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As we seek to make a better world for ourselves, we ironi- cally take away from our planet some of the things that make it great. While pur- suing an agenda of develop- ment is admirable, it cannot be done at the cost of Moth- er Nature. During a power-packed day-long function that wit- nessed participation from the relevant ministries, corporate houses and thought leaders in the space, the Saint-Gob- ain and Economic Times Smart Green Summit & Awards, which is a part of Saint-Gobain’s ‘Shaping the future’ initiative presented in partnership with The Eco- nomic Times, discussed is- sues related to sustainable development and how to create innovative, sustainable habitats that are in keeping with tomorrow’s smart cities, among other topics. The day was rounded off with the Smart Green Awards that sought to shine a light on those that have offered sustainable, innovative devel- opment solutions that em- brace modern-day environ- mental concerns. By recog- nizing leaders that have inno- vated and consistently raised the bar while still being eco- friendly, these awards looked to inspire others to embark on a journey of sustainable innovation that could help society at large. AN ET EDGE INITIATIVE >> The Saint-Gobain and Economic Times Smart Green Summit & Awards saw pre-eminent leaders in the sphere of sustain- ability and innovation dis- cuss topical issues of great relevance. It is esti- mated that we use about 40% more resources every year than we can put back and that needs to change. There is a real need to balance our deep-seated need to move forward technologically and economi- cally, and the need to protect our environ- ment so that we can give tomorrow’s gener- ation a better future. We believe that this unique initiative will increase awareness and curiosity around the field of sustainable de- velopment and innovation At the Economic Times, we belive that sustainability and inno- vation are two building blocks of the holistic development of any nation, and this event shone a spotlight on leaders in this sphere. ET Edge - SPEAK: DEEPAK LAMBA, PRESIDENT, TIMES CONFERENCES LIMITED ● ● ● AWARDEES ● ● ● > Ms. Surubhi Maheshwari (Project Head, IIT Madras) and Mr. Swami Krishnan (Vice President, Employee Engagement and Development, Sasken Communication Technology) jointly receive the Smart Green Technology Award > Mr. Rajesh Sivan (Chief of Projects, Fortis) receives the Smart Green Healing Space Award for Fortis La Femme Bangalore > Mr. K.V.L Subramanian (Dean – Planning & Professor, Dept. of Engineering, Hyderabad) receives the Smart Green Learning Spaces Award for IIT Hyderabad A CELEBRATION OF SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION THE SAINT-GOBAIN AND ECONOMIC TIMES SMART GREEN SUMMIT & AWARDS SHONE A SPOTLIGHT ON THOSE WHO HAVE PURSUED THE CAUSE OF SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION RELENTLESSLY, SOMETHING THAT IS THE NEED OF THE HOUR I n an age where most companies pay sustainability initiatives lip service, it is commendable to see an Indian business leader put sus- tainability front and center while pusuing multiple business objec- tives successfully. Under his leader- ship, a strategy was crafted to make ITC an engine of growth for the na- tional economy through multiple competitive advantages, but it is his work in the field of sustainable de- velopment that has made him and ITC a global exemplar, and this is why Mr. YC Deveshwar is the most worthy recipient of the Smart Green Leader Award for Lifetime Achieve- ment. Championing the cause for Sus- tainability world-wide, he has also steered ITC to become the only com- pany in the world to be ‘carbon pos- itive’ (for 10 years), ‘water positive’ (for 13 years) and ‘solid waste recy- cling’ positive (for 8 years). The com- pany’s businesses and associated value chains generate sustainable livelihoods for around 6 million peo- ple, many of whom represent the poorest in Rural India. The pioneering farmer empower- ment initiative, ITC e-Choupal, is to- day the world's largest rural digital infrastructure and is a case study at the Harvard Business School besides receiving several global awards. ITC was also conferred the World Busi- ness and Development Award 2012 at the historic Rio+20 United Nations Summit for its Social and Farm Forestry Programmes, which has greened over 500,000 acres provid- ing more than 90 million person days of employment. Today, more than 43% of ITC’s en- ergy consumption is from renewable sources. ITC Hotels is the greenest luxury hotel chain in the world with its premium properties LEED certi- fied at the highest Platinum level. Several ITC hotels are predominantly run on wind energy and a number of its factories, commercial buildings and residential complexes are also LEED certified. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. YC Deveshwar said, “Team ITC has been hard at work to realise the vision we set out for ourselves almost 2 decades ago. These 2 decades have seen us become a global exemplar in sustainability, which is much more than just being green. If we continue with the way we are, we consume more than what the planet can bear, we are really on a track that is not sustainable. We must cre- ate a business model that sees us create riches for business and for the environment.” EXPERT SPEAK GUEST OF HONOR “We as architects and developers need to accept that technology will be the drivers of our projects. A combination of active and passive features will make green and sustainable buildings more possible than ever.” VIDUR BHARADWAJ Director, The 3C Company “There are always going to be gaps and holes that need to be filled when it comes to planning a city. We can start to add layers to the city, whether old or new, but maybe the right way of city planning is not to expand outwards, but to consolidate. Rather than consolidate, densify current cities.” SIMON GRIFFITHS Executive Principal, Aedas “When it comes down to what we can do, we need to become more aware of how we can participate in making our cities smart enough to support the plethora of people moving into urban areas. We have 4041 cities in India, and they are full because rural areas haven't been taken care of as they should have.” SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO Hon’ble Minister of State for Urban development, GOI >The Chieft Guest, Shri. Anant Geete (Hon’ble Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, GOI), inaugurated the summit & expo Recognizing a champion of sustainability THE SMART GREEN AWARDS CONFERRED THE JURY SMART GREEN LEADER AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT ON YC DEVESHWAR (CHAIRMAN, ITC), AND THERE COULDN’T BE A WORTHIER WINNER > Mr. Guruprakash Sastry (Regional Manager, Infrastructure/Green Initiatives) receives the Smart Green Office Award for Infosys Software Development Block 2&3, Hyderabad > Dr. Ashok Khosla (Chairman, Development Alternatives & Team) receives the Green Social Change Award “At Saint-Gobain, sustainability is not just the core of our strategy. It is a philosophy that is visible in various facets of our working. Sustainability for us means being in balance with the community and is at the heart of our CSR agenda. We see ourselves as part of a larger social ecosystem and ensure we support community development in various forms. Today, sustainability is one of the biggest challenges that the world faces, and we take pride in our contribution to sustainability and will continue our efforts.” ANAND MAHAJAN General Delegate, India, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh, Saint-Gobain “At a time when the global leaders are congregating in Paris to discuss how to mitigate the effect of climate change on humanity, I’m sure that all of us can make a huge difference to India combining its economic development with sustainability. Much of the Western world, and even China, has been built, but not a lot of it in necessarily a sustainable way. India is now embarking on a journey of growth & development and our thought leaders and influencers such as government, regulators and consultants can together make India’s growth story much more sustainable and much less harmful in the ecological sense. That’s what the Saint- Gobain and Economic Times Smart Green Summit is all about.” B SANTHANAM President and MD - Flat Glass, South Asia, Malaysia & Egypt, Saint-Gobain > YC Deveshwar (Chairman, ITC) receives the Jury Smart Green Leader Award for Lifetime Achievement |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| > Dr. P.C. Jain (Chairman, IGBC) receives the award for Green & Sustainable Initiatives SAINT-GOBAIN SPEAK
