This World Environment Day: Let's take care of our #OnlyOneEarth

Every year on 5th June, World Environment Day is celebrated. This initiative is solely designed to re-narrate the concept of environmental protection so that we can acknowledge our own potential contribution towards the big goal of saving our beloved planet.

From global warming to pollution control each and every aspect of the threat to our environment must get acknowledged on this day in order to draw the path to achieving sustainable development while ensuring a clean environemnt. On this occasion, the industry experts came forward and expressed their views on environmental protection. here are the excerpts:

CP Gurnani, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Tech Mahindra:

CP Gurnani, MD& CEO Tech Mahindra

 “It’s time for humans to behave or perish as the climate emergency and prevailing pandemic have hit us hard. We must come together to align our strategies to shape a circular economy and improve the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profits, thereby transitioning towards a green sustainable future — energy-efficient and low on emissions.

We must realise that the environment is no one’s property to destroy — it is everyone’s responsibility to protect. There is no Planet B. If there’s any legacy worth to be passed down to the future generations, then Mother Earth has to be a safe haven for all - with equitable and inclusive growth opportunities and resources for each of its inhabitants.”

Rajiv Bhalla, Managing Director, at Barco:

Rajiv Bhalla, MD, Barco India

“The World Environment Day 2022 campaign, #OnlyOneEarth, prompts individuals and organisations to undertake globally collective, transformative action with the aim of protecting and restoring the planet. The pandemic, and other global environmental crises such as climate change and natural disasters, have brought the focus back on sustainable measures and it is imperative that we, as a society, join hands and rejuvenate the Earth. Barco recognized the importance of sustainability early, and we have taken consistent steps to lower our ecological impact. Our solutions are aimed at minimising carbon footprint and the Barco eco-scoring system evaluates the sustainability of each product. For instance, in the entertainment segment, the 4^th generation of Barco laser projectors are designed in close collaboration with industry partners to create a green laser projection family for all cinema screens.”

Agendra Kumar, MD, Esri India

Agendra Kumar, Managing Director, Esri India

“This year’s theme and focus of World Environment Day 2022 is ‘Living Sustainably in Harmony with Nature’, and truly this is the need of the hour. India announced new climate targets at COP26 under the ‘Panchamrit strategy’. The targets include reaching carbon neutrality by 2070 and using non-fossil-fuel sources for half of its energy requirements by 2030, among others. The goals are ambitious but achievable with the right collaboration and engagement between governments, enterprises, and citizens. Conservation of our forests is key to sustainability, and this would be more important now than ever. Technologies like remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) will be the key enablers to drive various programs and initiatives.

GIS is already fostering sustainable living by enabling early prevention and mitigation of disasters, monitoring of plantation/afforestation activities, management of human-wildlife conflicts, evaluating carbon footprint, forest fire management, protected area management, and more. While hotspot analyses by state forest departments are helping in curbing human-animal conflicts, GeoHubs are enabling the officials to manage the forests and wildlife in a more coordinated way and also drive inclusive participation with larger stakeholder communities including citizens. Indo ArcGIS, a recently launched new offering from Esri India can help in more efficient planning and monitoring of forest plantations, prevention, and mitigation of forest fires, evaluation of carbon sequestration, and more. Using GIS, India can also fulfill its energy goals more effectively as the technology aids in easy identification of areas with high potential for developing renewable energy sources, and regions with restrictions on their exploitation.

To make a significant difference, along with the Government, businesses also need to develop a deeper understanding of sustainability. With ESG-driven investments gaining momentum, there would be more concrete efforts toward protecting the environment, including new corporate policies addressing climate change. Adopting the ‘geographic approach’ will be instrumental since environmental and social factors are rooted in location. Location Intelligence, powered by GIS technology, will play a crucial role to turn the climate situation around.”