Introduction

Climate change is a global concern today, and the role of international cooperation and partnerships cannot be underlined more in combating the many challenges posed by climate change.

India and Germany have enjoyed a very successful, high-level dialogue in the field of environment, climate change, and sustainability. Over the years, strong importance has been accorded to the dialogue and the two sides have deepened ties on matters related to energy, security, and sustainability.

The two countries have maintained joint progress in addressing challenges related to climate change and signed the Joint Declaration of Intent launching the Indo-German Partnership for Green and Sustainable Development on May 2, 2022. As both sides share the common goal of decarbonizing their economies, the two also established the Green Hydrogen Task Force to strengthen mutual cooperation in this field, under the partnership agreement. In 2019, the joint declaration of intent on Green Urban Mobility Partnership was also signed between the two sides.

While significant progress has been achieved by both countries in the field of sustainability, more can be done, and cooperation can be further accelerated to achieve the shared objectives of the climate change agenda.

Given this backdrop, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the India Office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) jointly organized the webinar on “India and Germany: Striding towards Sustainability” on 15 September 2022, to explore avenues of further cooperation between the two countries in the face of climate change.

Key Takeaways

• Over time, strong cooperation has been accorded to the dialogue between India and Germany on energy security and sustainability. Experts from both sides have come together to provide common solutions to global problems.
• Germany and India have signed bilateral cooperation in the field of green energy and for a greener future, both sides announced their intent on cooperation on Green Urban Mobility in 2019.
• Given the current challenges of climate change and sustainability, thoughts and content must be put into action for even stronger cooperation between India and Germany.
• Large cooperations and partnerships and evolved programmes are required that can have significant impact on combating climate change.
• Increase in global warming and its impact on CO2 emissions have gone up significantly over the last few years, which needs to be urgently addressed.
• Increasing global population pressure will put a lot of stress on cities and tackling solid waste will be a serious challenge.
• A common goal between India and Germany is to increase renewable energy in India with the help of new and advanced technologies. Disseminating information and learnings through joint programmes is also a key area in this regard.
• Technology sharing in the fields of Green Hydrogen and E-mobility between
• Germany and India are potential areas of strong cooperation.
• Key focus areas for achieving sustainability are – reducing carbon footprint; reducing freshwater consumption; waste utilization; adopting new technologies; and tackling loss of biodiversity.

Suggestions

• Investments and access to financing are key to increase the availability of renewable energy.
• Reducing carbon footprint and a strategy on decarbonization is critical for combating climate change.
• An economic model needs to be designed to address sustainability challenges, that uses less energy, less resources, less manpower, etc. and makes business operations more efficient and economical.
• Recycling of concrete materials is required to be encouraged, which is important in the circular economy context.
• There is a need to integrate the sustainable development concept with new technologies and sustainable design projects. More partnerships are required in this regard.
• Reducing carbon footprint; reducing freshwater consumption; waste utilization; adopting new technologies; and tackling loss of biodiversity are some key focus areas to achieve sustainability.
• Partnerships with different stakeholders from different parts of the world are required for creating innovative solutions through sharing of experiences and opportunities.

Dr. Adrian Haack

Director - India Office, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V.

Dr. disc. pol. Adrian Haack is Director of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) in New Delhi.

Dr. Haack studied political science in Hanover and Warsaw and received his doctorate from University of Göttingen. He was supported by a scholarship and published a book on the European Union.

Dr. Haack has served in a battle tank unit in the First Division and is an officer in the Navy reserve forces. In the CDU, Dr. Haack was involved since the age of seventeen. In CDU‘s youth branch and the party itself, he held numerous positions: He was the youngest member of the CDU executive board at state level and election candidate in 2021. Since 2015 he worked for the parliamentary group in the fields of free trade and security policy. Most recently, he headed the CDU General Secretary‘s Bundestag staff for three years.

Opening Remarks by Dr. Adrian Haack

Opening the discussion, Dr. Adrian Haack mentioned that given the current global context and recent events such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, issues of sustainability and reliable sources of energy have come into sharp focus. The Russia- Ukraine war has highlighted that Green Energy is not only a contribution against climate change, but also a contribution to security, Dr. Haack noted.

Observing that Germany and India have enjoyed a very successful high-level dialogue over the years and maintained joint progress in the field of sustainability, Dr. Haack mentioned the various steps taken by both sides to enhance cooperation in the field further. These include the recent signing of the bilateral cooperation agreement between India and Germany in the field of green energy and the establishment of the Green Hydrogen Task Force in May 2022.

Highlighting that Indo-German cooperation in the field of sustainability goes back a long way, Dr. Haack mentioned the declaration of intent of cooperation on Green Urban Mobility that was signed by the two sides in 2019 and the establishment of the Indo-German Energy Forum back in 2006. He further added that the dialogue between the two sides on matters related to energy, security and sustainability has benefitted from receiving support from the highest levels of governments.

Dr. Haack emphasized that partnerships such as the Indo-German Energy Forum are very good examples of what the two sides can achieve when experts from both countries and from all over the world come together and try to find common solutions for global problems. He also underlined the importance of investments and access to financing as key to increase the availability of renewable energy.

Given that the world is facing serious challenges from climate change and sustainability, it is critical to put thoughts and intent into action, and as many prospects exist between India and Germany in the field of Green Energy, cooperation between the two sides must be intensified, noted Dr. Haack.

Mr. Pradeep Banerjee

Partner, Pradeep Banerjee Associates LLP

Unilever is the first company Pradeep joined after graduating as a Chemical Engineer from IIT Delhi. In almost four decades of association with Unilever, he worked in India, London, Nepal, and Singapore. He has done Business roles, Marketing, R&D, Manufacturing, Procurement, Logistics and Customer Service.

In April 2010, he moved back from Singapore to become the Executive Director on the Board of Unilever in India (HUL) and Vice President for Supply Chain for Unilever in South Asia (India, Pakistan Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal). After being on the Board for almost a decade, he superannuated in Dec 2019. During this period, HUL delivered over 10% CAGR growth and is now amongst the most valuable companies in India. During this period, he was also the Chairman of the JV of HUL in Nepal.

Prior to coming onto the Board of HUL, he worked extensively in Global Procurement in Singapore, Global Supply Chain in London, was the Managing Director of a JV in Nepal, led the Oral Care Business in India, innovations in the Personal Care business in India, led large manufacturing operations etc. He is a passionate believer in Technology and Digital opportunities and has led several transformations during his career. He is passionate about Sustainability and its strategic importance to the growth and financial performance of organizations.

Currently, he is a Senior Advisor to BCG, Independent Director on few Boards e.g., Gabriel, Chambal fertilizers, Whirlpool India, Jubilant Ingrevia, Stellar Value Chain and Parksons Packaging and Biba Fashion (the last three being Warburg Pincus investments) and is advising three interesting Tech Start-ups in the areas of Blockchain, Logistics and GTM Operation platforms.

Address by the Session Chair, Mr. Pradeep Banerjee

Positive, definitive, and effective steps are required to combat issues of climate change, which are critical for future generations, noted Mr. Pradeep Banerjee while chairing the session.

Mr. Banerjee observed that leadership changes over the past decade have expanded the vision of what a business should be and how it should operate. A very strong case for business sustainability exists, he added. India with its huge demographic dividend, the technical and digital progress it has achieved over the years, and its sheer ambition of becoming a significantly large economy, cannot afford to replicate the model of the evolved West in terms of consumption of energy and resources, he emphasized.

Mr. Banerjee also underlined the importance of large cooperations, partnerships and evolved programmes in combating the ongoing climate crisis in both the global and the Indian context.

It is also important to decide on the key planks of India’s climate action programme, Mr. Banerjee stressed further. At the same time, there is an urgent need to come up with a significant programme that takes into consideration all the value chains of the economy to enable the smooth transition to a net zero economy, where production processes are more economical and efficient, he noted.

Observing that it is very difficult to change consumer habits, Mr. Banerjee highlighted the importance of creating a business case for sustainability and figuring out a way of doing it though a model that is much more economical and incorporates less energy, less resources, and less manpower to make business operations more efficient. He also underscored the critical role of partnerships and large cooperations in this context.

Mr. Anup Mathew

Business Head - Construction Division, Godrej and Boyce

Anup Mathew heads Godrej Construction, one of the 14 Business Units of Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Co. Ltd. Established in 1897, Godrej & Boyce (G&B) is the flagship company of the Godrej Group of Companies.

Anup has over three decades of work experience in the Construction and Real Estate sector. As the Head of Godrej Construction, he is responsible for the Construction & Real Estate Business of G&B. He helps the organisation conceptualize, plan, develop and maintain several million sq. ft. of real estate assets and allied built environment in various locations across India.

Anup is also responsible for managing the vast portfolio of Corporate Real Estate Assets of the organization. He is committed to the cause of promoting productivity improvement, and sustainable development practices in the Construction & Real Estate Sector.

He is a Civil Engineer with Post-Graduation in Construction Management. In the year 2012, Anup was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship. He completed his Fulbright Program from The Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. He also holds a Diploma from the Swedish Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.

Mr. Mathew is the Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Institute for Lean Construction Excellence (ILCE), India. He is also Chairman of the IGBC Net Zero Waste Committee.

Keynote Address by Mr. Anup Mathew

In his address, Mr. Anup Mathew highlighted how the Increase in global warming and its impact on CO2 emissions have gone up significantly over the last few years and the fact that it needs to be addressed urgently. He emphasized that greenhouse gases are not limited to the boundaries of a single nation and is a collective problem that must be resolved through collective efforts.

A growing phenomenon today is the mega trend of urbanization. With global population estimated at 8.5 billion by the end of 2030, increasing population pressure will put a lot of strain across cities, Mr. Mathew noted. With more than 3.5 billion metric tonnes of solid waste generated every year, tackling solid waste is a growing concern across the globe that requires urgent solutions, he emphasized.

Mr. Mathew stated that India has a large footprint when it comes to extractive materials. For example, construction and demolition waste are a significant part (20-25%) of total solid waste, of which concrete is a significant component. Thus, conscious and significant efforts must be undertaken to reduce the raw material consumption of construction material, suggested Mr. Mathew.

Stressing that only 1% of construction and demolition waste is recycled in India, a significant gap exists in how construction waste is currently being dealt with in India, stated Mr. Mathew. In this context, he also mentioned that while the Government has put in place necessary rules, regulations and acts, significant improvement is required in terms of effective implementation of these.

Mr. Mathew also stressed on the importance of reducing the impact of concrete on the planet through effective action. Recycling of concrete materials requires to be encouraged, which is important in a circular economy context, he noted.

There is a need to integrate sustainable development concepts with new technologies and sustainable design projects, Mr. Mathew observed. He highlighted the importance of greater partnerships and the participation of stakeholders from all sectors to promote sustainability in this regard.

While there are many sustainable technologies that can be deployed, codal provisions need to be modified to accommodate some of these changes, Mr. Mathew stated. Emphasizing that ‘Recover, Recycle and Rebuild’ is the way forward, he also highlighted the need for a broader prospective from greater interactions with regions including Europe and America as well as other countries of the world.

Mr. Uwe Gehlen

Head of Division, Economic Cooperation & Development, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, New Delhi

Mr. Uwe Gehlen has served as the Head of the German Development Cooperation in Egypt and First Counsellor at the Embassy of the Federal German Republic in Egypt. Currently, he serves as Head of Division, Economic Cooperation & Development, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, New Delhi

Special Address by Mr. Uwe Gehlen

In his special address, Mr. Uwe Gehlen stated that the issue of climate change is often driven by fear. Instead, one must take advantage of the various opportunities the current setting provides, he noted.

Mr. Gehlen observed that the structural shifts within humanity and economic development are always related to certain challenges and sometimes shocks. Therefore, it is not a question of changing consumer habits per se, but a question of whether we are able to put the necessary incentive structure, or the framework required to change the consumer behaviour and keep pace with the changing structural shifts. This was evident with the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, where people did shift behaviours and habits, he noted.

Mr. Gehlen mentioned that the roles played by Germany and India in the upcoming G20 presidency in India would be critical, and further negotiations must be carried out to come up with solutions that can address the current challenges in a different way.

Mr. Gehlen further emphasized that it is not only the source of financing, but the contract between the two countries that is critical to create the agenda for future economic development. Creating global opportunities and building partnerships between nations would be a cornerstone for achieving this, he noted.

He also highlighted the importance of partnerships between different stakeholders, intense discussions with Governments and the sharing of experiences, learnings and opportunities as critical to finding solutions. Private sector engagement is also crucial in affecting behavioural change as well as helping people in quickly adapting to the changing environment, he added.

Highlighting the rising importance of political decision making and noting that future generations are much more curious, Mr. Gehlen observed that there is an overall movement in the political economy of Germany. Accepting and understanding the shift in behaviour is necessary to survive and to be relevant for our future, he noted.

Dr. Winfried Damm

Program Director & Head of Indo-German Energy programme, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, India

Dr. Winfried Damm, graduated at FU Hagen, Germany, received a MBA from Michigan State University (USA) and a Ph.D. from FU Berlin.

He worked for two years as a consultant, four years for a member of national parliament in the energy sector and joined the municipal utility (Stadtwerke) of Leipzig in 1992. There he headed sales, marketing, PR, strategy, controlling, M&A, international department and was responsible for external relations among others. He had been involved in many national legislative outcomes starting with the first feed-in-law for renewables up to capacity market discussions.

Dr. Damm started working with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in December 2014 and joined the GIZ India office in January 2015 as Director of the Indo-German Energy Programme.

Remarks by Dr. Winfried Damm

Speaking during the session, Dr. Winfried Damm mentioned that while progress on sustainability has been significant, it has been slow and there is a need to accelerate change by connecting across the globe and jointly moving ahead.

Highlighting the cooperation between Germany and India, Dr. Damm spoke about the Green Sustainable Development Cooperation, signed under Prime Minister Mr. Modi and German Chancellor Mr. Scholz, wherein Germany pledged around 10 billion for supporting India till 2030. Under this, both countries share the objectives of creating a level playing field and undertaking joint activities to address common challenges.

Underscoring the importance of energy efficiency, Dr. Damm highlighted the different programmes that are underway between India and Germany across different sectors including the Indo-German Cooperation on District Cooling Networks. In this context, he mentioned the need for becoming more efficient in the field of cooling, which has become a growing area of concern, besides electricity. Projects in areas including the steel sector and the pulp and paper areas are also underway, where Germany is providing support to India, he added.

Dr. Damm also stated that 50 GW of renewable energy would be required in India to fulfil the pledge and goal of Prime Minister Modi’s 500 GW of renewables by 2030. As India is currently in the range of 10-15 GW, efforts must be undertaken to treble the amount, Dr. Damm observed.

Speaking on newer technologies such as agriphotovoltaics, Dr. Damm stated that these have high potential of doubling farmer incomes. Many young companies including small and large ones are rushing into this field as there are many benefits of this technology in terms of reducing energy losses, he noted.

Dr. Damm mentioned other programmes that Germany is undertaking in India to disseminate learnings though joint programmes in fields such as E-mobility and Green Hydrogen. He also emphasized the need for addressing bottlenecks in these sectors and the need for greater cooperation in terms of promoting standards and monitoring.

The need for holding business round tables, study and exchange tours and trade fairs and exhibitions between the two sides were emphasized by Dr. Damm. He noted that Germany has set up a pool of funding of around 900 million as a kind of viable gap funding, which is intended to kickstart business on both sides in the field of Green Hydrogen.

Dr. Hishmi Jamil Husain

Head – Biodiversity & Corporate Sustainability, Tata Steel

Currently, Dr. Hishmi Jamil Husain is working with Tata Steel as Head Biodiversity, Corporate Sustainability. Dr. Hishmi is passionate about biodiversity conservation, caproate sustainability and sustainable development. He is among the notable alumni of International Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University. He is having more than 20 years of international experience in the field of Corporate Sustainability, Biodiversity Conservation & Environment Management.

For different trainings, studies and research, he has visited countries USA, United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, The Netherlands, Belgium, Japan, Spain, Singapore, Estonia, China, South Korea, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Qatar, etc. He got several fellowships and recognitions nationally and internationally. Dr. Hishmi was awarded 2015 Young Scientist Award, 2016 Environment Scientist Award and Best Scientist Award 2020.

Dr. Hishmi is elected fellow of The Linnean Society of London and life member of Club of Rome. He is on board of several national and international bodies. He is visiting faculty and distinguished speaker in India and abroad on sustainable development, legal compliance, social corporate responsibility and environment management. He advises businesses on standardization and review of policies, norms and implementation of benchmark global best practices on corporate social responsibility. Dr. Hishmi has worked with Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education, Ministry Environment & Forest Climate Change, Government of India, Amity University and Rio Tinto.

He is having two books, several papers and more than 160 articles in his credit.

Remarks by Dr. Hishmi Jamil Husain

Dr. Hishmi Jamil Husain spoke about the strong synergies between India and Germany and the strong relations that the two share in the field of energy security and sustainability.

Emphasizing that biodiversity loss is a growing concern in the world, Dr. Husain underlined the critical importance of reducing carbon footprint and having a strategy on decarbonization for combating climate change and reducing global temperature.

Speaking on the key focus areas of sustainability, Dr. Husain stated that it is necessary to undertake significant efforts in the areas of reducing carbon footprint; reducing freshwater consumption; waste utilization (for example, waste from construction industries can be used in agriculture to help promote sustainable agriculture); adopting new technologies and tacking loss of biodiversity. These are some of the most important steps for achieving a carbon neutral society, he noted.

Dr. Husain stated that innovations are important for sustainability. In this context, he observed that while there are many commitments from the Government of India, the alignment of policies with respect to innovation and technologies needs to be ensured. Many corporates from Germany and India are working on these issues, he stated.

Dr. Husain further commented on the need for sustainable management of natural resources and the need for adopting and understanding implementation of new technologies for conservation of natural resources, reducing the carbon footprint and adopting strategies for long term.

Finally, speaking on the need for aligning goals and targets to achieve the 2030 agenda, Dr. Husain highlighted the relevance of triangular cooperation where cooperation exists not only between two countries but between corporates, countries, and the individual as well.

Discussion

The speakers reviewed the need for additional policies and more national programmes in India to address the collection and segregation of waste. The need for a good model on waste to energy was also discussed.

The speakers also mentioned the need for better engaging stakeholders from different parts of the world. Creating greater room for innovation through interlocking of solutions and creating an internal knowledge base was suggested, in this context.

The importance of trilateral cooperation and the involvement of the private sector were highlighted for delivering better outcomes and solutions. Effective implementation of policies and programmes and fulfilling the commitments to net zero were emphasised.

The speakers also agreed that the issue of energy consumption needs to be examined with the same intensity as energy generation. The role of public private partnerships and how net zero need to become a must have and not a choice, were also discussed.

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS)

The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) is a political foundation. Established in 1955 as “Society for Christian-Democratic Civic Education”, in 1964 the Foundation proudly took on the name of Konrad Adenauer, the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.

With 16 regional offices in Germany and over 120 offices abroad, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation is committed to achieving and maintaining peace, freedom and justice through political education. We promote and preserve free democracy, social market economy, and the development and consolidation of the value consensus. We focus on consolidating democracy, the unification of Europe and the strengthening of transatlantic relations, as well as on development cooperation.

The leitmotif of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation “Germany. The next chapter” is supported by a thematic focus. With the three main topics Innovation, Security and Representation and Participation, it is quite clear which topics the Konrad Adenauer Foundation will focus on in the coming years.

KAS cooperates with governmental institutions, political parties and civil society organizations, building strong partnerships along the way. In particular, it seeks to intensify political cooperation in the area of development cooperation on the foundations of our objectives and values. Together with their partners, they make a significant contribution to the creation of a global order that empowers every country to determine its own developmental priorities and destiny in an internationally responsible manner.

The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung has organized its program priorities in India into five working

areas:

1. Foreign and Security Policy
2. Economic, Climate and Energy Policy
3. Rule of Law
4. Political Dialogue focussed on Social and Political Change
5. Media and Youth

The India Office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation takes great pride in its cooperation with Indian partner institutions who implement jointly curated projects and programmes.

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the development of India, partnering Industry, Government and civil society, through advisory and consultative processes.

CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organization, with around 9000 members from the private as well as public sectors, including SMEs and MNCs, and an indirect membership of over 300,000 enterprises from 286 national and regional sectoral industry bodies.

For more than 125 years, CII has been engaged in shaping India’s development journey and works proactively on transforming Indian Industry’s engagement in national development. CII charts change by working closely with Government on policy issues, interfacing with thought leaders, and enhancing efficiency, competitiveness and business opportunities for industry through a range of specialized services and strategic global linkages. It also provides a platform for consensus-building and networking on key issues.

Extending its agenda beyond business, CII assists industry to identify and execute corporate citizenship programmes. Partnerships with civil society organizations carry forward corporate initiatives for integrated and inclusive development across diverse domains including affirmative action, livelihoods, diversity management, skill development, empowerment of women, and sustainable development, to name a few.

As India completes 75 years of Independence in 2022, it must position itself for global leadership with a long-term vision for India@100 in 2047. The role played by Indian industry will be central to the country’s progress and success as a nation. CII, with the Theme for 2022-23 as Beyond India@75: Competitiveness, Growth, Sustainability, Internationalisation has prioritized 7 action points under these 4 sub-themes that will catalyze the journey of the country towards the vision of India@100.

With 62 offices, including 10 Centres of Excellence, in India, and 8 overseas offices in Australia, Egypt, Germany, Indonesia, Singapore, UAE, UK, and USA, as well as institutional partnerships with 350 counterpart organizations in 133 countries, CII serves as a reference point for Indian industry and the international business community.