Sustainability prompts innovation

Sustainable development is not an option, it is the only way forward to make our planet survive. We need to stop using the natural resources at a rate which is much more than that they can be replenished. Besides we are rapidly producing waste that cannot be decomposed by biological processes or non-biodegradable waste. They don’t decompose naturally and are very harmful for the ecosystem. Plastic, battery, polybags, glass, bottles, etc. fall in this category. We need innovative solutions to reduce and gradually eliminate non-biodegradable waste, to use waste from one process as inputs of another product or process and or create value for the waste generated. Reliance Industries recently launched a project to deal with plastic waste in India by supplying waste plastic for road construction. Innovative solutions are being found to collect and segregate garbage or waste.

Sustainability has become an axiom for eco-friendly business practices that have become an integral part into many corporate strategies. The climate change effects, social inequalities and the disruption of earth’s ecosystems are threats that need to be addressed for us to survive. Governments, industries, businesses, environment activists, investors and importantly innovators need to collaborate and come together to find solutions to these challenges and meet the net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050.

India is also a part of this global transformation and is expected to play a vital role to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is certainly not easy for a country that has set itself a target to become a USD$ 5 trillion economy in GDP terms by 2024.

India’s energy demand is increasing rapidly and is expected to double by 2040 with electricity demand potentially tripling. Using renewable energy to meet this increase in demand is the right step forward. We have to think of ways to generate electricity beyond coal.

India aims to produce 175 GW of renewable energy which would consist of 100 GW from solar energy, 10 GW from bio-power, 60 GW from wind power, and 5 GW from small hydropower plants by the end of 2022. Besides, investors in the field promise to achieve more than 270 GW.

Tata Power Solar Systems ranks as one of the top renewable energy companies in India, primarily operating in the wind and solar sector.

FOOD SECURITY

India is successfully finding sustainable solutions to provide food security to people and achieve food security in entirety by 2030. Healthy food with good nutritious content would be available for all. Efforts are being made to replace traditional farming with sustainable agriculture methods.

EDUCATION FOR ALL

Sustainable Development Goals also aim to provide equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Good and quality education is to provide necessary infrastructure, modern equipment and technology, funds, skill development programs, relevant updated education material, implementing a youth-friendly education policy, availability of proficient teaching staff and importantly an exposure to the environment to the children.

The Government of India recently introduced the innovative Agnipath scheme to modernise the country’s armed forces, create opportunities for the youth to serve the nation, and besides create a large pool of skilled youth who can generate opportunities for themselves and contribute to the growth of the economy.

Infosys has innovatively responded and evolved with the needs by developing solutions towards smart agriculture. They use drones and new technologies to navigate future farming.

SMART CITIES

Smart Cities Mission is an urban renewal and modernization program by the Government of India with a mission to develop 109 cities all over the country to become eco-friendly and sustainable.

A sustainable smart city is to improve quality of life and efficiency of people by using IT and modern communication technologies. It is again a result of ‘sustainability-prompting innovation’!

There is more to be done. Industries and businesses need to work in tandem with government to invest in a zero-carbon future. Together they need to face the challenge and find innovative solutions to build an eco-friendly sustainable carbon-neutral economy.

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