The future of Earth depends on sustainable growth. This is an imperative for many of the world’s largest countries and corporations such as India. It’s good that companies have finally begun realizing that there’s need of an equilibrium between growth and sustainability, even if not everyone is happy about that kind of approach.
Climate change has become the focal point of the sustainability debate. As one of the world’s largest economies, India has begun a transformation toward a sustainable future. With clear goals, of course. The target year for limiting the rise of temperature and reducing carbon emissions is 2030, so India is working hard toward the sustainable growth goal.
What is Sustainable Growth?
Sustainable growth is a hot topic nowadays that many of the world’s biggest companies support. Not everyone is on board, but the majority are. This concept is supposed to lead us into a brighter and greener future. Its goals are simple – reduce carbon footprint and emissions, reduce physical infrastructure, minimize waste, and enhance resource efficiency.
If you’re not familiar with the concept, we’ll use a rising industry as an example. Online gambling has been a hit in India, and one of the first digital industries to adopt this concept. Online casinos are hosted on the Internet, so they have a much lower carbon footprint than land-based venues. With almost no physical infrastructure, it’s a prime example of a sustainable industry. Online casinos and apps also minimize the waste land-based venues produce, as there are no restaurants hosted online.
As online gaming sites remove land-based venues from the market, carbon emissions and footprints reduce. This is just one example of an industry working toward a greener goal. In India, other industries are hard at work, too, as the government has set 2030 as the target goal for limiting the fast-paced temperature rise to +1.5C.
More importantly, the country has also set goals to bring down carbon emissions by 22%. This is only possible by promoting the sustainability concept in industries with a high impact. While several companies have already begun implementing the concept, RSEs and supply chains should be next. The good news is that India’s already seeing improvements, with around 80% of the textile industry already adopting at least some sustainable practices.
The Industrial Sector Is Key to Green Energy
In India, the industrial sector gobbles up the most energy. It’s clear that this dependence needs to be rooted out, and the good news is that more and more companies from this sector are already turning toward renewable energy sources. These sources are all-natural and can be replenished on their own. You might have heard this term thrown around more frequently in the past few years, as the UK and USA are doing their best to reach net zero by 2050, which is a pretty ambitious goal.
For now, many of India’s industry giants have integrated or are still integrating solar panels into operations. By installing photovoltaic panels on factory rooftops, factories don’t depend on traditional energy sources. In the automotive industry, companies are actively working on installing solar panels, all as a part of the government’s sustainable growth initiative.
In agriculture, companies are swapping fossil fuels with biomass. This helps keep the environment cleaner than before while helping them meet their energy requirements.
Cement and steel factors are known for their high energy consumption. Many of these companies are adopting energy-efficient practices, and more are expected to do so in the future. The key to a greener future in India lies within this sector. Everyone needs to make a push for sure, but if the industrial sector can do it, any industry can.
Rainwater Harvesting Systems
Green energy is only one aspect of India’s sustainable growth. For a fully green future, water efficiency is important too. India has numerous regions with water scarcity, which is why companies have begun moving away from municipal water supplies and groundwater. Instead, they’ve begun implementing modern rainwater harvesting systems, which contribute to replenishing local aquifers and ensure sustainable water sources for industrial usage.
This can mostly be seen in the textile industry and apparel manufacturing. Industries with hazardous liquid waste such as chemical and pharma companies, are working fast to adopt the so-called Zero Liquid Discharge systems. They help reduce and eliminate wastewater discharge, which helps recover valuable sources of water that can be reused later.
Waste Management is Critical
Waste management is another critical factor in sustainable manufacturing. This means more efficient resource allocation, as well as reducing and aiming to minimize waste or its by-products. This is crucial for a healthier and greener environment, which can’t be imagined without it.
It’s also one of the trickier aspects of sustainable manufacturing. It requires more work than just investing in a modern new system. To minimize waste, companies are segregating it at their sources, while many try to recycle it into usable products. For example, fabric waste at textile companies is reused for new garments. Food and drink companies are turning organic waste into compost. In agriculture, produce waste is used to create biomass briquettes that power up their needs.
Some companies are even turning the ash from burning these briquettes into fertilizer or input material. With biodegradable materials readily available, waste management is much easier to achieve.
Conclusion
India’s goals of reducing carbon emissions and slowing down the rising temperatures by 2030 are optimistic but also achievable. More and more companies are turning toward sustainable manufacturing and the results should roll out and be seen in the coming years.
The country’s national strategy is to increase the GDP over $15 trillion and become the world’s third-largest economy before 2050. The shift to sustainable growth isn’t just about compliance and a greener future. The country is looking forward to new business models that can result in GDP growth and improve the economy.
Sustainable manufacture is financially viable and a feasible concept. It’s the key to a greener future for India and the world, and its benefits should show up soon enough.