India’s progress in SDGs including Climate change, and CSR Activities

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity. India along with other countries has signed the declaration on the 2030 agenda for sustainable development thereby adhering to the 17 SDGs and the 169 targets. NITI Aayog, the Government of India’s premier think tank, has been entrusted with the task of coordinating the SDGs, mapping schemes related to the SDGs and their targets, and identifying lead and supporting ministries for each target. In addition, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has been leading discussions for developing national indicators for the SDGs. The UN Country Team in India supports NITI Aayog, Union ministries, and state governments in their efforts to address the interconnectedness of the goals, to ensure that no one is left behind, and to advocate for adequate financing to achieve the SDGs. Besides the government of India, the State governments are key promoters of India’s progress on the SDGs as they are best placed to ‘put people first’ and to ensure that ‘no one is left behind’.

India’s pursuit of sustainable development is marked by notable progress in some areas and persistent challenges in others. India has, with a score of 63.45 per cent, been found to be on track on parameters like “poverty” and “sustainable consumption”. The score of 63.45 percent in this regard is a small improvement over the previous year’s 60.3%. India ranked 7th in this year’s Climate Change Performance Index, up one spot from the previous one, and also remained among the highest performers, according to the report released in Dubai during the global climate talks COP28. The climate action efforts involve reducing greenhouse gas emissions (climate mitigation) and/or taking action to prepare for and adjust to both the current effects of climate change and the predicted impacts in the future (climate adaptation). However, the country’s performance in “responsible consumption” has not improved from the previous year’s performance. “Responsible consumption” refers to Consumers who do not harm the environment with natural resources and product consumption behaviours. The country has also fared poorly on parameters such as “no hunger,” “sustainable cities” and communities. On specific parameters of “reducing inequalities” and “life on land”, India’s performance has deteriorated. Life on land relates to conserving biodiversity, where India is close to the bottom of the table. India has been ranked 112th among 166 countries for its performance in 2023 towards achieving United Nations-mandated Sustainable Development Goals. Although India has improved from its previous year’s ranking of 121 in 2022 it still trails behind countries like Bhutan (61), Nepal (99), and Bangla Desh (101). The ranking is based on the ‘State of India’s Environment 2024 report’, published by the think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) – from the data which was drawn from the UN-backed Sustainable Development Report 2023.

Climate Change:

India continues to target and maintain its economic growth by introducing and implementing various policies and measures relating to sustainable development, climate change, resource efficiency, and air pollution.  In 2017 the IMF and the World Bank introduced on a pilot basis joint Climate Change Policy Assessments (CCPA) that provide assessments of preparedness, macroeconomic impact, mitigation, adaptation, and financing strategies for small, vulnerable, and capacity-constrained countries.  This is to help countries adapt and build resilience to climate change.  India has been progressing rapidly towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR):

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a most debated subject understood contextually between dichotomies of profitability and morality. India makes a case for the merger of both these dichotomies through compulsory CSR mandate. Every organization, whether a large multi-national company, a small business, a government agency, or an NGO, impacts the surrounding natural or social environments. Aligning CSR with the SDGs allows companies to concentrate their resources and efforts on areas where they can make a substantial impact. This ensures that CSR activities are not just a philanthropic gesture but a strategic intervention in areas that truly need attention.

Corporate social responsibility is closely related to the concept of sustainable development. The cultural diversity of India offers a multitude of challenges in social development and has been moved towards localization of both CSR and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The influence of this approach is visible in shifting the quantum of money, corporate initiatives as well as government schemes toward various development programmes.

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