Context:
With 1.2 billion people and the world’s fourth-largest economy, India’s recent growth and development has been spectacular. Over the past 5 years, India has enjoyed consistent rates of growth above 7%. However, due to population growth, the absolute number of poor people in some of India’s poorest states actually increased during the last decade. By 2025, India is predicted to become the most highly populated country in the world. The growing middle class and changes in society have led to transformation in consumption patterns and lifestyles, which have substantially impacted resource consumption patterns. By 2030, India could be the world’s largest middle class consumer market, surpassing both China and the US. Resource efficiency will therefore be crucial for India’s further development to help prevent and mitigate environmental degradation, ensure security of supply of essential resources and reduce the risk of geopolitical imbalances at the global level.
Objective:
The overall objective of the project is to support India in the implementation of the UN global sustainable consumption and production agenda by way of adapting international standards and business best-practices on resource efficiency. The specific objective is to foster the efficient and sustainable use of natural resources in India.
Approach:
The project aims to support the newly created Indian Resource Panel in order to develop new resource efficiency policies in India in various sectors of interest as well as to establish a meaningful India-EU policy dialogue in the sector by show-casing EU standards and business best practices. The technical assistance will provide all the relevant support towards the success of the project by providing:
• Studies on future trends in material demand, resource efficiency and resource recovery in India and formulate resource efficiency action plan and support its implementation in sectors of interest
• Support in facilitating the capacity building of the Resource Panel through presentation of study outputs and policy papers
• Support to the EU to develop a policy dialogue in the sector
• Help to establish partnerships between EU and Indian businesses and stakeholders through business meetings, workshops and participation to business forums
Results:
Towards this aim, the project comprises three main results.
• Under Result 1, a number of studies on key interest sectors will be carried out. The first four sectors to be addressed are mobility, the construction / building sector, renewable (solar) energy and resource recovery from waste (e-waste & plastics and packaging).
• Result 2 foresees a number of advocacy and coordination activities aiming to consolidate the position of the InRP (Indian Resource Panel) within the extended Indian institutional framework and foster business partnerships between EU and Indian businesses.
• Result 3 envisages a number of awareness raising and capacity building activities aiming at different audiences, including the youth and the general public.