The Hindu Business Line : CII-GBC to develop eco footprint study for India

Hyderabad, July 17 CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre (CII-GBC) is in the process of developing an ecological footprint and a living planet index for India.

According to Mr S. Raghupathy, Senior Director and Head, Green Business Centre, the ecological footprint is a measure of how much land and water is needed to produce the resources we consume and to dispose of the waste produced.

“Significant efforts are being taken in incorporating energy efficiency while gaining in poverty reduction and economic growth. But more efforts are required, as bio-capacity is reducing and primary energy consumption is going up,” he said.

CII is jointly working with Global Footprint Network, Zoological Society of London, and World Wide Fund for developing these indices.

According to Mr Raghupathy, around 80 per cent of work is completed and they expect to release the indices in October.

Snapshots of past

He said that to avoid exaggerating human demand on nature, the ecological footprint includes only those aspects of resource consumption and waste production for which the earth has regenerative capacity.

“The footprint accounts provide snapshots of past resource demand and availability and do not predict the future. Thus, while the footprint does not estimate future losses caused by present degradation of ecosystems, if persistent, this is likely to be reflected in future accounts as a loss of bio capacity,” Mr Raghupathy said.

He added that once the initial study is launched, then they plan to take up a sectoral study and expect to complete this study by 2009. “Plans are also there to drill it down to an industry level,” he said.

The code for this has already been released in Mumbai and Chennai. CII plans to launch it shortly in Hyderabad and by September, across the country.

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