Indore (Madhya Pradesh): All the private companies across Madhya Pradesh will now make their own forests under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This is an approved agreement with the forest department. The carbon credit of the forest created will be provided to the company.
India is the first country to legally mandate corporate social responsibility. And, following that, all the companies must spend 2% of their average net profit for the past three years on CSR. Corporate social responsibility is traditionally broken into four categories: environmental, philanthropic, ethical and economic responsibility.
Madhya Pradesh has formulated this strategy under Corporate Environment Responsibility (CER) of CSR. This strategy will help the state keep the forest cover up and help degraded forests in recovery. All the companies registered in Madhya Pradesh are required to invest in CSR following the Centre’s rule. The companies have been informed of the responsibilities and a possible way to mitigate the consequences of pollution through afforestation.
Carbon Credit benefit to companies
To promote investment in forests and keep our tag of having the highest forest cover in the country, the department has also decided to give the benefit of carbon credit to the companies. Carbon credits and carbon markets are a component of national and international attempts to mitigate the growth in concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs). One carbon credit is equal to 1 ton of carbon dioxide, or, in some markets, carbon dioxide-equivalent gases.
A carbon credit is a kind of permit that represents 1 ton of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere. They can be purchased by an individual or, more commonly, a company to make up for carbon dioxide emissions that come from industrial production, delivery vehicles or travel.
Ten-year Micro Plan
Under the plan, companies can invest in the forest and plantations for 10 years. This is a micro plan. A committee of forest department officials will review all applications sent by companies to invest in CER under CSR with the department, as noted in the official document of the forest department.
The forest committee will then approve the application discussing the range where the company wishes to build the forest. MP has agreed to this strategy to keep up its highest forest cover. Among the other states, MP has the highest forest area comprising 25.15% of its geographical area.
Industry-environment balance
Industrial sectors, specified in the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA), have direct environmental footprints that are required to take prior Environment Clearance (EC) from the MoEFCC before setting up any new project / expansion / modernisation of an existing project / change in the product mix.
Incorporation of CER and adoption of this forest’s policy will help a company get the required approval for new projects and changes.
