Sustainable Development in India

India has played an important role in shaping the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Therefore, it is no surprise that the country’s national development goals are mirrored in the SDGs. As such, India has been effectively committed to achieving the SDGs even before they were fully crystallized. For implementing the SDG agenda, the Government of India has launched several ambitious programmes.

Recent Developments

Sustainable Development Framework (2018-2022)

  • The Government of India-United Nations Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDF) for 2018-2022 was signed on 28th September, 2018 in New Delhi.
  • This agreement is a reflection of the commitment and efforts made by India towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals.
  • This framework outlines the work of UN agencies in India, to support the achievement of key development outcomes that have been identified in consultation with the government and are aligned to the national priorities.
  • The seven priority areas outlined in the UNSDF are- Poverty and Urbanization; Health, Water, and Sanitation; Education and Employability; Nutrition and Food Security; Climate Change, Clean Energy, Disaster Resilience; Skilling, Entrepreneurship, and Job Creation; Gender Equality and Youth Development.
  • The UNSDF is underpinned by the overarching principle of the SDGs to leave no one behind, echoing the Government of India’s message of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas (collective efforts, inclusive growth).
  • The programmatic work outlined in the UNSDF targets the seven low-income states (Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, MP, Odisha, Rajasthan, UP), the North-East region, and the aspirational districts identified earlier this year by the NITI Aayog.
  • Work will focus on improving the lives of the most marginalized, poor, and vulnerable communities and people in the country, especially women and girls.

Sustainable Development Index 2018

  • The 2018 SDG Index and Dashboards Report provides a report card for country performance on the historic Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  • It is produced by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the Bertelsmann Stiftung.

Highlights of Index

  • The 2018 SDG Index and Dashboards report finds that, although many countries are making progress, all are at risk of failing to achieve the SDGs by 2030.
  • The 2018 Index and Report feature analysis on OECD country progress on the “leave no one behind” principle and G20 government commitments to implement the SDGs, two new features that were not included in previous editions.
  • The 2018 Index and Report find that no country is on track to achieve all of the SDGs, and progress is slowest on the environment-focused goals, such as SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 14 (life below water) and SDG 15 (life on land).
  • India has been ranked a low 110th out of 149 countries on Sustainable Development index (SDI).
  • India’s neighbours: Pakistan (115th), Myanmar (117th), Bangladesh (118th) and Afghanistan (139th).

SDG India Index - Baseline Report (Dec. 2018)

  • NITI Aayog undertook the extensive exercise of measuring India and its States’ progress towards the SDGs for 2030, culminating in the development of the first SDG India Index - Baseline Report 2018.
  • The SDG India Index is intended to provide a holistic view on the social, economic and environmental status of the country and its States and UTs.
  • It has been designed to provide an aggregate assessment of the performance of all Indian States and UTs, and to help leaders and change makers evaluate their performance on social, economic and environmental parameters.
  • The Index has been constructed spanning across 13 out of 17 SDGs (leaving out Goals 12, 13, 14 and 17). It tracks the progress of all the States and Union Territories (UTs) on a set of 62 National Indicators, measuring their progress on the outcomes of interventions and schemes of the Government of India.

Outcome

  • According to the SDG Index, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu have been ranked on top 3 positions and are on track to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
  • Himachal Pradesh ranks high on providing clean water and sanitation, in reducing inequalities and preserving mountain ecosystem.
  • Chandigarh takes the lead because of its exemplary performance in providing clean water and sanitation to its people.
  • Among UTs, Chandigarh and Puducherry are on 1st and 2nd position.
  • Assam, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are at the bottom of the rankings in the NITI Aayog’s Sustainable Development Goals Index.
  • Goa, Kerala, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland were the front runners on the ‘Zero’ hunger sub-index.

Sustainable Development in India

  • India has played an important role in shaping the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This has meant that the country’s national development goals are mirrored in the SDGs.
  • NITI Aayog, the premier think tank of the Government of India, released a draft Three-Year Action Agenda covering years 2017-18 to 2019-20 in year 2017. In parallel, work on a 15-Year Vision and 7-year strategy document is in advanced stages.

Background

  • Sustainable development is a concept that appeared for the first time in 1987 with the publication of the Brundtland Report, warning of the negative environmental consequences of economic growth and globalization, which tried to find possible solutions to the problems caused by industrialization and population growth.
  • The concept of sustainable development formed the basis of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
  • The summit marked the first international attempt to draw up action plans and strategies for moving towards a more sustainable pattern of development.
  • It was not until the Rio Summit, however, that major world leaders recognised sustainable development as the major challenge it remains today.

Sustainable Development Goals

  • In 2015, world leaders agreed to 17 goals for a better world by 2030.
  • These goals have the power to end poverty, fight inequality and stop climate change. Guided by the goals, it is now up to all of us, governments, businesses, civil society and the general public to work together to build a better future for everyone.
  • The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – part of a wider 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – build on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These eight goals, set by the United Nations back in 2000 to eradicate poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease, expire at the end of 2015.
  • The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice.

Need for Sustainable Development in India

  • India faces challenges in economic development, which is to be met from limited resources; with minimum externalities and in presence of an uncertain climate and to overcome this challenge is through the path of sustainable development.
  • Exclusive climate centric focus would lead to huge mitigation and adaptation costs whereas a sustainable development pathway results in lower mitigation costs, besides creating opportunities to realize co-benefits without having to sacrifice the national agenda of enhancing social and economic development.
  • The rise in urbanization and migration rate, agricultural crises and associated complexities in the rural economy, poverty and inequality in India are among other factors that emphasizes the need of sustainable development.

Government’s Efforts towards Sustainable Development

  • For implementing SDGs in India, NITI-Aayog has been identified as the apex coordinating agency. The initial work around mapping of goals with the respective nodal ministries/departments along with targets has been completed. 3 SDGs have also been linked to existing flagship programmes like Make in India.
  • In recent years many policies have been positioned in India to meet environmental and climate change concerns. National Environment Policy (NEP), National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC), and Policy for Farmers are some of these initiatives.
  • These above mentioned policies focus on achieving sustainable development in tune with ecological integrity, economic advancement, and social justice along with the sectoral growth.
  • The National Health Protection Mission ensuring Universal Health Coverage is directly associated with one the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  • Several of the Government’s programmes would directly contribute to advancement of the SDG agenda. A noteworthy example is the Pradhan Mantri Jan DhanYojana (PMJDY) which is the world’s largest financial inclusion programme. By leveraging PMJDY, Aadhaar (biometric identity system) and mobile telephony, the Government has disbursed a cumulative amount of INR 1.6 trillion to 329 million beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfers.
  • India’s bold Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), communicated to the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, form a significant part of its SDG strategy.
  • These include substantially reducing the emission intensity of GDP, tapping non-fossil fuel energy sources and creating additional carbon sink.
  • In Energy scenario, India tends to achieve sustainability by 2022.India plans to produce 175 GW of renewable energy that will include 100 GW of solar power.

State-Level Initiatives on SDGs

  • Assam has set up a Centre for SDGs under the Planning and Development Department and an integrated framework for implementation has been adopted. The state has also developed its own vision for realizing the SDGs, namely, ASSAM 2030.
  • Andhra Pradesh as part of its Vision 2029 has identified indicators for each of the 17 SDGs. It has also outlined the baseline, targets, milestones as well as key strategies for realizing the SDGs.
  • Bihar is in the process of finalizing the roadmap for SDG implementation. The state government is already focusing on a number of areas that are covered under the SDGs including road connectivity and drainage, toilets, clean drinking water, electricity, higher education, skill development and gender equality.
  • Maharashtra is focused on balanced regional development and emphasizes sustainable livelihoods, taking initiative to improve management of water, land and forests, improve access to health and education, and developing skills for employment generation.
  • Kerala has set up elaborate indicators and standards for achieving the SDG 3 on health. The state has sector specific plans for 2030 with emphasis on encouraging entrepreneurship in production sectors, developing the key bases of knowledge economy in the areas of education, S&T, etc., and ensuring environmental and social sustainability.
  • Karnataka focused on technology in 12 sectors: education, medical science and health care, food & agriculture, water, energy, environment, habitat, transportation, infrastructure, manufacturing, materials and ICT.

Corporate Initiatives towards Sustainable Development

  • The Sustainable Development Goals provide a powerful framework for businesses to engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR): In India, the CSR policy under section 135 of the Companies Act (2013) came around the same time as the formation of the SDGs. CSR and SDGs together have tremendous potential to develop an interconnected model for sustainable growth.
    • Say YES to Sustainable MSMEs in India: It is YES BANK’s flagship CSR project which aims to impact 1 lakh SMEs by 2020 through Energy Efficiency (EE), Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) and financial literacy and capacity building initiatives.
    • Micro-grid solar solutions by Tata Power: Tata Power facilitated decentralized distribution of green power in the remote villages in Maval and MulshiTalukas of Pune district. The micro-grid solar solutions offered power access to rural communities at affordable costs. The Company shared its core competency to augment the lack of energy access in remote locations. Technical feasibility and community participation was the key for the success. People took ownership of the project and formed ‘Power User Group’ to manage the project.
    • Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) by Mahindra & Mahindra: M&M undertook IWMP in 32 villages in Damoh district of Madhya Pradesh. The program estimates a total investment of INR 5 Cr. The project began with creating awareness about the programme and enrolling participants from the community. M&M partnered with the Government for its execution, and currently undertakes various interventions such as soil & water conservation and water resource development.

Institutions

Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS)

  • Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) is a New Delhi–based autonomous policy research institute that specialises in issues related to international economic development, trade, investment and technology.
  • RIS in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India and NITI Aayog, Government of India, and with support from the UN in India, is spearheading a programme of national consultations among lawmakers, policymakers, academia, private sector and the civil society on the Sustainable Development Goals.
  • The focus of the work programme of RIS is to promote South-South Cooperation and collaborate with developing countries in multilateral negotiations in various forums.
  • RIS is engaged across inter-governmental processes of several regional economic cooperation initiatives.

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi

  • The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is a non-profit research institution that conducts research work in the fields of energy, environment and sustainable development.
  • Established in 1974 as Tata Energy Research Institute and was renamed The Energy and Resources Institute in 2003.
  • It aims towards focusing on formulating local and national level strategies for shaping global solutions to critical issues.
  • It conducts research work in the fields of energy, environment and sustainable development.
  • Its key area lies in promoting clean energy, water management, pollution management, sustainable agriculture and climate resilient infrastructure.

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