Centre for Responsible Business

WHH India - Welthungerhilfe and Bhoomi Ka, along side partners organised the Bhoomi ka conference 2025 on 'Foodsystems Transformation : Scaling Ecological Practices and Creating Smallholder Friendly Markets' on 21-22 January, 2025 in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Centre for Responsible Business was invited to conduct a session, given its thematic focus on sustainable and inclusive agricultural value chains. As part of its initiative on FPO-Industry interface on SDGs, a capacity building session was conducted using the Framework for FPO Industry Partnership on Sustainable Development Goals, that has been jointly developed by India Foundation for Humanistic Development (IFHD) and Centre for Responsible Business. The session commenced with an introduction to the importance of sustainability in agricultural value chains. This was followed by the Capacity Building segment, which introduced the concept of using a self-assessment tool aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. The session was  well-received by all stakeholders present at the conference, including farmers, small and medium enterprises, eco-food entrepreneurs, experts, and consumers. CRB remains committed to ensuring a sustainable approach to agricultural value chains. For more details, please visit the Current Initiatives section on the CRB website (Here: https://bit.ly/4jruism) on Sustainable and Inclusive Agri Value Chains. Rajat C Nitya Chhiber #SDGs #agriculture #CapacityBuilding #FPOs #foodsystems

Centre for Responsible Business, in partnership with Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture, Pune (MCCIA), organised a capacity-building workshop in Pune, Maharashtra, on 27 September 2024. This was also supported by the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC). Through technical sessions and interactive exercises, participants explored practical approaches to implementing emerging frameworks – including Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), National Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct (NGRBC), and Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) – while fostering meaningful collaboration between EU and Indian businesses. This event marked the second major workshop in the series of capacity-building workshops under the project ‘EU-India Business Collaborative Initiative on Sustainable Development Climate Action and Inclusivity’, supported by the Delegation of the European Union to India. Aligned with the EU Global Gateway strategy and the EU-India Trade and Technology Council, the 2-year project focuses on reinforcing business cooperation in sustainable modernisation, clean energy, climate action, and trade and investment between the EU and India. Download the report here: https://bit.ly/3WBqWZY #EUIndiaPartnership #BusinessCollaborativeModels #Sustainability #ClimateAction #WaterManagement #Biodiversity #GenderEquality #ResponsibleBusiness #SDG17 #PartnershipforGoals #BusinessCollaboration #BusinessSustainability

Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is expected to significantly impact Indian exports to the European Union --particularly manufacturing in the aluminium and steel sectors, which account for approximately 27% ($2.7 billion) and 38% ($3.7 billion) of their exports, respectively.  We want to know about what you think should be India's priority.

Centre for Responsible Business (CRB), in partnership with The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCC&I), organised a workshop in Kolkata titled ‘Empowering Businesses: A Workshop on Sustainability Collaboration and Shared Responsibility’ on 24 September 2024. This was conducted with the support of the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce, Consulate General of Germany in Calcutta, Business Finland, honorary Consulate General of Finland in Calcutta, Team Finland India and the British & Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce in Finland ry. The event marked the first major workshop session in a series of capacity-building workshops under the aegis of the 'EU-India Business Collaborative Initiative on Sustainable Development, Climate Action and Inclusivity' project in partnership with the Delegation of the European Union to India, following successful roundtable discussions in Bengaluru and Pune during July-July 2024. Aligned with the EU Global Gateway strategy and the EU-India Trade and Technology Council, this 2-year initiative focuses on reinforcing business cooperation in sustainable modernisation, clean energy, climate action, and trade and investment between the European Union (EU) and India. Read the report to learn more about the insights the speakers shared during the session on different aspects of sustainability implementation, regulatory compliances, and practical collaboration models. Link to the report: https://bit.ly/40H7TQC #EUIndiaPartnership #BusinessCollaborativeModels #Sustainability #ClimateAction #WaterManagement #Biodiversity #GenderEquality #ResponsibleBusiness #SDG17 #PartnershipforGoals #BusinessCollaboration #BusinessSustainability

Here are the highlights from the session ‘Powering Textile SMEs: Scaling Renewable Energy through Innovation and Collaboration’ at CRB’s India and Sustainability Standards Summit 2024. Co-hosted by SME Climate Hub and The Climate Pledge, the discussions in the session explored the critical role of SMEs in the textile sector in realising India’s net-zero journey, addressing challenges in adopting renewable energy through targeted strategies, collaborations, and capacity-building initiatives. Key takeaways of the session: - SMEs form the backbone of India's economy and play a pivotal role in driving climate action, particularly in sectors such as textiles. Their contributions to exports and their significant carbon footprint make them essential players in India's transition to a net-zero future - SMEs face multiple barriers, including limited awareness, restricted access to financing, and a lack of scalable infrastructure. Systemic inconsistencies in national and state-level policies further hinder renewable energy adoption. Tailored strategies, such as demand aggregation, financing support, and collaborative projects, are needed to unlock opportunities - Collaborative approaches, such as shared infrastructure for EV charging networks and plans for solar parks or renewable energy plants, demonstrate the potential for aggregating demand and leveraging public-private partnerships. These models can be replicated across sectors to enhance resource efficiency and financial viability - The textile sector, a major economic driver in India, faces distinct challenges such as reliance on heat-intensive processes and short-term contracts. Addressing these challenges requires targeted interventions, including capacity building, renewable energy adoption, and the development of long-term financing solutions - Knowledge sharing, in-person workshops, and capacity-building initiatives are crucial for empowering SMEs to identify opportunities, report progress, and implement customised sustainability solutions. Success stories and ROI-focused guidance can further encourage the adoption of cleaner and more efficient technologies #Sustainability #SMEs #TextileIndustry #RenewableEnergy #NetZero #ISS2024 #CentreforResponsibleBusiness #TextileSMEs

Understanding the deceptive practice of greenwashing – where companies exaggerate or falsely claim environmental benefits of their products or services – not only undermines consumer trust by misleading individuals into believing they are making eco-friendly choices but also harms genuinely sustainable businesses. The practice gives deceptive companies an unfair competitive edge while diverting attention and resources away from businesses that are genuinely committed to sustainability. Addressing this critical issue is vital to fostering transparency, ensuring fair competition, and encouraging authentic environmental stewardship. Read the paper “Combatting Greenwashing in India Contextualising Global Good Practices to Drive Sustainable Consumption in India” prepared by Centre for Responsible Business and CUTS International for a comprehensive understanding of greenwashing, its implications, global cases, and possible solutions. Link to the paper: https://bit.ly/4fD4kiJ

The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) sets out a duty for large companies to identify and mitigate adverse human rights impacts, such as child labour, and environmental impacts, such as pollution, across their operations, subsidiaries, and entire value chains, both by EU and non-EU companies. The Directive states that business relationships can be suspended or terminated as a last resort if a stakeholder in the value chain fails to comply with its provisions. Given that SMEs are associated with many businesses upstream, we want to know how we can mitigate potential risks for them.

At the Stakeholder Roundtable Discussion on the EU's ESG Regulations at Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) on January 15, 2025, Devyani Hari, Senior Director, Centre for Responsible Business, highlighted that sustainability is an intrinsic responsibility, not just a reaction to buyer demands. She stressed the need for businesses to address climate-induced risks and transition to resource efficiency and clean energy. CRB called for stakeholders to create a roadmap in response to the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), which requires companies to integrate sustainable practices related to environmental and human rights. Compliance will occur in three phases based on turnover and employee count, impacting over a hundred brands and their suppliers, particularly in India. Transparency will be essential, with disassociation from suppliers as a last resort. For Indian businesses, this means evaluating supply chains, enhancing skills, greening operations, and revising HR policies. Companies should vocalise their need for support and showcase their commitment to sustainability. With many initiatives already in place, there is a significant opportunity to leverage these efforts and share compelling sustainability stories. #Sustainability #CSDDD #SustainableRegulations #IndianBusinesses #SustainableSupplyChains #ResponsibleBusinesss

Centre for Responsible Business, in collaboration with Delegation of the European Union to India, has developed a research report titled “Pathways to Ambitious, Collective Sustainability Outcomes: Analysis of EU-India Business Collaborative Models on Sustainability”. The report offers a comprehensive framework for collaborative partnerships between European businesses in India and their Indian partners, focusing on driving sustainability in four key areas: Water, Biodiversity, Gender, and Climate. Read the report to learn more about how European and Indian businesses can collaborate to achieve sustainable goals. Link to the report: https://lnkd.in/gtZrBx56 #EUIndiaPartnership  #BusinessCollaborativeModels #Sustainability #ClimateAction #WaterManagement #Biodiversity #GenderEquality #ResponsibleBusiness #SDG17 #PartnershipforGoals #BusinessCollaboration #BusinessSustainability

Devyani Hari, Senior Director, Centre for Responsible Business, will be speaking at the Stakeholder’s Round Table Discussion on EU's New ESG Compliances & Regulations, organised by Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC). The discussion will assess India’s apparel export sector’s readiness to meet European Union’s ESG regulations and compliances, aiming to derive key lessons and formulate an actionable strategy for the short, medium, and long term. 🗓 Event Time and Date: 3 pm - 5 pm, 15 January 2025 📍 Venue: Apparel House, Gurugram Register now for the event: https://lnkd.in/dkdHeBVn #SustainableTextile #SustainableApparel #ApparelAndTextile #Sustainability #CentreForResponsibleBusiness