Mainstreaming Sustainability in Business Planning & Practices   Newsletter | June 2023         TERI Views   Editorial by Arupendra Nath Mullick, Vice President – TERI CBS     We connect with you during the month of the World Environment Day 2023 – themed #Beat Plastic Pollution. Circular economy has been central to our engagements at the annual World Sustainable Development Summit. Deliberations of the Summit have laid the foundation for a variety of tracks under India’s G20 Presidency and several engagement platforms. We take great pride to host several high-level convenings with your support and regular participation. Our engagements with leading Indian industries have gained consistent traction to advance agenda of industry decarbonisation and circular economy. TERI and Shell had partnered to present a Scenario Sketch for India outlining the options and choices towards developing a technically possible though challenging net-zero energy system for India. This modelling report jointly undertaken by TERI and Shell mapped out an illustrative technological pathway for India’s domestic energy system to move towards net-zero emissions by 2050, while delivering sustainable economic growth. Given India’s updated 2030 commitments, Shell and TERI are in the process of preparing a report focused on developing near-term policy and action roadmap keeping view of India’s 2030 commitments. Through our partnership with Thomson Reuters Foundation, we will be hosting a high-level discussion with industry leaders to elevate issues about the nexus of climate change and inequality in the international news agenda, as well as local media. Our Council for Business Sustainability serves as the interface for our research work to be connected to the corporate world and enables two-way engagement. TERI CBS engages with the core issue of what businesses must do to shape and lead in sustainability. Your suggestions and feedback remain a constant source of inspiration for us.           Upcoming Event   22nd June | 11:00-13:00 hrs IST   Stakeholder Workshop on India Sketch Scenario 2030 Mode: Virtual Workshop on India Sketch Scenario 2030 under TERI – Shell partnership will discuss the different low-emission pathways of India, aligned with India’s Nationally Determined Contributions.       10th / 12th July   First Movers Coalition In-Country Workshop, India The First Movers Coalition will host in-country workshop in New Delhi focusing on the scaling of clean technologies across three sectors of – Aviation, Steel and, Cement & Concrete. More information can be found on the link.       14th July   Workshop on Energy Transitions in Asia by Energy Research Institute Network (ERIN) ERIN in association with ERIA (Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia) and TERI will conduct a workshop on the gaps and barriers faced in Asia’s energy transition.       1st / 2nd August   Business Roundtable at T20 Summit @Mysuru TERI in association with Thomson Reuters Foundation (TRF) will convene a Business Roundtable at the T20 Summit in Mysuru, Karnataka.           IN-FOCUS   Launch of National Centre of Excellence in Green Port and Shipping at TERI’s Campus In March, the country’s first National Centre of Excellence in Green Port and Shipping (NCoEGPS) – collaboration between Ministry of Ports, Waterways and Shipping and TERI was inaugurated by Honourable Minister Mr. Sarbananda Sonowal at TERI’s Gwal Pahari campus in Gurugram. The new centre is expected to play a vital role in helping green the shipping industry and steer it towards a carbon neutrality pathway. Press Release   SAP joins TERI Council for Business Sustainability In April, Director General TERI, Dr Vibha Dhawan convened a CEO roundtable meeting with Mr. Paul Marriott, President SAP – Asia Pacific Division, Dr. Lovneesh Chanana, Vice President and Head of Government Affairs (Asia Pacific and Japan), and Mr. Kulmeet Bawa, President and Managing Director, SAP Indian Subcontinent. Attended by senior representatives from the Indian industry, the roundtable discussed, and emphasised the efforts which technological solutions and innovations can play in helping achieve sustainable development.     TERI @G20   Director General of TERI, Dr. Vibha Dhawan, and chair of Task Force 4 under T20 India participated in T20 India’s Mid-Year Conference organised in Mumbai. She spoke at the event ‘Leveraging G20 and COP28 for People-Centric Energy Transitions’ highlighting the need to ensure energy access. TERI, jointly, with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), UNIDO and Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT) hosted a side event at G20’s Third Energy Transition Working Group (ETWG) in Mumbai. The event titled ‘Technology and Policy Priorities for decarbonising Hard-to-Abate Sectors’ saw Mr. Girish Sethi, Senior Director at TERI highlight the need to focus on sustaining demand for green products through public procurement, and creating alliances among G20 countries on low-carbon technologies. View the event   TERI with the support of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) organised a Development Working Group side-event in Kumarakom, Kerala. The event on “Just Green Transitions” witnessed TERI’s Distinguished Fellow, Ambassador Manjeev Singh Puri highlight the importance of easing norms for climate and sustainable finance flows toward the developing countries. View the event More information on TERI’s engagement at G20 can be found here     Glimpses of World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS)     TERI hosted the 22nd edition of its flagship summit, the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) in February 2023. The event was held in-person after two consecutive years of hosting the summit virtually. The summit, titled “Mainstreaming Sustainable Development and Climate Resilience for Collective Action”, saw Union Ministers, Heads of States of various countries, Indian business leaders, and senior philanthropic leaders converge to highlight their perspectives on climate change. The summit hosted plenaries and thematic tracks focused around various themes such as India’s G20 presidency, power sector decarbonisation pathways, importance of energy efficiency, integrated water management, carbon markets and financing India’s net zero ambitions. Special Focus @WSDS CEO Forum : Accelerating Business Actions for Realizing Sustainable Development Goals Plenary – G20 Leadership for a Green Development Pact Thematic Track – Relevance of the Energy Efficiency First Principle in an Indian Context Thematic Track – Role of Carbon Markets in India’s Developmental Transition Thematic Track – Pathways for meeting India’s Power Sector Decarbonisation Targets for 2030 Thematic Track – Accelerating Circularity through Integrated Recycling Infrastructure in India       Reports, Policy Briefs and Publications       White Paper: Low Carbon Bio-hydrogen TERI and Capgemini joint white paper ‘Harnessing the potential of bio-resources to produce Low – Carbon Bi-Hydrogen’ highlights the landscape of bio-processes available for the production of hydrogen. The paper advocates for the use of modern technological solutions to help scale the production of hydrogen.       Concept Note: Emissions Reduction and Beyond The concept note ‘Emissions Reduction and Beyond’ argues that the need for addressing systemic overhauls go beyond industrial decarbonisation, and involve the need to work on other essential issues such food systems and ocean sustainability.       Inclusive Energy Transitions Messages for the G20 Forum In the context of energy transition taking place away from coal, this TERI policy brief argues for the need to undertake a ‘people-centred’ approach as a core to the “just transition” narrative.