Dear Readers,
While humanity was engaged in establishing its supremacy on other living beings by continuously crafting out masterpieces of technology, gadgets, designer buildings and equipment for its own comfort, it was creating a thick gas chamber around its own universe, which will someday challenge its own survival and posterity. So arrogant have we become that that we even decided to do away with other living beings – the plant and the animal kingdom, with whom we have been coexisting since time immemorial. To make matters worse, we engaged ourselves in a competitive war of showing off our purchasing power by ontinuously amassing resources to establish our supremacy over our friends, relatives, neighbours and other countries. Consequently, we have spoiled the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat, besides the environment we live in. Rising temperatures, depleting water and other natural resources and greenhouse gas effect enveloping our atmosphere are some of the ill-effects of modernised living and rising wealth threatening our very survival.
Thankfully, countries have awakened to this truth and there is a conscious effort in slowing down the effects of climate change through recent conclaves such as The Paris Agreement and the Kigali Agreement, where 195 countries came forward to sign up a mutual agreement to bring down the atmospheric temperature by 2◦C and eliminate production and consumption of planet-warming HFC (hydrofluorocarbon) gases by 80-85 percent in a phased manner. Calling the world as one family, Mr. Anil Madhav Dave, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Environment, Forest and Climate Change said, “As a responsible member of a global family, we are happy to play our part to support and nurture this agreement.”
This said, it is obvious that the goals can be achieved only when individuals at their levels; at home, offices and communities work in tandem with the government to realise it in actuality. India, being one of the developing countries, has started early which is both heartening and laudable.
For almost a decade, corporate houses, government agencies, NGOs and individuals have been making efforts to make our earth a greener and healthier place to live in. With better knowledge and constant discussion on national and international levels, they are intensifying their efforts. Discoveries and production of alternative energy resources, newer gases for refrigeration and other industrial purposes, better waste management, care for flora and fauna, afforestation and better farming technology, reduction in the use of plastic disposables are some of the efforts that are being undertaken. In this issue of CSR Mandate, read about the various innovative efforts being made by people and the companies in the communities that they live and work in.
