One Environmental Education Center's Industry Initiative: Collaborating to Create More Environmentally and Economically Sustainable Businesses

Abstract

The Centre for Environment Education (CEE) added an Industry Initiative to its portfolio of more traditional environmental education programs in 1993. This article documents the start-up and evolution of that program and the ways that businesses and CEE have worked together for a sustainable future. A specific 18-month project, in which CEE and an industry association collaborated to educate participants, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and increase energy efficiency, is highlighted. The project involved 10 individual small- to medium-sized companies from 7 industrial sectors. Using energy audits and analyses of production processes, teams of stakeholders, CEE staff, and outside experts identified opportunities for reductions, estimated the costs, and made technological improvements. The education and community-building among all participants were important components in advancing the goals of the project and sustaining the effort. Funded by a combination of a United Nations Development Program grant and an investment from the firms, this initiative demonstrated the feasibility of eliminating 1,200 tons of carbon dioxide and produced a working model of an environmental education and business sector collaboration. The approach used in this project is being applied by CEE to new situations, and certain components of the approach have also been documented by others in the literature. A new framework demonstrates the way CEE's approach fits under the umbrella of environmental education.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Kartikeya Sarabhai and the staff of CEE's Industry Initiative: Dr. R. Gopichandran, Jigar Deliwala, A. K. Mary, Darshana Patel, Praveen Prakash, and Shalin Shah have been extremely helpful, providing personal descriptions, documents, project data, and numerous insights essential for the preparation of this case study. I could literally not have completed it without their tireless efforts, good-humored patience, and cooperation. In addition, Bipin R. Patel and Shalin Shah welcomed me to Vatva and Naroda Industrial Estates, respectively, to introduce me to the concept of an “industrial estate,” showed me the operation of their common effluent treatment plants and other facilities, and patiently explained to me how and why these facilities function, cooperatively serving hundreds of small industries located in the same area. Many of the staff members at CEE generously shared their time, expertise, and friendship with me. I extend my most sincere appreciation to all these people for making my stay in Ahmedabad, India, so very enjoyable and for teaching me so much. This work was generously supported by a Fulbright Indo-American Environmental Leadership Fellowship Program Grant, Grant No. 2006/F-IAELP/77.

Notes

¹Ministry of Environment and Forests Environment Impact Assessment Notification S.O.60(E), dated January 27, 1994.

²Gazette notification on environmental audit issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests on March 13,1992 (amended vide notification GSR 386 (E) dated April 22, 1993).

³CEE, established as a “center of excellence” by the Government of India in 1984, is headquartered in Ahmedabad, India; www.ceeindia.org.

⁴ Economic Times, Environ audit may be made compulsory, June 21,1993.

⁵ http://www.niaindia.com.

⁶A report of the project can be found at http://www.uneptie.org/pc/ind-estates/casestudies/Naroda.htm.

⁷Almost 60% of India's total exports of dyestuffs are manufactured in Gujarat.

∗Actual measured reductions/savings in firms that implemented interventions. Reductions and savings without an asterisk represent projected reductions/savings, some or all of which had not been implemented by the firms by the end of the project. Note: Only 9 of the 10 firms that participated in this project are listed here. The tenth firm had to be dropped from the project because the plant only operated seasonally and was closed during the study period.