CII has called on industries to urgently implement large-scale Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices to keep pace with global climate commitments and strengthen long-term resilience and competitiveness.
Speaking at the Green Industry Conclave organised by CII Eastern Region in Kolkata today, Ms Apurba Mitra, Co-Chairman, CII Eastern Region ESG Subcommittee and Partner – KPMG, Lead – Climate Change, noted that majority of the emissions across the world today are covered by updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement — a significant demonstration of global climate engagement, though overall ambition remains below what is needed to keep warming to 1.5°C. She said this reflects a decisive shift toward strengthening climate action but stressed that current collective commitments would deliver far less than the emissions reductions required by 2035.
Ms Mitra underscored that achieving meaningful emissions reduction by 2035 will require rapid innovation, widespread ESG integration, and transforming compliance obligations into opportunities that deliver real impact. She emphasised that building strong ecosystems anchored in enabling policies, innovation, and close collaboration between government and industry will be crucial for ensuring inclusive and timely progress aligned to science.
During the conclave two whitepapers has been released: “Comparative Analysis of Indian and Global; ESG Rating Mechanisms-Regulatory Evolution, Methodological Divergence and Future Pathways for Alignment” and “ESG Compliance Framework: Regulatory, Stakeholder & Market Evolution in India”. These publications reflect CII’s continued effort to support organisations of all sizes in navigating the evolving ESG landscape and strengthening their preparedness.
Addressing the gathering, Mr Arijit Basu, Managing Director, Veedol Corporation Limited, remarked that climate change has fundamentally reshaped industrial realities and that ESG has emerged as a key driver of long-term sustainability. He stated that ESG must be treated as an integral organisational asset, capable of delivering value when designed to solve real-world challenges while enhancing both sustainability and profitability. Mr Basu cautioned that industries that fail to embed ESG into their core operations risk undermining their long-term viability and the security of their workforce.
Mr Biswanath Chattopadhyay, CEO, IVL Dhunseri Petrochem Industries, provided insights on translating sustainability into everyday practice. He demonstrated how widely used products can be redesigned to reduce environmental impact and highlighted that although the consumption of daily-use plastic products may not decline significantly in the short term, industries must prioritise making these products more sustainable and promoting responsible consumption as an essential foundation for decarbonisation.
CII reiterated that immediate, comprehensive and industry-wide ESG implementation is vital for India to align with global climate trajectories, strengthen supply-chain resilience, and maintain competitiveness in an increasingly sustainability-driven global economy.
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