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3 INDIA ROUNDTABLE ON
SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION
RD
NEW DELHI, 11-12 FEBRUARY 2010
MEETING REPORT OF THE
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Table of Contents INTRODUCTION
Participation ..... 2
Objectives ..... 2
Roundtable Design ..... 3
Roundtable Outcome ..... 3
Dissemination ..... 4
PROCEEDINGS – DAY 1
Speeches/Presentations by:
Hem Pande, MoEF ..... 5
Rob Donkers, EC ..... 6
S P Chandak, UNEP ..... 7
Agriculture
C M Pandey, Min of Agriculture ..... 9
Energy
Amarjeet Singh, Central Electricity Authority ..... 10
Waste
Manoranjan Hota, MoEF ..... 11
Water
Lalit Kumar, Central Water Commission ..... 13
PROCEEDINGS – DAY 2
Sustainable Agriculture
P C Kesavan, MSSRF ..... 15
G R Dharmendar, Centre for Sust. Agricl ..... 16
Sustainable Consumption
Luc Reuter, UNEP .... 17
Patrick Braunmuehle, GTZ ..... 18
Maren Weber, Univ. Of Witten ..... 19
Ashim Sanyal, Consumer VOICE ..... 20
Mala Bannerjee ..... 21
Energy
Sandeep Garg, Bureau of Energy Efficiency ..... 22
V K Sehgal, Petroleum Conservation Res. Assn ..... 23
Waste
S P Chandak, UNEP ..... 24
Amit Jain, IRG Systems ..... 26
Shyamala Menon, CEE ..... 27
Water
C M Pandit, National Water Academy ..... 27
M Gopalakrishnan, ICID ..... 29
Suresh Babu SV, ARGHYAM ..... 30
Rana Chatterjee, Central Ground Water Commission ..... 31
Concluding Remarks
S P Chandak, UNEP ..... 32
Hem Pande, MoEF ..... 32
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3RD
INDIA ROUNDTABLE ON
SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION & PRODUCTION
NEW DELHI, 11-12 FEB 2010
Meeting Report
The 3rd
India Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption & Production was held in New Delhi on 11-12 Feb
2010. The Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF), Govt of India and the Division of Technology,
Industry & Economics, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) were the co-hosts. Society in
Action Group (SAG) were tasked with the organization and provision of logistical support. As with the
first two Roundtables, the European Union provided the funding support.
Participation:
A total of 65 participants attended the Roundtable. The break-up was:
Academics = 4
Government = 21
Industry = 6
Multilaterals/donors = 8
NGOs = 26
The Central Government was represented by 7 Ministries/Departments or bodies directly responding to
them. A complete list of participants, along with contact e-mail addresses, is annexed herewith.
Objectives:
The objectives of the 3rd
India Roundtable on SCP were to:
• re-visit the five SCP concern areas first tabled at the Mumbai Roundtable in 2006. These were:
Agriculture, Consumer Demand, Energy, Waste Management and Water.
• take stock of the existing practices, legislation, bottlenecks and obstacles
• discuss and agree on what measures are necessary to improve the country's SCP performance
• provide inputs to the MoEF delegation which will be discussing SCP at the 18th
meeting of the
U.N. Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD 18) to be held in New York in May 2010.
SCP is one of the 3 thematic issues for CSD 18, with a 10-Year Framework of Programmes to be
elaborated at the Meeting.
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Roundtable Design:
The Roundtable commenced post lunch on 11th
Feb 2001 and concluded in the evening of the 12th
Feb.
The first day was earmarked for introductory speeches and for the different Ministries of the
Government of India to make presentations on their respective sectors. The second day was for sector-
wise presentations and discussions, with each sectoral group being requested to bear in mind the
Roundtable objectives as listed above. Background Papers were circulated as hard copies with the
conference folders. Electronic copies were e-mailed to those participants who had registered and
indicated their sectoral interest. The Background papers are annexed to this Report.
The Ministry of Environment & Forests hosted cocktails and dinner on the evening of 11th
Feb.
Roundtable Outcome:
As will be evident from the narrative of the proceedings below, there are two types of outcomes. The
first is a general set of suggestions/recommendations to the different Ministries relating to
improvements in sustainability in their respective sectors. The second comprises suggestions for
inclusion in the proposed 10-Year Framework of Programmes which will be discussed at the 18th
meeting of the U.N Council for Sustainable Development, New York, in May 2010; these were
specifically elicited following the presentations on each sector. The general recommendations may be
noted by the respective Ministries, whereas the suggestions for the 10 YFP served as inputs for the
Indian delegation to CSD 18, which was headed by the Ministry of Environment & Forests.
Dissemination:
This Meeting Report is being burnt on CDs which will be distributed to all participants upon receipt of
approval of the draft from the Ministry of Environment & Forests and UNEP. The CD contains an
abstract of all the speeches made at the Roundtable, all Power Point presentations (converted to pdf
format to prevent unauthorized editing) and a record of the sector-wise discussions.
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions contained herein are solely those of the respective authors, expressed in their
individual capacity and may not be construed to be those of the Ministry of Environment & Forests or of
any other Ministry or Department of the Government of India.
The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the
expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the United Nations Environment Programme
concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning
delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Moreover, the views expressed do not necessarily represent
the decision or the stated policy of the United Nations Environment Programme, nor does citing of trade
names or commercial processes constitute endorsement.
This is not an official Government of India, UN or EU publication.
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PROCEEDINGS: DAY 1
(11th
Feb 2010)
Extract of Speech by Mr Hem Pande, Jt Secretary, Ministry of Environment & Forests(MoEF) Govt of India
Mr Pande welcomed all participants who had come from all parts of India and in particular, Mr S P
Chandak from UNEP, Tokyo and Mr Luc Reuter from UNEP Paris. He was particularly gratified to note
the presence of so many officials from the diferent Ministries of the Govt of India as well as the Planning
Commission. He expressed his particular thanks to the European Union for supporting the Roundtable
and to Mr Rajan Gandhi who was driving the entire SCP agenda.
Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) was a spectacle with which we viewed the process of
sustainable development. It looked at development from the perspective of how we produce goods and
services and how we consume them. This perspective permits a clearer insight into the development
process and how it impacts the environment. The MoEF is committed to the sustainable development
of India, as is evident from the National Environment Policy as well as the Action Plan on Climate
Change. Economic growth obviously came first but what was needed was the ability to balance the
economic development and environment agendas and to evolve win-win solutions.
India is conscious of the fact that its environmental footprint on a per capita basis is far lower than that
of developed countries. India was equally conscious of its size and its potential for environmental
damage. The clear aim was to ensure that the potential was not converted into reality. He stressed that
economic growth was essential for India but it needed to be balanced with environmental concerns. In
his humble opinion, he felt that Indians were rather good at achieving the balance.
The Roundtables on SCP provided an excellent forum for the Government to exchange views and
perspectives with academics, industry and civil society groups from all over India. At the first
Roundtable, 5 areas of immediate concern from the SCP perspective had been identified: Agriculture,
Consumer Demand, Energy, Waste and Water. At the second Roundtable, three of these were
discussed in greater detail and steps to move forward had been suggested. In this Roundtable, the
original five sectors would be re-examined.
On the first day, participants would listen to the views of the concerned Ministries; the next day was for
brainstorming and analysis in order to suggest ways and means by which India could achieve its twin
goals of economic growth coupled with protection of the environment.
Mr Pande announced that SCP was one of the thematic areas which would be discussed at CSD in May
when the 10 Year Framework of Programmes, as suggested in the Johannesburg Plan of
Implementation, was to be elaborated. The MoEF would be leading the Indian delegation to CSD and
the views of the participants at the Roundtable were extremely important in helping the delegation to
adopt a stance at the negotiating table.
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He once again thanked all the participants for their presence at the Roundtable. He further thanked the
EU and UNEP for the opportunity to host the Roundtable, and Mr Rajan Gandhi of SAG for anchoring the
event.
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Extract of Speech of Mr Rob Donkers, Minister Counsellor Environment, Delegation of the European
Union to India. To be read along with presentation entitled “European Perspective on SCP.pdf”
Mr Donkers expressed his pleasure at being able to participate in this 3rd
Roundtable on SCP in India –
he had attended the 2nd
Roundtable in New Delhi in December 2007 when he had just come to India.
In December of 2008, the European Union had adopted an action plan on SCP together with a
Sustainable Industry Policy. He proposed to go through the European initiatives which may contain
lessons which could be useful to India.
The Western world did not have a very sustainable lifestyle; a lot of the energy and other resources
were being wasted, and the challenge lay in converting this wasteful society into a recycling economy
with greater energy- and resource efficiency. Another challenge lay in reducing the stress that existing
methods of production placed on the environment. A third challenge lay in changing consumption
practices. This cannot be mandated; it has to be voluntary, along with some measures which could
convince people to change consumption patterns.
Another way of looking at the issue was to cease looking at GDP as the only measure of growth. This did
not provide any clue about the quality of the growth, and no idea of the resources - both human and
environmental - which were used to achieve the growth. The need is to find other indicators, perhaps
by “green accounting”, which could supplement GDP so that a better picture of the quality of growth
could emerge. The ultimate intention was to aim for “green growth”.
Mr Donkers described the European approach to sustainability. Its elements include Life-Cycle thinking
of products and the eco-design directive which is legislation intended to seduce producers to set
benchmarks, get better performance from products, use the optimum amount of resources and
discourage the production of bad products. Another element is the eco-labelling system which demands
the involvement of producers, consumers and retailers. Green public procurement is yet another
important element. Stakeholder involvement and tools for assessing progress were also critical
elements in the approach.
Incentives were also needed sometime – partly fiscal but also through peer pressure and through
cooperation. It should be recalled that Governments are also large consumers and although there is as
yet no statutory requirement, in due course there might be obligatory criteria for green public
procurement.
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In terms of production, Europe promotes leaner production through measures on resource efficiency,
innovation and by setting benchmarks for certain industries. Europe also supports voluntary tools such
as EMAS (Environmental Management Auditing System) by which some industries have concluded that
re-examination of their production processes leads not merely to environmental gains, but is
economically very attractive.
Europe is also encouraging international cooperation on SCP and along with UNEP, have promoted the
Marrakech Process for discussions and cooperation at a global scale. An example was the International
Panel for Sustainable Resource Management which should hopefully produce some interesting reports
on decoupling economic growth and environmental degradation.
Here in India, Europe had put € 70 million on the table in a programme called SWITCH Asia to promote
cleaner and more efficient industry, particularly small and medium enterprises in Asia. Not only the EU
but individual Member States (e.g. Germany in Andhra Pradesh and Sweden for the pharmaceuticals
industry) were also taking the initiative. The EU had a project aimed at eco-friendly textile parks in
Rajasthan leading to the development of a toolkit for dissemination to other parts of the country.
Much work still needs to be done. We have so far been focusing on the supply side, but the demand
side needed equal consideration – how do we influence the consumer and assist in the making of an
informed choice. Finally, it was also a question of one’s mentality – why do people need a second
refrigerator or a third TV set. Well-being was not based on material goods alone.
Mr Donkers concluded by quoting from the Iroquois, a native American tribe – “In our everyday
deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.”
------------------------------------------
Extract of Speech of Mr S P Chandak, Dy Director, International Environment Technology Centre, United
Nations Environment Programme, Tokyo
Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) is the key to sustainable development and is vital for fast
developing countries such as India. The term “sustainable development” gained currency at the Earth
Summit in Rio in 1992 but if one read Chapter 3, Verse 10 of the Bhagavad Gita (which says that if all
work towards the sustainable development of Nature, then Nature would give back all that one
desired), it is evident that the concept of sustainability is several thousands of years old. Our forefathers
were familiar with the concepts and even we were practicing it one way or the other, without knowing
the terminology. What we needed to do was to integrate SCP into our prevailing practices.
We still view development in terms of economic development. That is what led the U N system to
organise the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002, which in turn gave a
real boost to SCP as a means of achieving sustainable development. Much has happened since 2002;
UN-DESA along with UNEP launched the Marrakech Process which was a forum for review, discussion
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and debate at the regional and national levels on programmes and strategies for sustainable
consumption and production. Seven Marrakech Task Forces – resource centres on different thematic
areas - were formed, they met in India in Feb 2009. The Task Forces had come out with as many as 38
toolkits, guidelines and methodologies for different thematic areas.
India has many critically important assets. The first of these is a very well established system of
governance – a balanced sharing of responsibilities between highly competent officials and politicians.
We have one of the world’s largest pools of scientific and technological skills, produced in-house. We
have a huge supply of labour, both skilled and unskilled. And we have bountiful Nature – land, water,
and minerals.
But India also has several drawbacks – the four ‘I’s of ignorance, intolerance, individualism and Indian
Standard Time !
In Mr Chandak’s view, there were priorities for India. The first was the question of increasing resource
efficiency and thus reducing wastage. In Japan, for example, the Government had set targets for
productivity in terms of GDP per tonne of raw material. In 2005, it was 24 million Yen per tonne of raw
material; the target for 2015 was 46 million Yen. Recycling of material would increase by 50% in 10
years. Waste generation would come down from 4.2 billion tonnes/annum to 1.8 billion tonnes.
India needs similar targets, at both the national and the local levels. Perhaps we need national
champions such as film stars or cricketers or even religious leaders who command huge audiences.
Another method would be to institute awards for SCP, on the lines of awards for productivity and energy
efficiency. And finally, we needed to engage the media. Admittedly, SCP was not sensationalist and the
media thrives on sensationalism, but an attempt should be made – possibly at a 4th
Roundtable – to
invite and engage the media.
Mr Chandak was convinced that India’s present patterns of consumption and production were not
sustainable. Refuge was often sought by saying that 70% of India was still below the poverty line but it
should not be forgotten that the balance 30% constituted a population as large as the USA.
UNEP saw three major roles for itself in this context: first, to provide technical assistance leading to
more sustainable systems of production and consumption at the national, regional or local level. The
second was to provide as much experiential knowledge as needed, through the Marrakech Task Forces,
and through the periodic review meetings. And finally to provide the opportunities for sharing of
experiences, both good and bad. There has been a lot of thinking globally over the last 8 years since
Johannesburg. What was now needed was to act locally.
------------------------------------------
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Extract of Speech of Mr C M Pandey, Addl Commissioner Ministry of Agriculture, Govt of India (speaking
in lieu of Mr E K Majhi, Jt Secretary)
The country has gone through two agricultural revolutions – the first “Green revolution” was more to do
with exploitation and utilisation of natural resources, and the second was the “white” revolution of milk
production,. As Prof M S Swaminathan has mentioned, there is now a need for an “ever-greening”
revolution, which is possible only if we have sustainable agriculture.
At the first Roundtable on SCP in Mumbai, of the 5 priority areas agriculture was possibly at the top, and
it was inter-twined with two other priority areas – water and energy. It must be recalled that over 60%
of water is being utilised by the agricultural sector.
The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) sees twin problems of sustainability. The first problem is that the
sown area, cultivable area and developed area is fixed; meanwhile there is continued pressure on land
for urbanisation, infrastructure development, roads, canals and the like. The second is the problem of
degradation of land, caused largely by imbalanced use of fertilisers and agricultural chemicals. Water
usage and wind play a significant contributory role in this degradation. It is currently estimated that
degraded land comprises about 120 million hectares. The challenge lies in how to control this.
The MoA has several programmes to counter these problems such as the National Rainfed Area
Development Programme and the catchment of river valley project. These two programmes are based
on hydrological units in about 60 catchment area in all the States. So far, under these programmes
which were started in the 3rd
Five Year Plan, about 20 million hectares have been treated. Despite the
fact that about 5 million hectares have been diverted from agricultural to non-agricultural use, the nett
cultivable area has remained more or less the same, thanks to these programmes.
The next question is of how to improve the productive potential of the existing cultivable land. For that,
the MoA has decided on a mission approach and has launched several missions such as the National
Food Security Mission and the National Horticultural Mission. These are missions which have fixed
targets. Most of the issues relating to sustainable agriculture, like land development, water
management, crop management, micro-irrigation and post-harvest management are also included.
States also have the flexibility to identify block-wise, district-wise and region-wise problem areas and
come up with proposals and programmes pertaining to that particular area. This is a bottom-up
approach and is matched with recent technology as recommended by the Indian Council for Agricultural
Research (ICAR).
The Ministry now intends a perspective plan for the 11th
5 Year Plan, where 32 million Ha have to be
developed. Of this, 20 million have already been covered.
The last question relates to the diversion of agricultural land for non-agricultural use, and is a difficult
one since the country’s development has to go ahead, SEZs have to be built and so on. The answer lies
in the National Farmers Policy, 2007, which emphasises that only in the case of national interest can
land be diverted from agricultural to no-agricultural use. In the event of such diversion the same or
about the same quantity of wasteland must be developed in compensation.
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The Ministry of Agriculture jointly with the Ministry of Rural Development had also initiated a National
Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy of 2007 to prevent misuse of agricultural land. For certain
reasons, this had not come into effect but the MoA is once again coming out with a national level policy
to prevent such misuse, so that the extent of cultivable land is sustained, and the fertility of the soil is
also maintained.
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Extract of Speech of Mr Amarjeet Singh, Chief Engineer, Central Electricity Authority, Ministry of Power,
Govt of India
In India, 64% of the installed capacity for power generation is based on fossil fuel; 52% is based on coal.
In terms of actual power generation, 79% is fossil fuel based. This is coupled with severe shortages
against demand. There is currently a peak shortage of 12.6% and an energy shortage of 9.8% and it is
likely that the shortage will continue.
But turning to the per capita emissions, India is much lower than the world average. Further, it has been
worked out that even with the additions in capacity planned, in 2012 the emission intensity of the
Power sector (expressed as Kg of Co2 per KWH) will be lower than it was in 2002. This is principally due
to the adoption of new technology, specifically super-critical technology for coal plants. The sub-critical
plants are also more efficient than earlier.
Different scenarios have been worked out by the CEA for capacity additions in the 12th
and 13th
Five-Year
Plans: a Business-As-Usual model, a Moderate scenario and an Optimistic scenario. The major
difference arise in the assumptions of availability of gas, generation by solar power plants and the
retirement of old and inefficient units. However, improvements in the efficiency of even the older
plants is projected.
The Ministry also has a comprehensive Low Carbon Growth Strategy. The elements of this are:
Promotion of Hydro power projects. Statutory clearances are the major cause of hold-ups and it is vital
that clearances be received by 2012 so as to achieve the 12th
Plan projections.
Promotion of Renewable Energy. This would mean a statutory requirement for purchase of Renewable
Energy by DISCOMs, termed Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPOs), permission to trade Renewable
Energy certificates and the implementation of the Solar Mission of installing 1000 MW of solar
generating plants plus another 200 MW to be generated through roof-top solar plants.
1. Promoting new gas-based plants, as the emissions intensity of these is about half that of coal.
The supply would be would be a mix of imported and indigenous with an equalised pricing
system.
2. Specifying a mandatory minimum efficiency level for new plants
3. Retirement of old and inefficient power plants to the tune of 4000 MW. Of this, plants of 1100
MW have already been retired and the balance identified, but further progress will be
dependent on the rate of commissioning of additional capacity.
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4. A program to enhance modernize and enhance the efficiency of existing plants, aided by low-
interest financing.
5. Achievement of targets for clean coal technology. By the end of the 12th
Plan, 50% of coal-based
plants would have super-critical technology and by the end of the 13th
Plan, all coal-based plants
will be super-critical.
6. It is well known that transmission and distribution losses in India are very high. A significant
reduction in these is needed to be able to meet energy shortages.
7. Implementation of the programmes launched by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, such as for
energy-efficiency of buildings, demand side management , enforcement of energy-intensity
standards in specified industries, replacement of incandescent bulbs by CFLs (700,000 bulbs to
be supplied at a nominal cost of Rs.15 each), improvement in the efficiency of agricultural
pumps and widespread adoption of energy star rating of domestic and office appliances.
The CEA has suggested several actions which are needed: the creation of indigenous manufacturing
capacity for super-critical plants, financial incentives for such plants, bulk tendering for super-critical and
ultra super-critical plants and a request that the Ministry of Environment & Forests refuses clearance
for sub-critical plants from 2012.
------------------------------------------
Extract of Speech of Dr Manoranjan Hota, Scientific Director, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt of
India.
Waste, in a sense, was sustainable production minus consumption. The management of waste
comprised different but related activities – collection, segregation, transportation, processing, recycling
and disposal. It was a collective responsibility and its framework had to be based on the 3 Rs – reduce,
recycle and re-use. Policies had to take into account both environmental concerns as well as public
health issues. The presentation would be based on the major different types of waste:
Municipal Waste: the primary responsibility for the management of Municipal Waste lay with
municipalities. What was required was a careful analysis of the cost-effectiveness of the different
methods used in waste collection and segregation, particularly since the methodologies used in India
varied widely. Practical methodologies had to be arrived at, and perhaps a regional approach needs
consideration since land for disposal is scarce.
Eight main issues could be identified, including determination of the quantum of waste and assessment
of risks to public health and the environment. Existing waste management policies and legislation
needed to be re-examined, and compliance - including penalties for violation - needed to be monitored.
Finally, there must be provision for adequate funding and manpower.
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The existing regulatory framework was based on the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling)
Rules, 2000, which clearly laid down the tasks and responsibilities involved. Nevertheless, there were
several challenges, not least of which were the problems posed by inadequate inventorization, better
systems and technology for collection, segregation, transportation and processing of waste as well as
the creation of scientifically sound landfills. Equally important was the creation of a mind-set amongst
citizens which would permit easier segregation, collection and disposal.
Plastic Waste was a highly visible problem but it had to be appreciated that 60% of plastics were in fact
recycled; there was a thriving recycling industry which created income and employment. Plastics had
several very useful attributes. The problem was not with plastics per se, but with littering. Legislation in
the form of the Recycled Plastics Manufacturing and Usage Rules, 1999 (amended in 2003) focused on
carry-bags.
One of the major problems was the absence of a proper inventory of plastic waste. Some of the larger
cities had inventorised successfully but not so in the smaller cities. Proper inventorisation would assist
in the decision-support systems and appropriate technical manuals could be prepared for different types
of plastics for the benefit of different stakeholders.
It was stressed that the responsibilities were collective: manufacturers, end-users, recyclers, municipal
and other Government authorities all had a role to play. Educational modules on the advantages and
disadvantages of different types of plastics and their safe usage and disposal were available, but the
overall awareness and educational effort needed to be intensified.
Electrical and Electronic Waste (E-waste): was becoming an ever-increasing problem. It had become
fashionable for affluent consumers to change their mobile phones every year, or to discard their flat-
screen plasma TVs very frequently. Coupled with an intrinsically high rate of product obsolescence, E-
waste was becoming the fastest growing waste component.
The existing regulatory framework is provided by the Hazardous Waste (Management, Handling and
Trans-boundary Movement) Rules 2008, in Schedule IV. These made it mandatory for recyclers to
register with the Central Pollution Control Board, and Guidelines for environmentally sound
management of E-waste have also been published. There was, however, a need for greater specificity in
regulations governing re-use, recycling and disposal of e-waste.
The key to efficient E-waste management lay in the efficient collection of the waste. Success stories
from India and abroad in e-waste processing need to be replicated, and R & D programmes on more
efficient recovery of precious and non-ferrous metals from E-waste need to be stepped up.
Bio-medical waste was an inevitable consequence of humans falling ill and requiring hospitalisation and
this waste, if not handled properly, has a serious impact on health as well as the environment. The
governing legislation is the Bio-medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998, amended in
2000 and 2003.
While there had been considerable progress in the safe handling and disposal of bio-medical waste,
strict implementation of the Rules and the registration and monitoring of Health Care Facilities is
needed, with penalties imposed for violations. Simultaneously, an awareness and educational
programme needs to be launched to educate the public.
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Several possible areas of cooperation were highlighted: a coordinated approach to legislation, with
clear allocations of responsibilities, creation of infrastructure such as common storage and disposal
facilities, capacity-building of officials at different levels of Government with public-private partnerships
being explored for building infrastructure and capacity-building. The use of economic instruments
should be further explored, and a public awareness campaign for all stakeholders was considered
necessary.
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Extract of Speech of Mr Lalit Kumar, Director, Central Water Commission, Ministry of Water Resources,
Govt of India.
The management of water resources in India is a cross-cutting issue, going across 11 central
Government Ministries and State Governments as well. The Ministry of Water Resources played the
lead role and was responsible for planning, implementation and monitoring. For the purposes of
planning, the Central Water Commission divides India in to 20 river basins. There were wide spatial and
temporal variations between them.
In terms of per capita availability, India was well below the “Water Stress” line, although above the
scarcity line. However, the data showed that there were great variations in per capita availability
between different river basins; average availability did not mean that all of India’s river basins were
capable of meeting the full requirements. The need for a balance between aggregate availability and
aggregate requirements meant that the issue of equity in access to water between different regions and
between different sections of society assumed great importance.
Since Independence, India has created a storage capacity of 225 Billion Cubic Metres (BCM) which is
very low, even when compared to countries such as South Africa and China.
In terms of demand for water, present demand is estimated at between 694 to 710 BCM, rising to
between 973 and 1180 BCM by 2050. These figures must be seen in the light of the fact that total
utilizable water resources are estimated at 1123 BCM. Irrigation is by far the greatest consumer of
water, and although in percentage terms irrigation requirements may fall from 78% to 68% between
now and 2050, in absolute terms the requirement will increase.
To address the complex issues of water management, the up-dated National Water Policy was adopted
in 2002. Water allocation priorities were:
• Drinking water
• Irrigation
• Hydro-power
• Ecology
• Industry (agricultural and non-agricultural)
• Navigation and other uses
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but the Policy permitted additions and modifications based on area or region-specific considerations.
Since irrigation was the greatest user of water, the Policy aimed at obtaining optimal productivity per
unit of water by scientific water management and improved farming technology.
The other highlights included creating additional water resource facilities, financial and physical
sustainability of existing facilities, rationalisation of water charges, greater targeting of subsidies for
water to disadvantaged sections of society, re-charging of ground water, and coordinated development
of surface and ground-water resources and their usage.
The approach route envisaged bridging the gap between availability and utilisation by supply-side
management – such as creation of surface storage capacity, renovation of old tanks and ground water
development. The gap between creation and utilisation of facilities would be bridged by appropriate
demand-side management involving improved practices in the irrigation, domestic and industrial
sectors. R & D and up-gradation of technology is also critical.
A National Water Mission has been created and this forms the core of the National Action Plan for
Climate Change. The objective of this mission is: “conservation of water, minimizing wastage and
ensuring its more equitable distribution both across and within States through integrated water
resources development and management”. Important strategies of the Mission include:
• Development of water resources information system
• Incentivizing the recycling of water including wastewater
• Providing incentives for water neutral and water positive technologies
• Issuing guidelines for different uses of water e.g. irrigation, drinking, industrial etc particularly in
context of basin wise situations
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PROCEEDINGS: DAY 2
(12th
Feb 2010)
It had been envisaged that the participants would break into 5 groups for sectoral discussions by
experts, who would select a Rapporteur to present the findings of the respective groups to the Plenary.
However, participants universally felt that they were not merely interested in their own sectors, but in
the issue, problems and resolutions in other sectors as well. The sectors were closely related to each
other from the SCP viewpoint (e.g. the issue of water was inextricably linked to both agriculture as well
as energy). It was thus decided not to split into groups but to stay on as a cohesive plenary.
It is not possible to reproduce the entire speeches of each participant in this Report, and only the salient
features have been provided below. However, the Power Point presentations made by each speaker are
included in this Report and readers may wish to refer to these.
Sustainable Agriculture: (Excerpts from Presentations)
Prof.P C Kesavan, M.S Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai.
Scepticism about the Green revolution had been voiced by Prof M S Swaminathan as far back as Jan
1968, when he pointed out that loading the soil with enormous quantities of fertilizers and chemicals
and withdrawing ground-water indiscriminately was simply not sustainable. Indigenous varieties of
wheat, in particular, had been abandoned in favour of just three “high-yielding” varieties dependent on
chemical fertilizers, high levels of irrigation and chemical pesticides. The resultant problems were
degradation of the soil, degradation of ground water quality and loss of bio-diversity.
In addition, there are social problems as well. Due to our large population, the degradation and
depletion of natural resources, livelihoods in rural areas are becoming scarce and there is migration of
young men into urban areas, becoming environmental or ecological refugees. Young women are left
behind to bear the burden of poverty in what could be called the feminization of poverty.
Compounding the problems is the issue of climate change and biodiversity-rich countries such as India
are at particular risk. A 0.5° C increase in average temperature in the North India plains could lead to a
decline in wheat production of 450 kg per Ha and for an increase of 1°C, it could be 750 kg so there is
the further problem of reduction in productivity. India has a coastline of 7680 km parts of which are at
risk of being submerged. The drying up of perennial rivers leads to over-withdrawal of ground water,
causing increased salinity in aquifers.
The problems in a country like India are not cannot be solved by adopting Western remedies such as
factory farming; we have some 700 million of our population dependent on agriculture. India’s
problems are also unlike those of sub-Saharan Africa where there is a food shortage. In India, 400
million people go to bed hungry not because there is insufficient food, but that it is not reachable or
affordable.
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In India, Prof Swaminathan has proposed the “Evergreen Revolution” which takes an integrated and
holistic approach, combining eco-technology, promoting rural eco-enterprises to generate income and
the blending of modern technology with traditional knowledge and ecological prudence of rural people.
There are several successful examples of this blend of technologies, where farmers and scientists have
been able to communicate to each other in an attempt to solve specific problems. This can also result in
non-conventional solutions to age-old problems. For instance, the post-tsunami cultivation of rice in the
Andaman Islands did not serve any purpose; instead, rearing crabs which could fetch prices ranging
from Rs.4000 to Rs.6000 for a 2.5 kg crab made much more sense. Similarly in Punjab, straw was burn
after harvest; if used for cultivation of mushrooms, this would be much more productive. Pests could
also be controlled by biological means. Minimum tilling of the land, as practiced 6 to 7 generations ago
in India, is now making a come-back in parts of Punjab. The Evergreen Revolution also envisages
integration of livestock into farm management, utilising the dung and urine of farm animals for
fertilisation.
Proper appreciation and understanding of the elements and the overall message of the Evergreen
Revolution can provide a truly sustainable model of agriculture in India.
------------------------------------------
Dr G R Dharmendar, Programme Mgr, Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, Hyderabad:
Climate change affects agriculture and agriculture affects climate change; this is a 2-way relationship.
As distinct from traditional agriculture, modern agricultural methods contribute to climate change.
Large quantities of methane and nitrous oxide are released into the atmosphere by present-day
techniques involving the extensive use of nitrogenous fertilizers, improper management of cattle
manure, bio-mass burning, rice production, mechanisation and irrigation. Agriculture is the second-
largest contributor of green-house gas (GHG) emissions; in fact in emissions of methane and nitrous
oxide which are much more potentially harmful than CO2, agriculture is the largest contributor.
Fertilizer production itself consumes 1.2% world energy and contributes to 1.2% of emissions. Chemical
fertilisers are mainly used for rice and wheat, not so much for other crops. India still imports the bulk of
its requirements with consequent concerns over food security. Further, nutrient efficiency of these
fertilizers has been steadily declining over the years with about 30-50% reaching the plant and the other
50% going into the environment. New seed technologies such as GM cotton not only require greater
fertilizer application but there are studies to show that GM cotton might constrain nitrogen availability.
Fertilizer subsidies are a huge drain on the exchequer and the irony is that these subsidies reach mainly
farmers growing paddy or wheat or commercial crops. Simultaneously, we are burning the bio-mass
residue after harvesting, a problem which is particularly severe in Punjab. Every year, we burn 38.5 lakh
tonnes of organic carbon, 59,000 tonnes of nitrogen and 34,000 tonnes of potassium.
Methods of cultivation aggravate the problems. We have now shifted from broadcasting paddy to
inundation methods, requiring large amounts of water and being anaerobic, releasing methane into the
atmosphere. This intensive irrigation then requires construction of large dams which are highly
controversial and which, instead of generating power, become nett consumers of power. Poor
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management of livestock is another complementary problem and shifting from fodder to feed adds to
emissions.
Of equal if not greater concern is the misuse of pesticides, which are hugely polluting and whose utility
rapidly declines. Unthinking mechanisation and the introduction of GM crops also pose a threat to the
environment.
While everyone talks about sustainable agriculture, there is no commonly agreed definition. We need
to align with natural cycles. Sustainable agriculture should mean an integrated farming system (with
crops, trees, livestock etc) based on locally adapted agro-diverse cropping patterns and the use of
natural resources and processes, based on local knowledge, skills and innovation. It is a fallacy that
organic or sustainable agriculture will endanger or compromise food security. In fact, productivity and
farm income both can rise, and it has the potential to both mitigate and adapt to climate change. There
are visible examples of villages and communities which have successfully shifted to sustainable farming,
and the movement is growing.
To accelerate the trend, we need to phase out meaningless subsidies and promotion of chemical
farming and unsustainable technologies. We need to capitalize on the traditional knowledge of farmers
and extend support to sustainable farming techniques. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(NREGA) may be extended to include sustainable agricultural projects., and the National Mission on
Sustainable Agriculture should take the lead.
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Mr Luc Reuter, Divn of Technology, Industry & Economics, United Nations Environment Programme
The Sweden-led Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Lifestyles, commissioned a world-wide survey of
sustainable lifestyles in 2009. Twenty countries, including India, were the subjects of the survey which
was aimed at obtaining data on the practices, views, priorities and aspirations of young people – aged
18 to 35 - in the surveyed countries.
The results were being compiled and would be available around May 2010, and this was a sort of sneak-
preview of the survey. There were about 8000 participants across 20 countries and from India, about
250 participated.
The objectives were to explore sustainability perspectives across different countries and cultures,
stimulate awareness and provide recommendations for policy-making and communications on
sustainability.
Even at the design stage, it was accepted that the results would form a generalization . There were
inherent limitations, in that the survey was to be Internet-based which meant that only those with
access to computers and the Internet could participate in the survey. Further, it was admitted that the
survey was targeting students and young adults and the grouping would probably be a reflection of the
middle and upper-income classes. But these were representatives of the “consuming classes” and thus
their selection was justifiable. Social and cultural differences between countries was of course
inevitable, but a serious attempt has been made to minimise the impact of these. The website is
www.unep/fr/gssl.
17
Perceptions were gathered on three focus areas: mobility, food and house-keeping. The survey
attempted to determine what was the respondent’s current lifestyle, what kind of lifestyle he or she
would like to lead and the link to sustainability. Nine short (1-minute) videos were shown to the
participants and they were asked to choose between two alternative scenarios. It also gathered socio-
economic data on the participants – age, gender, where they lived etc so that data could be linked and
interpreted properly. The questions did not ask for simple “Yes/No” responses; respondents were
often free to elaborate or qualify. The questions elicited the respondents’ priorities and value systems
as much as hard demographic data.
The second part of the survey focused on everyday life. There were 15 open-ended questions on young
adults’ state of mind, towards lifestyles, present and future, and respondents were able to make, free-
form answers, not select from a pre-determined list. The questions were simple – what is your current
life-style, do you live with your parents, do you use a cell-phone, do you participate in
neighbourhood/community activities ? The results from India were quite interesting. On the one hand,
respondents said that much could be done on sustainability on a neighbourhood basis; yet many said
that their neighbourhoods were not particularly interactive.
In India, the partners were Society in Action group (SAG), Venkatesh Trust and Pearl Academy. There
were 230 participants, 60% were male and 40% were female. The majority were between the ages of
18-23 and 65% lived with their parents, grandparents or relatives, something which is possibly India-
specific but which is becoming increasingly evident even in developed countries, since housing has
become so expensive that even young married couples are forced to stay with their parents. About half
the respondents lived in Delhi.
Poverty reduction was foremost on the minds of these young respondents, with 70% ranking it at the
top of global priorities. Their concerns for the future focused on the stresses of crowded, un-sanitary
and high-pressure urban life. Respondents generally did not feel adequately informed about
sustainability, and thus the main issue seems to be education, communication, awareness-raising and
advocacy.
The full results of the survey will be out soon, and Rajan Gandhi of SAG can be contacted in case of
need. If those present wished to communicate on the subject, please contact Fabienne Pierre at
[email protected] and in any case, the results will be posted on the UNEP website.
------------------------------------------
Mr Patrick Braunmuehle, Sr Adviser, GTZ ASEM Project "Consumer Protection and Sustainable
Consumption in India".
Consumers, on the one hand, are drivers of economic growth especially in India where the economy is
driven by domestic demand. But on the other hand, consumption causes problems of environmental
degradation and climate change. 25% of all greenhouse gas emissions are caused by households. Food
production alone is responsible for 1/3rd
of all greenhouse gas emissions. Meat production leads to the
problem of methane emission. India has approximately 1/5th
of the car population worldwide.
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Compared to Germany, India has 15 times the population but produces only 1/10th
of the CO2 emissions.
India’s emissions are steadily rising while Germany has, to some extent, been able to decouple rising
consumption from energy usage. Consumption levels in India are still quite sustainable. The National
Geographic Institute has an index – the Greendex – where they look at the environmental impact of
consumer behaviour. India is ranked one of the highest, along with Brazil.
But things are rapidly changing with a rapidly growing consuming class and the status quo can no longer
be maintained. To that extent, the UNEP study on sustainable lifestyles is very welcome since so far
there was little date on attitudes and mentality.
In Europe, ethical consumerism is increasingly relevant. Fair Trade sales have gone up by as much as
25% in the last 6 months. 90% of German consumers are interested in ethical consumption and 2/3rds
actually buy ethical products.
In India, the activities of the GTZ ASEM project, conducted jointly with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs,
have just started and an awareness campaign under the “Jago Grahak Jago” banner is underway. Work
is underway to produce TV spots and to link eco clubs with consumer clubs at the school level. A
sustainable shopping guide is also being produced, but what is required is product-specific information,
which can be facilitated greatly by product testing. The German Institute, Stiftung Warentest, has a
huge impact in Germany and they are conducting training courses in India on how to improve outreach
and how to integrate environmental criteria into quality assessment.
Recommendations for the revival of the Ecomark have already been made and what is perhaps needed
is an implementation workshop. The following presentation by Maren Weber presents an idea of how
consumers can get product-specific environmental and quality information.
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Ms Maren Weber, University of Witten/Herdecke, on deputation to GTZ ASEM:
To assess product sustainability, it is necessary to grasp the concept of sustainability and simultaneously
compare the products. In the Sustain Ability Check (SAC), we use the typical approach of listing the
environmental, social and economic dimensions along the whole life cycle of the product – from its
design, material extraction, production processes and packaging; then use, re-use maintenance and
disposal through landfills or through recycling.
Research reveals that from the environmental perspective, the most important topics currently are
climate change and energy consumption.. On the social side, the topics are health and education and on
the economic side, it is economic performance.
It is possible to conduct a sustainability check by posing carefully selected questions; for example, in
the food sector there could be 15 such questions. We then concentrate on the 5 most critical issues for
a certain product, and ascertain to what extent the information is credible – is it from the producer or
certified by an independent third party.
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The information could be available on a Web page that a consumer can access. The consumer can
obtain information not merely on the 5 most critical issues, but also on personalised issues – for
instance, a consumer might be more concerned about price, or animal testing or energy usage. The
profile of the sustainability checker should also be provided, the contact details given and if possible, the
checker could be named. Total transparency must be provided – e.g has the information been provided
by the producer, a supplier to the producer, an NGO etc.
Inside a retail store, the consumer will not probably have access to the Internet and another alternative
is to provide the information by SMS.
Ms Weber would welcome inputs and ideas about the practicability of the suggestion in the Indian
context.
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Mr Ashim Sanyal, COO, Consumer VOICE
Most Indians are not familiar with the meaning of sustainable consumption, and similarly, most do not
know what comparative testing of products and services means.
Comparative testing, in which VOICE is actively engaged, is a tool used worldwide to empower
consumers to make the optimum choice when buying goods and services. As distinct from many
Western countries, Indians rely heavily on persuasive advertising or the endorsement of shopkeepers
when selecting a particular product or brand. Comparative testing involves the testing of branded
goods and services to provide un-biased information on quality characteristics, the key word being un-
biased. VOICE is making an attempt, with the assistance of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and GTZ,
to popularise referral to comparative testing when making a purchasing choice.
Products subjected to comparative testing are chosen on the basis of nation-wide availability. The
products are tested to established protocols so that the results are completely un-biased. VOICE does
not accept commercial advertising in its magazine, nor does it accept any donations from producers.
The objective is to help consumers make informed buying decisions from between the number of
brands available. It draws attention to unsafe goods and to unfair trade practices. There is consequent
consumer pressure on producers to improve the quality and performance of their products. There are
known cases worldwide of manufacturers going bust because of negative reports after comparative
testing, and simultaneously the better producers have benefited greatly from favourable reports.
The results of the tests are communicated not only to consumers, but also to the Government, to
Regulatory bodies such as TRAI and CERC and to standards-setting and certification bodies such as the
BIS in order to take remedial action, since VOICE cannot take such action themselves. Comparative
testing also moderates profligate spending as a consequence of advertising, and exhorts consumers to
buy only what they really need. Consumers are advised to seek out the best value for their money,
ignoring the slick and sometimes false advertising which surrounds them.
The process of testing and communication of the test results is interactive, with manufacturers being
taken into confidence at every stage so that they have the opportunity to object or correct and cannot
state that they were not consulted. The process is very elaborate and time-consuming. There are 15
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stages in the process, and it could take anywhere between 6 to 14 months to complete the testing of a
single product.
There are only two organisations in India doing comparative testing. Credibility is vital, since it could
mean the success or failure of a product and also because Government agencies could act on the basis
of the test results. The tests are thus conducted only in NABL approved laboratories. An ombudsman is
an important and integral part of the system and Justice P N Bhagwati, retired Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court, continues to be the Ombudsman for VOICE.
VOICE is covered by insurance against libel, although it must be stated that there have been no legal suit
since 1993, when VOICE first started comparative testing. There have been challenges on each and
every test by industry , but since the process has been so transparent, it has never been necessary to go
to court.
VOICE has a long list of products it has tested and it now has the mandate to test 16 products a year,
which represents a doubling of capacity, as well as 3 services in a year. Service evaluation does not
require lab testing, and the rating is done on the basis of the consumer’s perception of quality. It is a
long and complex process, based on European methodology.
VOICE has completed the testing of 4 different sectors and the results of an evaluation of domestic
airlines will be published in April 2010.
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Mrs Mala Bannerjee, President, Federation of Consumer Associations of West Bengal
Mrs Bannerjee observed several merits and demerits of the presentations made so far but wished to
draw the attention of participants to the services offered by the Government, Of the five sectors taken
up for discussion, Ms Bannerjee proffered some alternatives.
In the field of agriculture, “zero-investment” farming which required no chemicals and fertilizers, only
the country cow and cow-dung, was the route to affordable, nutritious and safe food for consumers.
In the Energy sector, the focus should be on lower energy consumption and appliances and gadgets such
as mobile phones, TVs, refrigerators must be obliged to carry statutory certifying marks such as the ISI
mark.
On waste management, it was recognised that segregation of waste at source was the key to the
resolution of downstream problems. Yet this practice was never followed. It was essential to cultivate
this habit.
The fourth point was water. There is a need for affordable technology to convert saline water into
drinking water. Contamination of ground water has to be avoided at all costs and rain-water harvesting
needed to be strongly encouraged.
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As far as consumer demand was concerned, the socio-economic conditions prevalent in India should
guide future decisions. Consumer education, the creation of awareness in consumers about the merits
and demerits of products and usage of those products, Government intervention wherever necessary
and comparative testing schemes such as adopted by VOICE were all necessary.
Describing her own organisation, Mrs Bannerjee termed it a network of 240 organisations in most, but
not all blocks of the State aimed at protecting consumer rights. It ran perhaps India’s only NGO
operated NABL accredited laboratory for testing of food and water
------------------------------------------
Mr Sandeep Garg, Energy Economist, Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)
Mr Garg was highly appreciative of the Background Paper circulated at the Roundtable which, he said,
explained what exactly is sustainability in consumption. The portfolio of the BEE includes enabling
legislation, institutional arrangements at the Central and State level, putting in place a multi-sector
policy for energy efficiency, preparation of an energy efficiency Action Plan and being the key actor in
the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency. The BEE was setting up a public sector corporation
– Energy Efficiency Services Ltd – for leading implementation . The National Productivity Council was
conducting the independent monitoring and verification of energy savings.
The intention was clearly to assist in providing 1000 KWh per capita by the end of the 11th
5-Year Plan.
We must use energy but more efficiently. To achieve this, the BEE had 5 broad parameters: an
appliance standards and labelling programme, industrial energy benchmarks, energy conservation
building codes (ECBC), monitoring energy use in high energy consumption units and creation of energy
certifiers and auditors. Establishing public-private partnerships for delivery of energy efficient systems
was a major goal and the BEE had done considerable hand-holding with architects and builders to have
more energy-efficient buildings.
The BEE was responsible for the creation of the star rating for electrical appliances, basically a
comparative energy use label. They have done a lot of benchmarking and raised the standard from the
BIS, creating new standards in the process, e.g for colour TV sets and washing machines where no
standards existed. This activity propels the shift towards greater energy efficiency, with the BIS
standard – where it exists – serving as the base from which improvements have to be made.
There is a need for greater definition of standards as well as up-grading of standards. In the context of
creating legislation for energy efficiency, Indian attitudes and compliance levels are very different from
those of the US and Europe – we ask many questions before implementing, seeking to arrive at a
balance. Taking the example of electric pumps, Mr Garg said that there was a myth that SSI
manufacturers of pumps were inefficient. This was found to be incorrect, and creating the proper
certification and labelling standards would serve to demonstrate this. There is, additionally, a need to
harmonise Indian product certification with international certification.
Displaying a list of products which the BEE were targeting, Mr Garg stated that perhaps in the next
fortnight, a label for washing machines would be announced. The label would be based not only on
energy consumption but also on water usage per cycle, a true sustainability label.
22
Other products in the pipeline included computer monitors, laptops, electronic ballasts, set-top boxes –
many of which were in stand-by mode most of the time. Just talking about energy star ratings for such
equipment had resulted in manufacturers voluntarily improving energy efficiency. Still more products
were under consideration such as mobile phone chargers, diesel generating sets, boilers, compressors,
water coolers, visi-coolers, chest coolers and passenger cars.
There were some common misconceptions about many products , for example agricultural pump-sets
where contrary to popular belief, large areas of the country (e.g. in Maharashtra) were switching over to
4 and 5 star pump-sets. There were controversial products such as CFLs where the concern was now
on mercury content; the BEE was providing inputs to the Ministry of Environment & Forests in such
cases.
On demand-side management, by comparing actual sales of 1-star rated products with those of 5-star
rated products, it could be calculated that 2127 MW had been saved from the use of more energy
efficient appliances.
In terms of policy interventions, BEE was targeting designated consumers such as industrial units which
were required to file energy consumption information on a regular basis. Despite initial resistance, BEE
had been able to influence purchasing by the DGS&D and by large Government users. For example, the
DGS&D has made it mandatory to procure only 3-star rated electrical geysers and 5-star rated ceiling
fans. State Governments procure a large number of distribution transformers – about 3 lakhs – and all
utilities are required to buy transformers of 3-star rating and above. The energy star rating and
implementation mechanism has been so successful that it has attracted imitation from countries in
Europe and Australia.
The approach of the National Enhanced Efficiency Mission – about to be launched - is to promote
development while addressing the issue of climate change and bearing in mind the four E’s – energy,
efficiency, equity and environment.
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Dr V K Sehgal, Jt Director, Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA)
The PCRA had its origins in the Petroleum Conservation Action Group, set up after the oil crisis of the
1970s. The PCRA was formed in 1978 and now has a presence in all 4 Metros and the States, with 22
offices. Its personnel are mainly drawn on deputation from the oil industry PSUs. The head of its
Governing Body is the Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
The PCRA has wide-ranging activities. Field activities address the Transport, Industry, Commercial,
Agricultural and Domestic sectors. The PCRA also works on educational campaigns, training and
networking and R & D activities in the areas of bio-fuels, additives and energy-efficient products and
processes. For the transport sector, PCRA conducts driver training programmes in State Transport
undertakings to conserve fuel. In the area of educational campaigns, it attempts to create awareness
and sensitivity amongst school-going children. In the agricultural sector, it focuses on lift irrigation
pumps and participates in events such as kisan melas (farmers’ fairs) to promote energy efficient pumps.
23
It assists industry by conducting energy audits and provides advice on energy-efficient, green
commercial and domestic buildings.
In its outreach efforts, it uses a wide range of media such as TV spots, radio jingles and programmes,
print media, outdoor advertising, participation in exhibitions and through the Internet on its Website.
The PCRA has a major R & D programme (see presentation) and its strategies centre around:
� A massive National awareness campaign
� Bringing about Energy efficiency in premier organizations in the country
� Focus on Transport sector – consuming 50% of POL
� Making large industrial clusters energy efficient
� Involving a large number of institutions for promoting active research in conservation
technologies
� A major thrust on Bio-fuels promoting them as alternatives
� Networking with international conservation agencies along with national associations like CII,
TERI, FICCI etc.
The first phase of the successful PCRA awareness campaign is over and the second phase, consisting of
conventional awareness raising combined with special activities (brand ambassador, involvement of
youth and women’s groups and inclusion of energy-efficiency in textbooks, started in Jan 2010.
For energy audits, the PCRA targets high visibility and high consumption clients. The aim is to publicise
the consequent savings widely so as to have a snow-balling effect. The PCRA is actively engaged in
developing standards and labelling of fuel-efficient vehicles in India since more and more buyers are
concerned with fuel efficiency and vehicular pollution.
The PCRA networks throughout India and abroad with like-minded organisations, and has signed MOUs
with the BEE, GTZ, ECC Japan as well as with Indian Industry Chambers for information sharing and
learning.
Amongst other targets, PCRA will investigate saving over 10 MMT/annum by using gas to fire refineries,
establish a National Carbon Trading desk, leverage taxes for promoting energy efficiency in the transport
sector and help industry to become more competitive by reducing energy consumption through regular
energy audits. It was also possible to promote products which would help the domestic sector to
achieve savings in energy consumption.
------------------------------------------
Dr S P Chandak, Dy Director, International Environmental Technology Centre, DTIE, UNEP.
It is clear that the per capita increase in waste generation is linked more to increase in GDP than to
increases in population. In other words, the richer we get, the more we tend to waste and the richer the
country, the greater the per capita waste generation. But the problem is not only one of quantity of
waste, it is also one of waste composition.
24
Waste composition differs from low income to middle income to high income countries. Low income
countries could have as much as 60-70% organic waste, whereas in high income countries, this could be
as low as 33%. The disposal of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) also differs between rich and poor
countries. In Asia and Africa, over half the waste is disposed in open dumps whereas in the more
developed counties, most is disposed in sanitary landfills.
What we are seeing today is merely the tip of the iceberg. We do not see the impact on future
generations. Sustainable development means that waste management has to be tackled today if we
are to protect the interests of future generations.
In a lighter vein, Dr Chandak went through some of the perceptions on MSW: From the individual’s
point of view, the acronym applicable as NIMBY – Not In My Back Yard. From the politician’s viewpoint
is was NIMET – Not In My Elected Term. From the perspective of self-styled “activist” NGOs (not invited
to this Conference), the acronym BANANA applies – Build Absolutely Nothing Anytime Near Anybody.
From Industry’s point of view, the acronym was CATNAP – Cheapest Available Technology Narrowly
Avoiding Prosecution.
But the challenges had to be met and we have to devise ways of meeting the challenges. UNEP’s
approach was to go for Integrated Solid Waste Management Plans. These integrated the problem of
disposal with other related and causal issues – such as collection, segregation, transportation etc. Quite
often there are different agencies which handle different forms of waste, such as hazardous or bio-
medical or e-waste. UNEP advocated a strategic approach which considered waste from all sources and
viewed it from all aspects. Waste was not to be seen as a problem, but also as an opportunity. Further,
unless all stakeholders were involved in the plan, it was not possible to arrive at an optimum solution.
An integrated Solid waste Management Plan comprised policies and regulatory measures, technologies
required to implement the plan and voluntary measures needed to support it. Further, concrete data on
waste characterization and quantification of existing and future waste generation was vital to the plan.
It should be remembered that a waste management systems envisaged a life-span of 20 – 50 years. The
concerns of stakeholders also had to be built into the plan.
In any project that UNEP undertakes, it spends up to 6 months gathering the required information.
UNEP also studies the prevailing management system, however primitive it might be, looking for the
gaps that exist in the prevailing system.
UNEP believes that seeing is believing and has undertaken several demonstration projects. Its
experience in these has been that in the demonstration projects, 60-70% of the waste can be diverted
from landfills – in other words, the life of an existing landfill could be extended by 3-5 times. Guidelines
are available on the UNEP Website and are freely downloadable.
The issues in waste management can broadly be divided into 2 categories. In the first category are the
issues of the waste management chain: source segregation or its absence, treatment and disposal of
MSW (generally MSW is not treated) and the slow progress in the shift to sanitary landfills.
The second is the action category: the need for time-bound targets, a re-orientation from discharge-end
control policies to policies based on the source-end. The environment is not affected merely by what is
discharged; it is also affected by what is being used in the first place. For technology, there has to be a
25
specific need assessment of what is required and what can be developed in-house. Financing issues also
fall into this category – the need to consider special funding mechanisms or incentives for clean and
efficient technology. Finally, there are the issues of stakeholder awareness, engagement and
transparency.
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Mr Amit Jain, Mg Director, IRG Systems South Asia Pvt Ltd
RG Systems was a subsidiary of the International Resources Group, USA, and provided technical
assistance in environment, energy, natural resources, water resources, and disaster relief &
reconstruction in the region. It had extensive experience in India and the region.
As far as E-waste was concerned, the first milestone came in 2003 when e-waste was flagged and a pilot
study conducted. A need was felt for inventorization and to find out what needed to be done – a road
map was created. Subsequently, studies revealed that the national inventory of e-waste was about
146,000 tonnes in 2005, rising to about 400,000 tonnes in 2010-11
Since 2004 when the magnitude of the problem was realized, India had conducted several awareness
and technical capacity-building workshops all over the country and Mr Jain was aware of several
excellent initiatives in Bangalore and Delhi.
An ELCINA (Electronic Industries Association) report threw light on consumer attitudes towards e-
waste. It found that 65% of individuals were most interested in the price they obtained from discarded
e-waste; only 2% were concerned about the environmental impact. Even for the corporate sector, 60%
looked for value considerations when disposing old computers and only 6% disposed them in an
environmentally friendly manner. As much as 11% enters the waste stream through scrap dealers.
E-waste has different characteristics from Municipal Solid Waste or Hazardous Waste and has to be
treated differently. The recycling industry is organized into paper, plastic, ferrous and non ferrous
sectors, and meets 40% to 50% of the total demand of metals, plastic and paper in the country. Yet
most of the recycling industry is in the unorganized sector which plays little attention to pollution
control. The prevailing Indian E-waste business model has emerged as a natural branch of the scrap
industry which accepts waste from many diverse sources. The scrap metal industry absorbs the new E-
waste stream to recover metals.
In the future, computers, cellular phones, refrigerators and washing machines are likely to drive the
future growth of the recycling industry in India, with recovery of plastics and metals being the major
Intent. Due to low costs, the informal sector is likely to continue playing a major role.
Major challenges include i) implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility regulations, ii)
channelization of the material, iii) integration of formal and informal sectors of the recycling industry, iv)
inexpensive and appropriate local solutions for dismantling and recycling, v) environmentally conscious
product and process design, vi) testing techniques for e-waste and vii) toxicological studies for e-waste.
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Ms Shyamala Menon, ,Programme Director, Centre for Environment Education
About 45% of India’s land area is considered degraded; not necessarily polluted but also degraded due
to factors such as soil erosion, and this highlights the magnitude of the problem.
The small and medium sector of industry (SMEs) account for about 65% of the total industrial pollution
in the country. Tanneries and other industries using chromium-based chemicals, pesticide formulators
and indiscriminate use of pesticides all contribute to pollution. There are a range of problems
associated with the disposal of “muck” and it is often difficult to scale up from demonstration projects
to large scale adoption. Even when technology is available from overseas, the problems are not
articulated properly with the result that the wrong technology is used.
The European Union and Japan have evolved very good technologies involving bio- and phyto-
remediation. They also have very good policies and good decision support systems to complement
their technology. India needs to develop such tools adapted to the industrial sector, scale of the
industry, local climatic conditions, and cost effectiveness, in order to recommend cost effective
strategies for remediation of contaminated sites and/or to mitigate further contamination. Information,
expertise and experiences can be shared with such countries.
Several points can be raised for debate and discussion. First, the recognition that land and water
contamination are different. Secondly, the minimization of waste – if necessary by raw material
substitution - and the required incentives for this. Legislation and punitive action against defaulters is
another point for consideration and public-private partnerships could facilitate the sharing of good
experiences, but need to be properly articulated. It is also essential that a multi-stakeholder approach
be adopted.
Proper articulation should also determine the kind of technology to be imported. Considerations of
Intellectual Property Rights frequently interfere in the import of technology; establishment of at least
one demonstration project and a degree of flexibility to permit adaptation and modification is essential
for imported technology. A green rating programme for industries, such as followed in Japan, would
also be worth considering.
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Mr C M Pandit, Chief Engineer, National Water Academy, Pune
Mr Pandit stated at the outset that he would be speaking as an individual, not on behalf of the Ministry
of Water Resources or the Central Water Commission.
Whenever Sustainable Development is talked about, the focus had always been on quantity – the need
to preserve natural resources for future generations. In the West, the U.K. has candidly admitted that
they are not even meeting the needs of the present, let alone future generations, and developed
countries seem to be taking the view that having consumed in a profligate manner, the developing
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world had better not follow suit since it would end up depleting resources and causing pollution even
further.
No one now talks about the original (Brundtland Commission) definition of sustainable development –
except in India. An improvement in lifestyles with consequent depletion of some resources is essential
for a country like India, but there has to be a delicate balance maintained between growth,
preservation of natural resources and ecosystems and social concerns.
Water is a renewable resource and thus quite unlike petroleum. In Nature water is dynamic – if water
falling on the earth is unused, it will simply flow away into the oceans unlike petroleum which will stay
put. The real question, especially when may river basins are already water-stressed, is how to meet the
needs of present generations.
The main concern should be quality, not quantity. Having plenty of dirty and contaminated water will
be of no use to anybody. This accounts for the paradox of people buying bottled water when there is
plenty of water coming from the taps. The tap water is simply not usable because of poor quality.
There is increasing awareness of the long-standing problem of river water pollution. But rivers are
flushed out every once a year with the Monsoons. There are many rivers with reservoirs, such as the
Krishna, Godavari and Mahanadi and the pollution of reservoirs is a much more serious problem, since
they do not get flushed out and thus pollutants accumulate in the reservoirs. Some reservoirs may get
flushed out but certainly, there is no way of flushing out aquifers and this is the most serious of the
water pollution problems.
There were, therefore, two main suggestions:
• The primary concern for water should be quality, not quantity
• For preserving water quality, emphasis must shift from removing pollutants from waste water to
reducing the use of polluting agents in the first place. In reality this means making a paradigm
shift.
There is a common misconception that water quality in rivers can be improved by increasing the flow
but this is not correct. In a water-stressed are, dilution – with perhaps equally contaminated water –
cannot be a solution and it is now universally accepted that dilution will not have any significant impact
on water quality.
Most hotels now say they change the linen every 3 days to conserve water; yet they change the cake of
soap after a single day’s use. This soap enters a landfill and ultimately the hydrological cycle adding to
the problem of unusable water. Similarly mass awareness campaigns focus on conserving water through
various means – rarely do we find that reduced consumption of soaps, detergents, floor cleaners,
pesticides etc is advocated in order to preserve water quality.
Just as there is a carbon footprint or an ecological footprint, there should be a water contamination
footprint. This would assist in changing the focus from quantity to quality.
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Mr M Gopalakrishnan, Secretary General, International Commission on Water and Drainage:
In relation to the Agricultural sector, water quantity does matter. The optimum scenario would be the
provision of adequate quantity of good quality water and this is particularly important in view of India’s
increasing population which will level off perhaps by 2050. Projections show an increase in water usage
between the present and 2050 in all sectors – irrigation, domestic use, industry, energy production and
others.
Thus maximizing water usage efficiency becomes a critical issue. In the National Water Mission, an
increase of 20% in water usage efficiency is envisaged. Funds will be allocated for this purpose but
efficiency improvements have to be very carefully planned to avoid wastage and negative results.
Just as in energy, there are “transmission losses” in the case of water due to seepage and evaporation,
and there is considerable scope for reducing these losses. For irrigation use, the very concept of
efficiency is dependent on the scale – whether the perspective is for a farm or a river basin or the
system as a whole. It is desirable to enhance beneficial water use and reduce non-beneficial usage. In
any event, some circumspection is needed when formulating actions.
For instance for the small farmer, it is hard to sell the concept of higher water efficiency. Water
productivity may be in increased by improving agronomic practices, not necessarily by decreasing water
use. The limiting factor for the small farmer is land, not water use and thus priorities should not be
misguided.
The concept of beneficial and non-beneficial water use is applicable to irrigation as well as to non-
agricultural use, the priority in both cases being to reduce non-beneficial use as caused for example, by
evaporation, seepage and run-off. It is desirable to identify the pathways for improved water use.
Efficient water use means the maximization of beneficial water use, minimization of non-beneficial
water use, control of water losses and increased water productivity.
For efficiency improvement at the national level, it would be better to look at a river basin as a whole.
Closed basins are critical and need prioritising, since investments there can produce results which more
than commensurate. Other ICDP studies have also indicated the need for integrating surface and
ground water uses, looking at land and water utilisation as a whole and consultation with concerned
stakeholders so as to involve them.
The conclusions are that sustainable water use has to be looked at in a holistic sense with considerations
of both quantity and quality. The basic unit for action should be the river basin. Unregulated ground
water withdrawal and usage as well as avoidable diversion of surface water lead to un-sustainability.
Efficient use of water is a major priority and in the future, re-use of water will play a dominant role.
As far as recommendations for the CSD meeting are concerned, the acquisition of appropriate and
inexpensive technologies for water supply and sanitation, treatment of sewage to produce reusable
water and mechanised irrigation could be taken up for consideration.
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Mr Suresh Babu S V, Programme Manager, ARGHYAM, Bangalore :
ARGHYAM is a relatively new NGO working in the field of water and sanitation, particularly in rural
areas. Established in 2005, it works in 15 States throughout India, partnering with NGOs mainly but it
also works with the Governments of Kerala, Karnataka and Gujarat.
From their perspective Water and Sanitation has 6 major challenges: uncertainty of the water source
and supply, conflicting demands, rapid urbanisation, assuring equitable access, problems of waste
disposal and pollution, knowledge and capacity gaps which are increasingly becoming more important
and finally, weaknesses in governance. There are legal, social, environmental, technical, financial and
institutional pressures bearing down on these 6 challenges.
Arghyam believes in an integrated water management approach involving water sources, water supply,
water usage, sanitation and wastewater management are treated holistically. The emphasis is on
governance issues – whether social, financial or institutional – which affect the entire approach.
Without good governance, the whole system collapses.
Field experience indicates that there are several pillars of sustainability. The first is the social aspect.
Real life experience indicates that although lip service is paid to a bottom-up approach, the reality is that
top-down methods generally apply. Arghyam conducted a survey of 17,000 household in Karnataka and
obtained some amazing insights on how programmes are performing.
For instance under the Rajiv Gandhi Drinking Water Mission, field water-testing kits were to be supplied
to all gram panchayats. Their survey revealed that only 50% had actually received the kits, and 42%
never used them. Social audits are thus a key component of this pillar. Another is affordability and
equity in water use.
The technical pillar is frequently area or region-specific. The institutional pillar is often weak; there are
many disablers at work and Panchayati Raj Institutions are prevented from discharging their
responsibilities. In the financial area, Arghyam has found that many first-generation programmes are in
disuse for want of funds to support and maintain them.
Legal issue are commonplace. For example, a village in the dry Kutch area of Gujarat had done a lot of
work on ground-water re-charging only to find a factory coming up in the outskirts which was over-
drawing ground water. There is no legal remedy to this sort of instance. The environmental pillar has
till recently not focused adequately on water quality, and we are still struggling with the issue of what to
do with waste water.
Arghyam does not believe in imposing itself on communities but allows them to make their own choices
while maintaining the principles of equity, environmental safety and sustainability.
There are certain visual indicators that Arghyam subscribes to, prime amongst them being water
availability to all, irrespective of ability to pay. On issues such as distance of the water source, it is
better that communities make their own decisions based on local conditions. Water quality and
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acceptability is also best decided by the community, rather than mandated, within overall bacterial and
chemical safety limits. Similarly water tariffs are also best decided by the community, ensuring that
everyone has access to water.
Another indicator in the sanitation area is the shift away from open defecation to the use of toilets – a
difficult task, since villagers are not used to closed toilets. In Tamil Nadu, in the first year only 30% could
be persuaded to change and it is estimated that full conversion will take 3-5 years.
Building up the capacity of gram panchayats is a key to sustainable water management. Similarly, it is
often necessary to train a local “barefoot” engineer and equip him or her with not only technical but
also social, managerial and financial skills.
In summary, there is a need for a structured approach to participatory planning and monitoring for
integrated water management.. One size does not fit all – local adaptation is necessary. Behaviour
change is critical. Local capacity building, with a focus on youth and women, is needed for ensuring
delivery. Institutionalising citizens’ surveys as a means of monitoring, ensuring transparency and
accountability is recommended.
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Mr Rana Chatterjee, Chief Engineer, Central Ground Water Board
Mr Chatterjee wished to share some of the thought processes of the Central Ground Water Board.
Ground water is available, but not necessarily at the places where it is most needed. It is receding fast
but in a pattern.
In North-West India, i.e. in Punjab and Haryana, water withdrawal is high due to agricultural activity but
its re-charge is also high. In Western India – Gujarat and Rajasthan – ground water withdrawal is high
but not met with similar re-charge, leading to depletion. In Peninsular India, the prevalence of ground
water is in specific areas, not uniform throughout and overall, withdrawal is not compensated by
adequate re-charge so there is depletion. In the East, aquifers carry plenty of water and due to socio-
economic conditions, withdrawal is not very high.
Thus one solution lies in locating water-intensive industries in areas where ground-water availability is
high and transporting the produced commodity.
A high level Committee on Ownership and Management of Ground Water had been constituted. Under
the Chairmanship of Dr Kirit Parikh of the Planning Commission, it included professionals,
representatives from NGOs and farmers associations and academics. It had examined management
practices in India and abroad and looked at the issue from the demand and supply side. It came to the
conclusion that certain aquifers need to be developed. But there were certain considerations.
The first of these was the interaction between ground water and surface water. The relationship was
intricate and it had to be assured that otherwise pristine groundwater would not be contaminated by
polluted surface water.
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The second recommendation was that ground water for irrigation was to be available for a limited
period in a day – around 8 hours – and would be metered. Thus although water withdrawal was not
priced, the energy consumed carried a price. However, water for drinking and sanitation was to be
made available 24 x 7.
The third conclusion was regulation of ground water withdrawal. However, according to the census of
2003-04, there are 19 million irrigation wells already throughout India, almost all of which are privately
owned, and there is a limit to the role that the Government can play; at best the Government can act as
facilitators for existing wells and regulate the creation of new wells.
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Concluding Remarks: Mr S P Chandak, UNEP:
Three words described Mr Chandak’s opinion of the Roundtable: “I am delighted”. He was delighted at
the organisation, at the selection of such erudite speakers, the focus and most of all by the rich
discussions which followed the speeches and presentations. He only wished there had been time to
synthesize and synergise the 5 areas which were discussed.
India has very little time – because of its population, size, growth and many factors. Participants at the
Roundtable had come up with very important suggestions. It should now be the collective effort of all to
help the Government convert the recommendations into physical actions so that the Government could
go to the CSD with a 2-page list of actions recommended and actions taken.
Mr Chandak expressed grateful thanks to the MoEF, to the European Commission, to SAG and most of
all to the participants for a very lively and intellectually stimulating conference.
Concluding Remarks: Mr Hem Pande, Jt Secretary, MoEF
It was evident from the presence of so many participants even at the end of the second day that the
Roundtable had been truly stimulating and Mr Pande regretted that he had not been there throughout.
He was particularly gratified to see that there were senior representatives from all the relevant Central
Government Ministries and that the major NGOs such as Arghyam, CEE, Consumer VOICE, Development
Alternatives, and Toxics Link had been there along with international bodies such as GTZ.
He apologised that some of the speakers had been notified too late. Every effort had been taken to
deliver the invitations well in time and perhaps for the 4th
Roundtable, he would ask for a nodal officer
in each Ministry so that communications would be quicker.
He thanked the participants, the speakers and in particular the European Commission, UNEP and SAG