India

The world continues to speed down an unsustainable path, despite over 500 internationally agreed goals and objectives to support the sustainable management of the environment and improve human well-being, according to a new and wide-ranging assessment co-ordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The fifth edition of the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5), launched Wednesday in Beijing on the eve of the Rio+20 Summit, assessed 90 of the most-important environmental goals and objectives and found that significant progress had only been made in four.

The quality of environment around New Delhi has worsened and its air pollution and congestion crisis will worsen this decade if urgent steps were not taken to address it, two leading green NGOs have warned.

US solar company SunEdison has launched a new program aimed at bringing renewable power to rural India.

India-based wind turbine manufacturer Suzlon has recorded a Rs479 crore (USD87m) net loss for the 2011 financial year although reporting a yearly revenue growth of 18 percent to Rs21,000 crore.

Consumers in four Asian countries have been identified as being amongst the world’s most involved in societal issues by a new survey carried out by global public relations firm Edelman. China, India, Indonesia and Malaysia are joined by Brazil and the United Arab Emirates in a group dubbed by Edelman as “Purpose Bull Markets” while Japan is among the “Purpose Bear Markets” of Belgium, France, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. Edelman says its Goodpurpose study is designed to explore consumer attitudes around social purpose, including their commitment to specific societal issues and their expectations of brands and corporations.