The Green Yodha event, organised by Schneider Electric, in association with CNBC TV18, was held on October 18, 2023, in Mumbai. Green Yodha is a sustainability initiative by Schneider Electric that aims to unite businesses, institutions and citizens toward conscious climate action. The conference encouraged a discourse on the theme ‘The Sustainability Roadmap Towards a Greener Economy’, with discussions centred around solutions to adapt to climate change and transition to a clean energy paradigm. In attendance were esteemed leaders from the energy sector and various other industries.
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| Siddharth Sharma, CEO, Tata Trusts |
Siddharth Sharma, CEO, Tata Trusts, was the keynote speaker for the conference. He discussed the challenges and opportunities faced by organisations in transitioning to a low-carbon economy. He highlighted that while India is already leading the world in mitigation efforts through its investments in clean energy and net-zero commitments, there is an urgent need for climate change adaptation, pointing out that inadequate action may cost the Indian economy alone USD 35 trillion by 2070.
Mr Sharma went on to state that India today has the opportunity to not only set new global benchmarks for sustainability, but also provide leadership to the Global South, particularly given its ambitious Net Zero 2070 goal. Referencing the theme of the G20 Summit held earlier this year, Mr Sharma reaffirmed that in the spirit of "The world is one family" or Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the Tatas are committed to community well-being and to building a just and equitable future.
Mr Sharma’s insightful keynote speech set the tone for the second half of the conference, which was a lively panel discussion moderated by Sonal Bhutra, Principal Research Analyst and Markets Anchor at CNBC TV18. The discussion saw active participation from four of India’s distinguished business leaders — Praveer Sinha, MD & CEO, Tata Power; Santosh Iyer, MD & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India; Parag V Chepe, Chief Engineering Officer & Executive Director — Engineering, ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions India; and Vinod Javur, COO, Digital Edge DC India. The leaders shared with the audience their unique perspective on integrating sustainability into their business operations and the various steps they are taking towards meeting their sustainability goals.
