Contents

 Introduction
 About Us
 Concept of ‘Sustainability’ & Defining ‘Sustainable
Development’
 Global Trends & the State of the Earth
 India trends & the Challenges ahead
 Carbon Emission/ Carbon Neutral/Zero Carbon/ Carbon Offsets
 What can do ? 51 Things you can do !
 Why must you do ?
 A wish for the future
 A Vision and a Pledge
 Questions and Answers

© April 2008 l Global Action Plan International :: Rajeev Kumar Foundation

 Lets Define

 Conservation
 Environment
 Ecology
 Ecological Footprint
 Roles & Responsibilities
 Sustainability
 Stakeholders/Stakeholdership
About Sustainable Development

Bruntland: Commission -
“Development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs”

Rio Declaration -
“Human beings are at the centre of concerns
for sustainable development. They are entitled
to a healthy and productive life in harmony
with nature”

Johannesburg -
“A collective responsibility to advance and
strengthen the interdependent and mutually
reinforcing pillars of sustainable development –
economic development, social development and
environmental protection – at local, national,
regional and global levels”
Global Trends

The challenge of sustainable development arises from

these major trends –
• Rapid increase in population
• Decline resource availability
• Increase in Ecological Footprint
• Dwindling energy sources, while massive flows of material and
energy are used to meet the needs of the expanding population.
• Declining health and capacity of the natural systems
• Rapid extinction of species
• Global 50% drop in freshwater available per person
• Forest losses equal to area of UK/year, plus reduced diversity,
acid rain, etc.
• The top 20% of the world population earns 82.3% of the net
world income, while the lowest 20% earns only 1.5% of the net
income.
• 30-80% topsoil losses significantly reduce diversity, absorptive
capacity, and agricultural productivity.
• Climate Change and Peak-oil
 (1993)
Carbon emissions per Capita (tC/cap)

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Africa

India
China

Other Asia

Latin America

Other Europe

EU12

Former USSR

Japan

Australia

USA

Canada
Global Trends Per capital Carbon Emissions
Global Trends The State of the Earth

 Growing Population
 Increasing disparity
 Economic instability
 Dwindling Resources
 ‘Peak Oil’
 Climate Change
 Local Economics driven Politics
 Unipolar World
 Global Markets
 Technology driven
 Dynamic Life-style
 Indian Trends Marginal Cost Carbon Mitigation

60
6 billion tons of
50
mitigation below
Cost ($/Ton of Carbon) $25/ ton of carbon
40

30

20

10

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
(1995-2035) Carbon abatement (billion ton)
Indian Trends Carbon Emissions by Fuels
Stabilization of GHG Concentration Mitigation Options for India

Mitigation Target
Emissions Gap
Indian Trends Coal Consumptions and Emissions
 Indian Facts India & Climate Change

 A one-meter rise in sea level could displace about

seven million people in India.
 The Gangotri Glacier, the source of the River Ganges, is
retreating at a speed of about 30 meters a year, with
warming temperatures likely to increase the rate of
melting.
 Annual coal consumption in India has more than tripled
since 1980.
 According to research carried out at Oxford University,
the total number of flood zone refugees in India alone
could reach anywhere between 20 and 60 million. Sea
level rises could also prompt an influx of millions of
refugees from Bangladesh.
 In July 2005, the eastern Indian state of Maharashtra
was hit by the hardest monsoon rains ever recorded.
Nearly a meter of rain fell in 24 hours, causing extreme
flooding in Mumbai and elsewhere in Maharashtra.
Indian Facts India & Climate Change

 According to the World Bank, India’s carbon dioxide

emissions have increased by 88 percent since 1990.
 Per capita carbon dioxide emissions in India are
relatively low. The average Indian is responsible for
roughly six percent of the CO2 emitted by the average
citizen from the United States.
 On average, floods affect about 5,000 square kilometers
of land and 4.2 million people in India each year.
 The International Energy Agency expects Indian
national energy consumption to more than double from
2002 levels by the year 2020, increasing from 116 to 252
Gigawatts.
 According to Indian Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy the renewable power capacity was around 8
Gigawatts at the end of March 2006, roughly 6.5 percent
of the total power generation capacity.
 Climate Change Mitigation

Defined as any attempt to

reduce the rate as which
greenhouse gasses are
accumulating in the
atmosphere.

The two options that can be

considered are:
• Reducing Emissions
• Carbon Sequestration
(Locking up CO2)
 Climate Change Facts

 Climate change already plays a role in around 150,000 deaths

worldwide every year, reports the World Health Organization.
 Greenhouse gas emissions are likely to raise global temperatures
between 1.4 and 5.8 degrees Celsius during the 21st century,
depending on what is done to curb global warming.
 A temperature increase of only 2 degrees of pre-industrial levels
could trigger the melting of the Greenland ice sheet, which would
considerably raise global sea levels and threaten biodiversity.
 Zurich-based reinsurance company Swiss Re reports that losses from
natural disasters are doubling approximately every 10 years.
 Researchers believe there may only be a 10-year window to prevent
average global temperatures from exceeding 2 degrees over pre-
industrial levels.
 The CDP which sends out surveys to companies about their carbon
emissions, now has the support of over 200 investment firms
representing a combined 31.5 trillion dollars of assets.
 The 72 percent of FT500 companies that responded to the CDP survey
in 2006 were responsible for emitting 3.5 billion tons of carbon
dioxide, accounting for around 10 percent of global CO2 emissions.
 Essential Components of a Sustainable Community

• A high level of Environmental Integrity;

• An excellent ‘Quality Of Life’;
• Economic Security; and
• Democratic Participation

Carbon Neutral…
The effect on the environment when people calculate their total
climate-damaging carbon emissions and offset them by paying to plant
more trees or investing in green energy such as wind or solar power.
 Some Examples : For communities

The household EcoTeam program On the web, tailored to your community

Including carbon printing and ecological

Household and neighbourhood footprint
sustainability audits

Low Carb Diet / Cool Community Currently available only in the USA

Participation Methods to engage many people in

development

Creating images of the future

 Some examples : For business

EcoDriving
Auditing and benchmarking CO2, sustainability, ecological footprint, etc
Leadership for Sustainable Development Transition to a more sustainable society
Empowering coaching for managers and
project leaders
The Carbon-Neutral Office With a view to the employees' contribution
Participation and motivation
Creating images of the future
 You too can do your bit !!!
If everyone used recycled papers (both sides) and pencil
woods, we can save over 350m trees every year.

 Use mats made from Jute, Coir, straw , weed, etc., with organic colors;
 Organic Soaps, detergents, cosmectics, Deos and other fragrance;
 Organic foods, fruits and vegetables;
 Organic fertilizers, manuars and pesticides;
 Organic Fabric with organic colors;
 Recyclable Bags;
 Furniture made from recycled woods and captive forests;
 Responsible parying and tourisms;
 Ecofriendly materials;
 Eenergy & water saving equipments, sanitary fittings, appliances,
motors, etc;
Built Environment

Natural and Ecological Systems

 Green Roofs and Facades

 Green Parking Spaces
 Rain Water Harvesting & Ground Water
Harvesting
 Wetlands
 Land Preservation
 Grey Water & Strom Water Use
 Habitat corridors
 Native Plants
 Farming on Campus
 Make the system visible and taught as a
Model
Built Environment

 Buildings & Roads set into hillside and

landscape
 Double Skin Buildings
 Passive Lighting
 Passive Climate Management
 Arcades
 Cluster building
 Cradle to cradle
 Material choices
 Pervious pavement
 Recycled materials
 Green Roofs
 GRIHA/LEED standards
 Carbon Neutral
 Alternative energy sources appropriate for
your site
 Set time frames for meeting standards
Built Environment

Creating a New Culture of

Sustainability
 Bike and Walk Campus
 Appropriate Native Greening
 Memory of the landscape of what
was there before the change into the
design (slide of the current state of
the site)
 Multi-Use Parking
 1% for the Arts
 Bike to campus credit
 Public transportation
 Alternative transportation
 Sustainable education on the
workings of the campus
 Refuse, Reuse & Recycle
 Segregate Waste
 Maximize use of Sun Light & Energy
during daytime
 Creating a New Culture of Sustainability

The scale of the building can be small or large,

and still have an appropriate green roof. The
benefits of green roofs for energy efficiency in
the savings of the building have proved to be
quite significant.
With appropriate plant materials, green facades
on buildings do not
have to involve only traditional ivy. Modern
structures use a variety of
Plants. Some structures are built adjacent to a
building to give the
energy benefits of the greenery without
touching the original structure.
 Wetlands

Constructed wetlands use water from

parking lots, parking structures, building
runoff and grey water from interior water
sources. The water is then cleaned in a
series of water retention areas with
appropriate plant materials.
 You too can do your bit !!!

 Used eDocuments (.pdf, etc.), eFax, etc.

 Refillable consumables for your office & home equipments;
 Use IM and video conferencing and Unified Communication Systems;
 Grow plants on terraces and balconies
 Plant trees and use creeper curtains;
 eGreetings instead of Greeting Cards;
 Buy electronic products with minimum toxic materials and only from
companies & vendors who have a scientific take-it-back! system &
replacement policy;
 Use equipments that have the latest 'Energy Star' certification;
 Green Architecture, Green Buildings, Green Campuses;
 Mass Transportation, cycling and walking!
 Green systems such as unified BMS
 Develop Green Data Centers
You too can do your bit !!!

Activities that Support Sustainable Development :

 Community visioning
 True cost accounting
 Comprehensive land-use planning
 Redevelopment of urban areas
 Sustainable forestry
 Community supported agriculture
 Greenways and bike lanes
 Urban growth boundaries
 Transit-oriented development
 Transfer and purchase of development rights

Important Goals :
1. Encouraging Livable Communities - Old and New
2. Protecting Vital Resource Lands
3. Reversing Unsustainable Transportation Trends
4. Conserving Energy and Non-Renewable Resources
5. Enhancing our Quality of Life by Linking
6. Environmental, Economic and Social Goals
7. Clean Environment, Low Crime, Good Education !!!
8. Back to Basics !!!!
 You too can do your bit !!!

Transportation
 Depend less on automobile for short trips
 Ride your bike to work or school
 Cut down on trips
 Car pool
 Take mass transit
 Drive a fuel-efficient vehicle
 Drive the speed limit
 Combine trips
 Use biofuels, such as ethanol or biodiesel
 Consider working on issues of safety in your community so that
children can walk or ride a bike to school and other activities without
fear
 Prioritize actions that will improve the quality of your life
 Ask yourself - "Is it more important to have more time or more money"
 Determine what you value in life
 You too can do your bit !!!

At Home
 Turn off lights and electronics when not in use
 Install energy-efficient light bulbs (e.g., CFLs)
 Take shorter showers/Install water-efficient showerheads
 Avoid overflushing the toilet/ Install water-efficient toilets or switch to
eco-San
 Green Architecture and Buildings
 Recycle
 Buy less – Buy what you need
 Distinguish between wants and needs
 Buy recycled or green products
 Donate used items
 Mulch around trees and shrubs and in gardens and flowerbeds
 Water your lawn, trees, shrubs, flowers, and gardens with rain water
 Water early or late in the day
 Turn up the thermostat in the summer
 You too can do your bit !!!

If everyone used recycled papers (both sides) and pencil

woods, we can save over 350m trees every year.
 Plant more trees in private property and take care of it! Use only
appropriate species!!!
 Plant more suitable trees in the semi-arid and waste lands and
afforestration plans
 Use potable water only for potable uses
 Recycle waste waster and swerage in the locality itself and utilize the
recycled waster and slug locally
 Use local maerials extensivly for buildlings, and recycle debris
 Use renewable energy

At a Personal Level
Get active
Talk with your legislators, politicians, policy makers, , etc.
Pursue a career in environmental protection, green building, renewable energy,
resource conservation, etc.
Encourage/Teach others
Set an example !!
References Acknowlegments

 http://www.un.org
 http://knowledge.allianz.com
 Central Knowledge Repository, Rajeev Kumar Foundation.
 UNIFCCC
 The World Bank
 Global Action Plan International, Sweden.
 Government of India, Science and Development
 Network (SciDevNet),
 BBC,
 New York Times,
 International Energy Agency
 Stanford University Energy and Sustainable Development
Program
 Social Responsibilities
“.. To say it is impossible because it
Understanding your Rights & Duties
is difficult is not in consonance
Socialising
with the spirit of the age. Things

dreamt of are being daily being

seen.

The impossible is ever becoming possible.”

- Mahatma Gandhi
Father of the Nation, Republic of India
 Thank You
raja.rajeevkumar@gmail.com : : +91 9886 194 776
© April 2008 l Global Action Plan International :: Rajeev Kumar Foundation