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Sunday, May 20th
WORLD CONGRESS ON ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT
‘Change Lifestyles to minimise damage to biodiversity’
Ht Correspondent Palampur, June 17
THE FIFTH World Congress on Environment Management on its concluding day today recommended an immediate change in life style and production systems, especially in Himachal Pradesh. It said this had been necessitated by the indiscriminate business activity in the garb of development and prolific consumption; which were threatening life systems. The situation had assumed alarming proportions in mountain environments, where biodiversity has been severely damaged due to mindless mining and construction activities.
The Congress, however, noted that there had been a tremendous improvement by Indian companies which wanted to adopt environment management systems. This was reflected in the increase in number of applications, received for the Golden Peacock Environment Management Award and Eco Innovation Awards.
The meet observed that most environment problems stemmed from poor governance, construction and mining .lobbies, wrong subsidies, lack of penalty for environmental damage, laxity in enforcement of laws on environment and lack of transparency and accountability at the state level.
Focusing on the need for total eco-effective management (TEEM) for upgrading the environment, World Environment Foundation president Madhav Mehra, the brain behind the meet, said: "We will need to change our lifestyles to ensure we are buying, or using products :and services which use less material, consume less energy and have no toxicity. Why must we have processes that emit toxic waste instead of process that leave no waste?" he questioned
Emissions are nothing but process inefficiencies and system failures that add to the dead losses of any industry or company, Mehra said, "We must mimic nature and have double loop production systems that have no waste at all," he advised.
World Environment Foundation chairman Padmabhusan S:Z. Qasirn, however, added that the environment management standard shown by Indian business were perhaps one of the best in the world.
"Dr Madhav Mehra is a phenomenon, nothing describes him better."
Ola Ullsten, Former Prime Minister of Sweden at the 8th World Congress on Environment Management, Palampur, 2006"
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Dr Mehra, I just read your commentary on Satyam....You made one of the wisest observations on board failures I've ever read - "It is difficult to understand something when your salary depends on not understanding it".Brilliant!
Ralph Ward, Boardroom Insider
"Dr Madhav Mehra, has played a significant role to bring about a change in the mindset of the corporate world. India will remember him as a great pioneer who foresaw such a need and strove for inculcating a culture of quality in all spheres of activity."
S S H Rehman Executive Director, ITC Group of Hotels
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"I have known Dr Mehra for the last 8 years in my capacity as the Chairman of the Centre for Social Responsibility,..... Chairman of the S.M. Charitable Trust . I am amazed by the energy, enthusiasm and dedication that he brings to every idea he promotes."
P.N. Bhagwati, Former Chief Justice of India
"Rarely does one come across a legend like Madhav Mehra. I have witnessed his dedication everywhere: building community centres for gaddies of Dhauladhar, hospital and school for slum dwellers in Delhi and addressing corporates on the social role of their business."
Dr Sahib Singh, Ex-Chief Minister, speaking at SM Medical Centre, 13.04.04"
"Had Dr Madhav Mehra just been the founder of the IOD, that in itself would have been a piece of work tat the present and future generations would cherish. But by establising so many other organisations, he has really ensured that we respect him as a pioneering figure of all te good that Indian business is striving for."
Javed Husain, Professor and former Dean of Engineering
"Address of Dr Mehra was a unique experience. I aspire to listen to him again and wish Dr Mehra can find time to address youth in the colleges."
MK Yadav, Hindustan Zinc LTD
"Dr Mehra has given a unique dimension to CSR. His interpretation is particularly relevant to us and we must invite him once again to address our top executives"
Hon'ble Carlton Davis, head of Jamaica's Civil Service"
"Dr Mehra's passion comes alive from his speeches"
Uma Arora, Chairman Idam Learning
"Dr Madhav Mehra's keynote address was the most thought provoking"
N A Patil & R B Rajpune
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