Green SME Summit – Collaborating across the Value Chain Featuring the launch of the do-it-yourself Software Tool – U-Sustain - GHG Accounting tool developed by Climate Miles under the aegis of the India GHG Program Mumbai on 16th July, 2014

WRI India, in association with TERI and CII has set-up the India GHG Program – a voluntary industry led partnership that aims to build institutional capabilities towards measurement and management of greenhouse gas emissions. By providing relevant trainings, tools, capacity building and facilitating best practices, peer interactions etc., the program aims to eventually promote profitable and competitive businesses in India. The India GHG Program is supported by the Pirojsha Godrej Foundation, Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, and, the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).

The program partners, as well as its founding member  (26 of the largest corporates in India, across all industrial sectors) realize there are business benefits associated with management of greenhouse gas emissions, and these are not limited to large organizations alone. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) form the core of the economy, and contribute not just to the supply chains of select large organizations, but to the overall GDP in a significant manner.  However, the challenges that SMEs face in terms of understanding the environmental impacts, benefits or opportunities are very unique and these are generally pertaining to dedicated capacity, resources and availability of tools/guidance etc.

The GreenSME Summit, with the India GHG Program, was aimed at convening various stakeholders and key influencers together to explore potential avenues of collaboration between large companies and SMEs across the value chain using GHG Accounting as a tool.  The Summit also saw the official launch of the do-it-yourself GHG Accounting Software tool developed under the aegis of the India GHG Program. 

Convened by the India GHG Program, the Green SME Summit included participation from leading businesses – YES Bank, Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Ltd., KPIT Technologies, Mahindra & Mahindra, ACC Limited, Aditya Birla Group, JSW Group, Ford Motors, Bayer Group. The SME sector was represented by Matru Chemicals, Vijayesh Instruments, SA Glass, and, SimaPro India. 

The summit focused on outlining the opportunities, challenges and current developments for SMEs within large corporate value chains to reduce emissions and improve efficiency. The summit included discussion on how engagement among large enterprises, SMEs and vendors in the value chain can promote profitable and sustainable businesses in India.  Remarks by the Keynote Speaker Mr. Jamshyd Godrej, Chairman, Godrej & Boyce, emphasised the shared value across the supply chain and the importance of shifting the perspective from regarding Sustainability practice from a cost centre to a profit centre.

The online demo of Pilot Software developed by Climate Miles for GHG Emissions Inventory of SME’s was enthusiastically accepted by all present.

The press release by IGHGP can be found here: http://indiaghgp.org/content/press-release

posted by Jaya