A constructive discussion on laying the groundwork for establishing a framework for enabling philanthropies to collaborate and scale actions with stakeholders.
Bengaluru, July 7, 2023:
Biocon Foundation, the CSR arm of Biocon Group, organised a workshop on Cities and Climate Action in association with Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation (Shakti) at the Biocon Campus in Bengaluru. The objective of the workshop was to deliberate on strategies and techniques for establishing collaboration among NGOs, corporates, and philanthropies to take concerted action to address climate change to urban centre’s – economic engines of India. Rainmatter, Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), Wipro, HSBC, Bengaluru International Airport (BIAL), World Resources Institute (WRI) India, Janaagraha, Jana Urban Space Foundation, Urban Movement Innovation Fund, LTI Mindtree, and ATE Chandra Foundation, among others, attended the workshop.
A critical focus area of the workshop was the role played by corporates and philanthropies in supporting cities to plan their climate action roadmap. Attention was also focused on groundwork for establishing a framework to enable philanthropies to collaborate and scale actions with stakeholders at the city, state, and national level to:
- Build leadership and unlock institutional mandates for climate action in cities.
- Build and implement ambitious sectoral climate policy/strategy, climate action plans.
Dr Anupama Narayan Shetty, Mission Director of Biocon Foundation, stated, “We are delighted to organise the workshop on ‘Cities and Climate Change’ with Shakti and provide a platform for insightful brainstorming sessions amongst corporates, philanthropies, and CSR organisations to consider collaboration and identify a framework that can help averting the climate crisis. Cities are both the epicentre of environmental concerns and the focal point for potential transformation. Biocon Foundation has been committed to making cities greener and more resilient to climate change. We believe that managing the climate change crisis is of utmost importance. While organisations are working in that area, it is important to explore options with new technologies.”
The assembled philanthropic leaders and urban experts converged on the need to pool their efforts to support cities plan their climate action roadmap. Based on the fruitful discussions, a set of worthwhile ideas have been collated, each one of which will be assessed by Biocon Foundation and Shakti. A convening is proposed to be held in September 2023 to establish a framework that will enable philanthropies to collaborate towards a common holistic approach to support urban development.
Speaking about the significance of the workshop, Ms Maninder Kapoor Puri, Head, Human Resources, Biocon Limited, said, “Over the last few years Biocon has created an impressive portfolio of initiatives to address issues related to communities and the environment. With increasing urbanisation, communities are best served by addressing urban issues. While urbanisation brings opportunities for people to thrive and grow, it is imperative to work in a way that maintains an ecological balance.”
Highlighting the importance of the workshop, Mr Manu Maudgal, Head, Corporate and Philanthropic Engagement, Shakti, said “Cities are growth engines of India’s economy. Nurturing low carbon growth pathways in cities can support economic growth, raise community and climate goals. Shakti offers collective philanthropic partnership models to effectively accelerate such growth pathways.”
Mr Shubhashis Dey, Director, Climate Policy and Climate Finance, Shakti, emphasised, “Understanding and incorporating climate risk is now a necessity in urban communities and cities planning. This requires a commitment towards developing use cases, that holistically address climate risk in a concerted manner for enhanced public good.”
Context of the Workshop
Indian cities are impacted by decreasing air quality, and extreme weather events linked to climate change. The development pathways for Indian cities in the decade 2020-2030 will determine the future of urban energy and emissions. Estimates suggest that urban population could increase by 40 per cent by 2030 and 51 per cent by 2050.
While urban India is expanding rapidly, cities have an excellent opportunity to lock in a low-carbon and resilient development pathway. If Indian cities adopt high ambition policy levers, they have the potential to abate 30 per cent emissions by 2050 relative to the BAU, that is, 2000 million tCO2e.
We have to act swiftly as the window of opportunity is rapidly shrinking. Cities need to formulate and implement socially desirable, equitable, inclusive, and sustainable pathways towards a low-carbon economy which will have a decisive impact on India’s energy use, emissions, and environment.
About Biocon Foundation
Biocon Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of Biocon, Biocon Biologics and Syngene International, has been working to empower marginalised communities since 2005. Biocon Foundation partners with the society to promote social and economic inclusion. It has thus made significant investments in enhancing access to quality healthcare, education, and civic infrastructure along with environmental sustainability projects. Combined with field initiatives, these programs create a momentum to elevate the marginalised sections of the society. Over the years, Biocon Foundation has built a strong reputation for the quality of its programmes and their impact in addressing the social, humanitarian, and environmental challenges facing India. To make a more meaningful impact, the Foundation regularly partners with government agencies and like-minded organisations for programme delivery. Besides addressing critical national and state level challenges in primary healthcare, education and rural development, the Foundation is also augmenting environmental sustainability through the lake revival mission in Bengaluru.
Visit: http://www.bioconfoundation.org
About Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation
Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation (Shakti) focuses on strategic, exploratory and project partnerships to support India’s climate inspired development and clean energy security. Over the last decade, Shakti has been a key knowledge partner in the creation of a portfolio of real-world solutions to drive and accelerate growth and innovation using analysis and evidence by commissioning philanthropic outcomes.
Shakti’s Cities and Climate Action team offers expertise in crafting initiatives that drive decarbonisation of Indian cities, build resilience to climate-related shocks, and reduce adverse ecological impacts.
For more information on Shakti’s work in the Cities and Climate Action please visit https://shaktifoundation.in
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- https://thecsruniverse.com/articles/biocon-foundation-and-shakti-sustainable-energy-foundation-organize-cities-and-climate-action-workshop
- https://www.expresspharma.in/biocon-foundation-shakti-sustainable-energy-foundation-organise-cities-and-climate-action-workshop/