Towards A Green Economy - 10 Jan 2023

Towards A Green Economy

PROF S JANAKARAJAN

In its simplest expression, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) says that an inclusive green economy is low-carbon, efficient and clean in production, but also inclusive in consumption and outcomes, based on sharing, circularity, collaboration, solidarity, resilience, opportunity, and interdependence. A Green Economy focusses on the economy, investment, capital and infrastructure, employment and skills and positive social and environmental outcomes All the same, it is presaged by growth in employment and income, driven by public and private investment into such economic activities, infrastructure and assets that allow reduced carbon- emissions and pollution, enhanced energy and resource efficiency, and prevention of the loss of bio-diversity and eco-system services.

According to some studies, India is advancing its progress on the ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDG) targets by mapping schemes and monitoring them across identified verticals. These include schemes sponsored by the governments across the country. Around 50 million jobs are projected to be created with a potential contribution of $15-Trillion through India’s transition to a net-zero economy, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF). Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said that ‘Green Finance’ is fast emerging as a priority for public policy.

This transition thus presents a tremendous opportunity for India to not only achieve the SDGs and advance its lowcarbon development objective but also with a vision for an ‘inclusive green economy ’ .

Programme

5:15 PM Registration & High Tea

6:00 PM Welcome Address

Gp Capt R Vijayakumar (Retd), VSM Executive Director, Madras Management Association

Opening Remarks

Mr N Sathiya Moorthy

Convenor, Policy Matters - Chennai

Address by the Speakers

Prof S Janakarajan, Ph.D President, South Asia Consortium for Interdisciplinary Water Resources Studies (SaciWATERs), Hyderabad

Mr Arjun Bhargava, Consultant, UN Global Compact

Dr Shankar M Venugopal Vice President, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd

Q & A

7:30 PM

Vote of Thanks

Profile

Prof S Janakarajan, Ph.D

President, South Asia Consortium for Interdisciplinary Water Resources Studies (SaciWATERs), Hyderabad

At present President, SaciWATERs, Hyderabad, Dr Janakarajan holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Madras, obtained through MDS, where he was a past Director. He did a post-doctoral at Cornell University and was a Visiting Professor, International Development Centre, QEH, Oxford University.

His key areas of research include urban and rural water, water-markets, water-conflicts, trans-boundary water disputes, climate changes and adaptation, among others.He is also the Convenor of the ‘Cauvery Family’, which he started in 2003, for farmer-to-farmer dialogue, to address the river water dispute, especially between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Dr Janakarajan has written several books and presented scores of papers on these and other related subjects.

At present, he is a Member of the Chennai Metro Flood Management Committee, appointed by the Government of Tamil Nadu, in 2021.

Profile

Mr Arjun Bhargava, Consultant, UN Global Compact

Arjun Bhargava is a consultant with the climate team at the United Nations Global Compact, New York, working remotely from India He has worked in various capacities with Resilient Chennai – a Rockefeller Foundation funded effort, the IndoGerman Centre for Sustainability (IGCS) at Indian Institute of Technology-Madras and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Mr Bhargava obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from Drexel University in Philadelphia, and followed it up with a Master of Environmental Studies degree, majoring in Environmental Policy from the University of Pennsylvania (Penn). He also completed Non-Degree PostBaccalaureate coursework in International Law, International Law of Human Rights and Law and Social Change at Penn, and was a student reporter at the 6th World Water Forum held in Marseille in 2012. Mr. Bhargava is a recipient of the 2013 Institute for Environmental Studies Award for Excellence in Environmental Studies.

In November 2022, Mr Bhargava participated in COP27, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties, at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

Profile

Dr Shankar M Venugopal Vice President, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd

Dr Shankar Venugopal is a Vice President at Mahindra & Mahindra. He leads technology innovation for Mahindra’s Automotive and Farm business at Mahindra Research Valley. He is an Inventor with twenty international patents and five Indian patents. He is an innovation coach and has trained about two thousand innovators. He was recognized as one of the fifty most innovative leaders at the World Innovation Congress 2020. Shankar received his Ph.D and a gold medal for the best doctoral thesis from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He pursued management education at Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. Shankar leads MMA Chengalpattu chapter.