An emerging country like India needs to address the disproportionate and steadily increasing amount of natural resources required to sustain changing, urbanised lifestyles and raw materials for industry. With a rapidly growing economy, India is expected to have the world’s 3rd largest consumer market by 2020, with a global consumption share of 13%. With such consumption levels, the demand for resources will continue to increase. It will have impacts on the economy and environment. Indian industries, particularly small and medium enterprises, have not yet adequately explored resource-efficient production using material-efficient production processes. Also the use of secondary raw materials as a replacement of primary resources is lacking practice and acceptance in industry and society.
The Project, funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Ministry of Environment (BMUB), in coopreation with the implementation partner, the Indian Ministry of Environment (MoEFCC), aims on improving resource efficiency in production and utilisation of secondary raw materials while focusing on two sectors with high growth and consumption patterns: automotive and construction industries.
Key policy-making institutions in the fields of environment, climate, industry and natural resources create the framework and enabling an environment for improving natural resource productivity and secondary raw materials management, thereby providing an important contribution to environment protection and climate change mitigation.
Resource efficiency is addressing resource needs and access. Both are important factors in promoting social, economic, and environmental well-being. The main elements contributing to resource efficiency are:
- Produce more from fewer resources
- Transform waste to resources
- Minimise impact on environment
Focused intervention areas are:
- Assessment of resources
- Demand and material flows
- Replicable pilot interventions
- Policy recommendations
Expected Results
- Undertake a baseline study indicating abiotic material flow and consumption patterns for primary and secondary raw materials in various production processes in the two sectors. This will be published and utilised by the Indian government and relevant stakeholders.
- Operate pilot projects in the selected sectors, automotive and construction, to demonstrate the economic viability of ecological measures and to initiate Capacity Development in the private and public sector. These projects will create business potential for reduced material consumption during production and for the utilisation of secondary resources.
- Establish an Indian Resource Panel (InRP) to provide policy recommendations to the Indian Government based on the project learnings. It will create an enabling framework for resource efficiency and the usage of secondary raw materials leading to a national action plan for resource Efficiency and management of secondary raw matrials.