Palampur to host worlds biggest environment congress

Palampur will be the host of yet another conference 4^th World Congress on Environment Management being organised jointly by the World Environment Foundation, World Quality Council and World Council for Corporate Governance. The theme of the conference is “Sustainability through Good Governance”. 20 countries from Chile to Philippines and Iceland to Australia have already confirmed participation. The conference is expected to have 500 business leaders, policy makers and opinion leaders. 

“The Conference this time will be much bigger than the one last year because we are specially involving some of the  biggest investor organisations such as International Corporate Governance Network  headed by Geneva based Andre Baladi. The members of this network control billions of dollars worth of investment funds. Mr Baladi himself will be there with the number of investors” stated Lt. Gen. Ahluwalia, the Chairman of the Organising Committee who was in Palampur to review the arrangements. 

The Congress is the brain child of Dr Madhav Mehra who as President of the World Council for Corporate Governance is an acknowledged world authority on the issues of globalisation, environment and governance. Dr Mehra believes that an effective solution of environmental problem has eluded us because the key issues of globalisation, governance and environment so far have been dealt with in isolation at various international fora and, therefore, have been unable to create the critical mass required for radical action.

The Congress is part of an international initiative by Dr Madhav Mehra which aims to unveil a cohesive, comprehensive and integrated approach by merging these themes and developing a holistic perspective in the pursuit of sustainable wealth creation. As President of the World Environment Foundation he is launching an International Sustainability Movement to focus world attention on good governance, corporate social responsibility, corporate citizenship as a means to achieve sustainability and improve the quality of environment. 

Dr Mehra asserts that the current economic recession is the outcome of a disintegrated approach towards the key issues of globalisation, governance, trade, poverty and sustainability. In his recent interview with the BBC World he advised corporates that sustainability has to be the ultimate end game of the business and they must look beyond immediate profits for the shareholders. The tectonic shift in public values brought by the knowledge economy offers the greatest economic opportunity to corporations to leverage the intellectual capital for creation of new wealth through innovation of ecologically friendly, clean and green technologies that will help cut out waste, serve unarticulated customers and access untapped markets. Both governments and corporations should collaborate to provide incentives on investments that create new business designs and products, which not only minimise the impact on environment but open new markets and fight obsolescence.

The launch of Indian Sustainability Movement as part of the International Sustainability Movement is planned on 5^th June 2002 in New Delhi to sensitise the government, business and civil society on the enormous business opportunity  in restructuring the economy on renewable fuels and innovating products and services to make them environmentally sustainable. This will not only minimise the catastrophic effect of industrial activity on environment but also help us cut the waste and unleash demand from unarticulated customers and untapped markets, thus paving the way for an economic recovery. ISM aims to create awareness among business organisations that sustainability has to become the end game of business and that environment is the biggest business opportunity of 21^st Century. 

The launch of ISM will be followed by a 3 day World Congress on Environment Management beginning in Palampur on 7 June 2002. The Conference will specially discuss case studies of companies that have achieved business success, improved profits and market capitalisation by focusing on sustainability agenda. It will also focus world attention on the plight of mountain people, the need to create  sustainable livelihoods for them and protecting and promoting their unique heritage and culture.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama  has been invited to inaugurate the Congress and present the Golden Peacock Awards on Environment Management, Environmental Leadership and Life Time Achievement in Ecology. The Congress will be Presided by Shri Shanta Kumar, Minister of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution who is also the Chairman of the Advisory Board. The keynote address will be by Shri Suresh Prabhu, Power Minster. This being the International Year of the Mountains the Conference will specially focus on the plight on mountain people and draw world attention on the need for creation of their sustainable livelihoods for them and promotion and preservation of their unique heritage and culture. The Mountain Convention which is part of the Congress will be presided by Shri P K Dhumal, the Chief Minister and the keynote address will be by Dr Karan Singh. The Congress will be attended by Who’s Who of India. Shri Suresh Prabhu, Power Minister, Justice Venkatachaliah, Former Chief Justice of India and Chairman Constitution Reform Committee, Shri Viittal, Central Vigilance Commissioner and Anupam Kher, the well known film star have already confirmed participation. Shri Vittal is the Chairman Steering Committee of the Conference.