India ESG Conclave 2022

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is the new measurement to assess corporate behaviour and determine a company\'s future performance. COVID-19 pandemic and climate change scenario has accelerated the adoption of environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing, with an aim to include a company’s environmental footprint and the way it manages relations with its stakeholders. As governments and industries accelerate the shift towards a net- zero economy, it has become more important than ever for businesses to embrace innovation and sustainability, open new growth opportunities and stay relevant in the new low carbon economy. Moreover, industries are also adopting circular economy which is an essential part of the solution in delivering on climate change risk, ESG issues and in pursuing zero waste society.

With ESG in consideration, when making investment decisions in the financial sector, Sustainable Financing leads to increased long-term investments in economic activities and projects. As it has become a powerful movement globally, led by regulators, institutional investors, and asset managers, India should develop a robust sustainable finance policy framework which will enable it to address this financing gap with domestic and international capital. Furthermore, to ensure sustainable sourcing and supply chain risks, business leaders need to broaden their procurement lens to consider ESG impacts, in addition to traditional metrics like reduce costs, increase revenues, and manage risks