Resource Efficiency- the key to a sustainable future

Resource Efficiency- the key to a sustainable future

NITI Aayog and EU Delegation to India release the First ever Resource Efficiency (RE) Strategy for India

Using the resources efficiently to produce more while utilizing less has been one of the tested and trusted ways for a sustainable future. It not only ensures the security of the resources but also minimizes the environment impact. In order to ensure that the two ends meet, NITI Aayog in collaboration with the European Union delegation to India and the Confederation of Indian Industries, CII has released the first ever Strategy on Resource Efficiency for India which also includes an action plan for promoting resource efficiency in India. The strategy paper was unveiled by the Principal Adviser to NITI Aayog, Ratan P.Watal, Indian resource panel member Dr. Tishyarakshit Chatterjee, Ms. Henriette Faergemann, EU Counsellor, Environment, Energy & Climate change and Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Jigmet Takpa at a function in the capital on Thursday,30th November. A large number of experts, academicians and delegates attended the event

In the Keynote address, Principal Advisor, NITI Aayog, Ratan P. Watal said that that Resource efficiency very simply put is making more with fewer materials. In practice, through a life-cycle approach, it leads to minimizing impact on environment & the associated societal burdens, transforming ‘waste’ into ‘resources’ fostering circular economy, and strengthening resource security. Ms. Henriette Faergemann, EU Counsellor, Environment, Energy & Climate change mentioned that the RE agenda has gained priority in India-EU context and EU will support the Government of India in its implementation. Mr. Jigmet Takpa, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) said that the Ministry intends to launch a Resource Efficiency (RE) Cell at MoEFCC to support in the implementation of RE strategy. Dr. Tishyarakshit Chatterjee, Indian Resource Panel member highlighted that this strategy is the first policy document to emphasize resource productivity in the country. Mr. Sachin Joshi, COO of CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development, said that the RE Strategy emphasizes on Sustainable Public Procurement (SSP) as an action agenda which will be the market transformation tool to transform to a resource efficient economy.

Highlights of the RE Strategy:
The Resource Efficiency Strategy includes the core-action plan for the period 2017-2018 and medium term action plan for 2017 – 2020 with the following key elements:

· Institutional development including setting up an inter-departmental committee and Task force of experts,
· Capacity development at various levels for strengthening of capacities and sharing of best practices,
· Development of an indicator monitoring framework for baseline analysis
· Launch of Short term course on RE under the MHRD GIAN Programme
· Promotional and regulatory tools in selected sectors (automotive and construction) such as Ecolabeling for Secondary Raw Material (SRM) products, recycling standards, R&D and Technology Development, Sustainable Public Procurement, development of Industrial clusters and waste-exchange platform, information sharing & awareness generation along with development of sectoral action plans.

It is expected that the strategy will pave the way forward in taking the agenda towards resource security and minimizing environment impact by setting up a framework. The strategy implementation would also identify need for setting up a Bureau for Resource Efficiency (BRE) which creates a prominence and enabling platform for this topic like the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in India.

Background:

Resource efficiency is a strategy to achieve the maximum possible benefit with least possible resource input. Fostering resource efficiency aims at governing and intensifying resource utilisation in a purposeful and effective way. Such judicious resource use brings about multiple benefits along the three dimensions of sustainable development - economic, social and environmental.