MSLGROUP report shows Indian millennials want businesses to address climate change

In the run up to UN’s climate change change conference in Paris next month, COP 21, the MSLGROUP asked millennials at BetheChance.com how they feel about climate change. Over 250 millennials (18-30 year olds) from India, Canada, China, Denmark, Poland, United States and the United Kingdom shared their concerns about climate change and firmly put the onus for action on businesses and governments.

The results have been released by the global corporate & brand citizenship practice, Salterbaxter MSLGROUP, via a report called, “A Chance for Change: The Tipping Point for Sustainable Business globally”.

The findings for India are interesing. Both India and China, believe that governments and businesses should address climate change, but Indian millennials believe that while they want cleaner and greener products, they think the change starts with them personally. Chinese millennials, however, believe the change starts with the government:

Schubert Fernandes, asia lead for the Corporate and Brand Citizenship (CBC) for MSLGROUP highlights that both business and government are making an effort. The Government of India recently submitted to the UN a detailed climate change plan known as the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC). Four Indian corporates, ITC Ltd., Tata Steel, Tech Mahindra and Wipro Ltd., scored a maximum 100 Carbon Disclosure Project score to top the Climate Disclosure Leadership Index(CLDI) for the quality of climate change related information they have disclosed to investors.

Indian response

Pascal Beucler, SVP and global chief strategy officer, MSLGROUP, says “Sustainability has become one of top-most priorities for businesses today. Businesses are now increasingly eager to find more ways to add value to their triple bottom line. One could say that there’s a collective desire to be socially and environmentally responsible in how businesses are conducted. Material sourcing and climate change realities are only pushing brands to introspect new ways to operate, and the upcoming COP21 Climate Change Conference in Paris is going to significantly accelerate the movement.” 

The report says companies are already pivoting to respond to the need for sustainable business

Apurva Kothari, founder, No Nasties was in the United States for over 10 years working in Technology in New York. In 2011, he decided to move back to India and wanted to get involved with organic clothing.Kothai found that there had been over 300,000 farmer suicides in the last 15 years -that's more than one every 30 minutes!

No Nasties nows pays a fair-trade premium that is used by the farmers for community development projects. This approach helps not just the individual farmer, but the entire village.

“Considering the fact that millennials in both China and India have seen first hand the impact of human activity on their local environments, it is no surprise that they feel worried,anxious and sad about climate change. Millennials sense an urgent need to address the global issue, where Chinese and Indian businesses should seize the opportunity, engage concerned millennials and involve them as active agents of change to make the difference that is desperately needed,” said Schubert Fernandes, asia practice leader for corporate & brand citizenship at MSLGROUP.