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CII and UN Environment sign MoU for coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development
Oct 04, 2018

Mr Erik Solheim, Executive Director, UN Environment, and Mr Chandrajit Banerjee, Director-General, Confederation of Indian Industry, today signed an MoU at CII’s headquarters in Delhi.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Solheim said, “Leadership from India is critical where single-use plastics are concerned, but private sector initiatives are even more significant: solutions lie there.”

Mr Chandrajit Banerjee said, “CII will work towards voluntary codes in Indian industry on the issue of plastics, for which there is already a precedent with benefits to firms in terms of credit and shareholder value. Outside of India, CII will engage with industry forums it is linked to in different countries, and especially in Africa via its annual CII-Africa Conclave.”

Mr Atul Bagai, Head, UN Environment Programme Country Office, India, said that the partnership had special meaning since the original proposal came from industry earlier this year during a CEO Roundtable organized by CII. He said he saw this partnership as part of the Global Plastics Platform kickstarted in New York on the 25 September 2018.

Mr Satya S Tripathi, Assistant Secretary-General, UNEP, said that Indian industry could draw upon its strengths in Africa to provide momentum to the plastics initiative.

Ms Seema Arora, Deputy Director General, CII, outlined the work programme for Un-Plastic, which entails voluntary business and investor commitments to ‘un-plastic’ and expectations to disclose annual targets and action taken. She said the co-chairs, Mr Erik Solheim and Mr Jamshyd Godrej, Past President CII of the initiative would take the concept forward with plans for action.

Covering all major areas of interest common to both organizations, the MoU encompasses ‘coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development’.

It provides a framework of cooperation and facilitates cooperation in issues of environment, climate change, renewable energy, energy efficiency, resource conservation and management, water sanitation, smart cities and urban infrastructure.

A major activity planned under the MoU, will be the #Un-plastic Initiative of CII and UN Environment, beginning with a Call to Action including commitments by industry on actions to curb plastic pollution. This builds upon the momentum generated on World Environment Day, 2018, whose theme was, Beat Plastic Pollution.

4 October 2018

New Delhi

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