It's not simply a moral choice. According to the FE-EVI Green Business Survey ‘green power’ is the only way to help create a more environmentally sustainable — and profitable — economy. Launched on the occasion of World Environment Day, conducted by The Financial Express, the first business daily to map this terrain in partnership with Emergent Ventures India (EVI), a leading climate change mitigation advisory firm, hopes to show how eco-friendly practices are far more than a nod to corporate social responsibility; they are the crucibles of new business ideas. The study, which comes at a time when the Indian Government has decided to make ‘Going Green’ the new USP of its manufacturing practices, will figure out just how fast Indian companies are moving into the business of tomorrow. It will track their performances, applaud them if deserved and will ask FE readers to evaluate this century’s most important transformations in business practices.Of course, converting challenges into a sustainable business proposition has cost implications. While some businesses are tweaking their operations with incremental results, others are taking strategic decisions to integrate sustainability into their long-term goals. A panel of eminent judges will use a standard set of criteria to evaluate the processes and practices followed by respondents and shortlist the top 50 climate-friendly companies. Follow the leaders every Monday in The Financial Express.The FE-EVI Green Business Survey will also help companies compare themselves with their peers across sectors. It will serve as a reference tool for industry bodies, rating agencies, financial institutions, opinion leaders and consumers. In the end, the survey will come up with a set of recommendations for policymakers and industry practitioners on the advantages of following a low-carbon growth trajectory.
