India today requires the ecological capacity of two Indias. Its Ecological Footprint — the amount of productive land and sea area required to produce the resources it consumes and absorb its waste — is exceeded only by the United States and China. This despite its low average consumption per person, because of its large population. Because of growing population, continued environmental degradation, and increasing consumption especially among the middle class, India's ecological footprint will continue to expand, even as its footprint per person remains low.

A new report from the Global Footprint Network and the Confederation of Indian Industry, titled India’s Ecological Footprint: A Business Perspective (pdf), is well worth reading.

It says that because of the nation's global ecological impact, Indian industries will play a key role in determining both India’s future wellbeing and that of the rest of the world. Although some industrial companies in India are world class in terms of resource efficiency, most could achieve very significant savings.

How to make construction and transportation more sustainable are discussed as case studies. In the transportation sector the particular contribution of EKO Vehicles is noted (see earlier HaraBara article).

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