The 6th IPCC report released in August 2021 has sent out a dire warning. We are no longer on track to achieve the targets that we set out in the Paris Agreement. Urgent action is needed to reduce greenhouse gases to save the planet from a potentially catastrophic future.

The Paris agreement was a landmark event. All countries agreed to reduce global warming 1.5 degrees Celsius. This required countries to reduce the impact of emissions to mitigate the impact of climate change and focus on waste and water management. This was followed by the United Nations setting out the ambitious sustainable development goals (SDGs). The 17 goals and 169 interlinked targets shone the beacon to bring about an improved planet. SDGs help both the private sector and the government to bring about sustainable development in a scalable fashion.

Two terms have gained traction in recent times – ESG and net zero. The financial world has taken to ESG in a big way. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects cover all actions that companies take on emissions, biodiversity, waste, water, energy, and social and community impacts of a business. Net zero, while more narrowly focussed on reducing the deleterious effects of climate change provides a quantitative goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The 8th edition of the Responsible Business Rankings brings to you how India’s top companies are gearing up to tackle the responsibility challenges that face us today. In the world of climate change the challenges are immense, but so are the opportunities for change.

This years’ report comes into two parts. The first part examines the role of the SDGs in the Indian context. The second part covers performance of companies on Environmental, Social and Governance issues.

We look forward to your thoughts and comments on the study.