innovation Platforms = Social Enterprise State
The government should create Social Innovation platforms at Public Level. This will bring together the public sector, private companies and social enterprises to address shared problems and opportunities, such as provision of home- based services for the elderly, to combat social isolation. A shift towards more local governance such as local carbon trusts to drive down CO2 emissions– would create the conditions for much more local social innovation.
3. More Socially Responsible Businesses = More Disruptive Innovation
Developing Goods and Providing services at radically low costs, so as to bring them in reach of poor consumers.
->The Clinton Global Initiative has done something like this with Aids drugs for the poor, by finding a way to eliminate middle men and distributors so as to get the generic versions of drugs more cheaply.
->Fair-trade producers such as Café Direct have shown how corporate supply chains can be reorganised to provide commodity producers in the developing world with a higher margin.
Conclusion
Thus,Social enterprises can challenge mainstream businesses to operate in more socially responsible ways. Also, they can inspire consumers to demand such products.
Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, had once said that “If you believe that each life has equal value then it is disgusting to learn than some lives are worth saving and some not…We asked “How could the world let these children die?"
Bill and Melinda Gates foundation since then has worked to find approaches that caters to the needs of the poor,and that generates profits for business.
Some of the recent examples of successful social ventures are - The Grameen Bank by Muhammad Yunus, Ashoka: The Innovators for the Public by Bill Drayton, Youth United by Jyotindra Nath, Rand De by Ramakrishna and Smita Ram, SKS Microfinance by Vikram Akula and Roozi.com by Nick Reder, Brent Freeman and Norma La Rosa has popularized the term.
Can a synthesis of scientific temper and spiritual wisdom generate global ethics and solve the socio-environmental (and consequently, the economic) problems of our generations?
While the degree-holders of modern day academia might hurry to obviate the necessity for a discussion that brings both science and spirituality to the table, the world will lose much if we ignore the possibility for a cohesive intellectual endeavor that amalgamates the subtle and the gross sciences. After all, it is ignorant to presume that the ages past have not seen a smarter mind, a sharper wit than our own, who was willing to explore the boundaries between these dimensions. Newton, Da Vinci, Aristotle, Galileo, and Tesla never received a doctoral degree before they created their polymath-ic legacies. Modern education makes it impossible for such genius to shine through the ignorance of compartmentalized 'knowledge’, beyond which only a few outlaws dare pursue their chaste passions.
A sagacious synthesis of these science and spirituality is necessary if we are to preserve the best of the past, and combine it with the ever-refreshing flavors of the future in the tiny cauldron pot called - the present. Does such a synthesis call for suit-and-tied bankers to follow in the footsteps of saffron-robed monks? Possibly. The Bhagavad Gita, for instance, is already applied as a textbook in premier Indian Institutes of Management. Does it incite the equalization of tightly corseted, supposedly conservative, tea-drinkers with rebellious, and rarely raucous, Rastafarians? Not necessarily, their individual existence and personal contributions are important for their co-existence in the world, and the evolution of a better tomorrow – too idealistic?
The gist of my conjecture is that there is a dire necessity to observe perspicuously, and draw conclusions about the types of knowledge that are beneficial and meaningful, and have to be imparted/ imbibed in order to overcome not only ignorance, but also illusion. Several anecdotes illustrate the striking contrast between holistic and mechanistic approaches to knowledge. For instance, while Ayurveda (the ancient system of medicine from India) used turmeric since time immemorial, Western medicine has only recently discovered its miraculous applications. The practitioners of Ayurveda, with help from the Indian government then proved that the idea of extracting of "Curcumin" from turmeric and patenting turmeric is stupid. Why? Would you want to sip a teaspoon each of Theobromine and Caffeine, or eat two ounces of dark chocolate laced with orange zest? It does not take a genius to figure that one!
Spiritual wisdom is needed to decide what essential purpose the products of all mechanical calculations should fulfill, and why. Turmeric could be used to cure cancer, and treat infections, or as these scientists tried, to prevent the continuation of a cultural tradition and livelihood that transcends the pseudo-sophisticated mindsets of material science. Obtaining the extracts of ‘know-how’ from education, while discarding the core and shell structure of ethics and behavior is an incomplete intellectual endeavor, even more imbecile than it is to extract Curcumin from turmeric. This juncture is key to why modern education fails to solve the problems that matter as much as (and often more than just) life and death.
It is in the making of daily decisions - mundane arrangements for meeting the needs of the body and mind - eating lunch, reading a book, or voting for your next president, that the boundaries of science and spirituality merge. By sidestepping religion as a yellowed book from the past, we have made the decision making process merely animalistic, only a matter of finding food, shelter, clothing and safety. Leaders, intellectuals, and administrators of our times will regret if they fail to realize that without shouldering this responsibility, they are driving society towards an impossible future, all the time haunted by the ghosts of an immutable past. We might just dare venture to explore the images that would be conjured at this horizon, and look upon the sun rising to another possible future..
