One of the major issues faced by most corporates has been directly or
indirectly related to the environment. In the environment basket land forms a
major component of the dispute. On one end of the continuum there is awareness
of safeguarding natural resources. The other end is the ‘development’ lobby
which seems to be presenting the inclusive growth and prosperity picture. But
which end of the continuum is India inclined towards? Hopefully we do not have
our two feet in two different boats, heading in different directions. Mining
activity is one such business which is seems to be a stuck in the middle, a ‘double
edged sword’ as many would remark.
Not long ago a state saw the shutdown of mining activities for
illegalities such as extraction of ore more than permissible limits, cheating
the exchequer by hiding the value of the exports, environmental degradation and
encroachment into forest land. This has raised question marks on both the
corporates as well as the certifying agencies. While the state is now gearing
up for resumption of mining, experts ask whether all ambiguities in the system
that triggered these misdeeds in the first place are rectified. Are the
institutions that implement and monitor this business activity equipped to
prevent the repetition of the illegalities? No change is possible until and
unless these agencies are revamped and made more robust.
Balance between environment and development requires effective and
vigilant agencies that can take evaluated decisions. If we are serious about inclusive
growth and development, there ought to be institutions that have foresight and
hindsight. This means not just gazing into the future, but also looking into
the past and repairing what is broken. Issues such as restoration of the
environment seem to never gain importance. The attitude is ‘what is done is
done, forget it’. Accountability of past actions goes unimpeded as long as you
promise to ‘Go Green’ in your future actions. Everyone seems to be going green.
Well, if everybody is ‘Going Green’ how come all this pollution? It’s just
like, none of us claim to be corrupt yet corruption exists!
The last decade has also seen the idea of ‘Green Stewardship’ gaining
prominence. Issues pertaining to the environment such as resource depletion
have caught the attention of many. Attitude towards environment is gradually
leaning to foster innovation in areas of conservation, recycling and renewable
energy. But here too there is no sign of restoration of the damage done to environment
in the past. Whether the businesses join the trend voluntarily or out of
pressure from the stakeholder, sooner or later it is proclaimed to be a win-win
for all.
In the end, there is much talk about ‘Green Economy’ as a potential
solution to the challenges of climate change, environment degradation and
impact of economic uncertainty on the environment. Trends suggest that there is
enormous awareness amongst all stakeholders, and an increasing demand for green
products from the consumers. The success of ‘Green Economy’ however depends not
only on the corporates, but also on the government agencies and economic
institutions supporting the cause.
Globalization has led to the rise in aspirations of billions of Indians.
These aspirations have put enormous pressure on the natural resources, in an
attempt to fulfill them. Being environmentally responsible means the ensuring
the balance between our needs and our wants. As Mahatma Gandhi aptly said “Earth
provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed.”
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