Page 6 - TCExpessions 2019
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          It was with this in mind that the United Nations (UN)   climate action, clean water and sanitation, affordable and
          had issued 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)   clean energy, sustainable cities and communities, and
          back in 2015 as a “blueprint to achieve a better and more   responsible consumption and production, apart from
          sustainable future for all”. It had called for action by all   providing decent work and economic growth, industry
          countries – rich, poor and middle-income – to achieve all   innovation and infrastructure, and peace, justice and
          the goals by 2030 to “promote prosperity while protecting   strong institutions.
          the planet”.
                                                              In addition, there is the life below water and life on land
          Governments, corporate houses and even individuals   goals to conserve the oceans and marine resources as also
          across the globe have since responded to the call and   manage forests, combat land degradation and conserve
          initiated various measures to promote growth while   biodiversity. And the final SDG is to revitalise the global
          reducing the environmental burden on the planet. But   partnership for sustainable development.
          they’ve barely touched the surface, as yet. In India, the
          Tata Group has taken the lead by committing to attaining   With just a decade left to achieve the goals, there is a
          leadership on the SDGs. Accordingly, Tata Consulting   growing urgency to meet these targets and raise the
          Engineers Limited (TCE) has undertaken many projects in   standards of human development. At the UN’s recent SDG
          line with the SDGs ranging from the conversion of waste   Summit in September 2019, world leaders called for urgent
          to energy to reducing air pollution to clean water and   collective action over the next ten years on the goals.
          sanitation, besides researching on solutions in the areas of
          sustainable transportation and construction.        As the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals Report 2019
                                                              points out, the natural environment is deteriorating at an
          The SDGs explained                                  alarming rate with the past four years being the warmest
          The 17 SDGs enunciated by the UN cover every aspect of   on record. Moreover, global hunger is on the rise, at
          human development – from no poverty, zero hunger and   least half of the world’s population lacks essential health
          good health and well-being to quality education, gender   services, and more than half of the world’s children do not
          equality and reduced inequalities. They also include   meet standards in reading and mathematics. And that’s
                                                              not even considering the growing social inequity and
                                                              injustice worldwide.


                                                              India and the SDGs
                   The Tata group is                          India has an important role to play in the achievement
                                                              of the SDGs, given that the country is home to 28%
             committed to integrate                           of the world’s poor, according to the annual Human
                                                              Development Index 2019 report. The NITI (National

               environmental, social                          Institution for Transforming India) Aayog, which is the
                                                              government’s nodal agency for implementing the SDGs,
               and ethical principles                         has initiated various steps in this direction in keeping with
                                                              India’s commitment to the UN.
             into its business” as this                       Nevertheless, the government faces an uphill task in

             is “central to improving                         ensuring that no one is left behind and that economic
                                                              growth trickles down to the poorest of the poor, even

                the quality of life of                        as it balances development with the protection of the
                                                              environment while upholding human rights. Given the
               the communities we                             enormity of the task, it is essential that corporate India
                                                              steps in and commits to achieve the goals.
                 serve globally and                           Leading the way

               enhancing long-term                            The Tata Group, which has a long history of working
                                                              towards the SDGs even before they were enunciated by

                 stakeholder value”.                          the UN, has formalised its commitment by forming the
                                                              Tata Sustainability Group (TSG). The TSG is partnering with
                                                              all Tata companies to embed sustainability in their core
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