“Sustainability is not an abstract conceptual issue. It is increasingly part of our day-to-day lives.”
Launch of “CII India Sustainability Taskforce 2026: Key Recommendations and Action Framework”
The report proposes an integrated architecture that connects national coordination, clear definitions, credible price signals, catalytic finance and measurable enterprise action
Shri Jayant Sinha, CII ISTF Chairman; President, Everstone Group and former Union MoS Finance & Civil Aviation, Government of India
New Delhi, 28 August 2026: “Sustainability is not an abstract conceptual issue. It is increasingly part of our day-to-day lives. The first task is to connect the dots, and then to respond with the scale and coordination that the challenge demands. The Task Force’s five findings provide a simple operating architecture: bring society together, define what counts, price environmental externalities, mobilise finance, and ensure that enterprises report and act.”, highlighted Shri Jayant Sinha, Chairman, CII ISTF; President, EverstoneGroup and Former Minister of State for Finance and Civil Aviation and Former Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance.
He was speaking at the session on “Accelerating India's Sustainability Transition: Building the Systems for Competitive Growth,” at the 21st Global Sustainability Summit, organised by CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development on 27–28 August 2026 at Hotel Le Méridien, New Delhi, under the theme ‘Accelerating the Sustainability Transition – Speed.Scale. Systems.’
Shri Jayant Sinha highlighted the role of the CII India Sustainability Task Force in bringing together industry, finance, policy, regulatory and academic perspectives to develop actionable recommendations supporting India’s transition towards a competitive, resilient and sustainable economy. He also spoke about the Task Force’s key recommendations to support a resilient, competitive and sustainable industry.
Mr. Ajay Tyagi, CII ISTF Co-Chair and former Chairperson, SEBI, emphasised the need for policy and regulatory frameworks that provide greater clarity and certainty for businesses and investors. To catalyse a holistic transition towards sustainability, he said, “There have to be carbon targets for companies, which, if not met, should have to be met through the purchase of carbon credits, the pricing of which needs to be determined for the Indian market.”
Prof. Amit Garg, Professor, IIM Ahmedabad, highlighted the importance of developing an India-specific Green Taxonomy aligned with the country’s developmental priorities and global competitiveness. He also emphasized on the need for sector-specific transition pathways to help Indian industries navigate emerging carbon regulations and sustain their competitiveness in global markets.
Mr. Amish Mehta, Managing Director & CEO, CRISIL Limited, emphasised the need to improve access to green finance to bridge the gap between India’s green investment requirements and the green finance currently available.
Mr. Rajnish Kumar, Former Chairman, State Bank of India, underscored the need to mainstream the financing for the transition. He highlighted that a credible Green Taxonomy would support better capital allocation, while strengthening reporting and disclosures to enable more informed financing and investment decisions.
Launch of the CII India Sustainability Task Force (ISTF) Report: Key Recommendations & Action Framework
The session also saw the launch of the report “CII India Sustainability Taskforce 2026: Key Recommendations and Action Framework” by CII India Sustainability Task Force (ISTF).
The CII ISTF Report presents key recommendations across five priority areas:
1. A whole-of-government, whole-of-society National Mission: Need for coordinated whole-of-government action embedded within a broader whole-of-society effort.
2. An India Climate Finance Taxonomy: Definingactivities that support mitigation, transition, adaptation and resilience, or enabling services, with credible safeguards and proportionate pathways for hard-to-abate sectors and MSMEs
3. Credible carbon and resource markets: Need for well-functioning markets should place a price on environmental externalities, reward stronger performance and create transparent incentives for industrial transition.
4. A Green Finance Institution: A catalytic GFI should use blended finance, guarantees and risk-sharing to lower capital costs and crowd in domestic and international private investment.
5. A Stronger, progressively broader BRSR: BRSR should be streamlined, digitally enabled and progressively broadened, with credible assurance and clear links to transition plans, capital allocation and measurable outcomes.
The 21st CII Global Sustainability Summit, themed “Accelerating the Sustainability Transition: Speed, Scale, Systems” brought together policy makers, industry leaders and representatives from the fields of sustainability, finance and civil society to advance scalable solutions and strengthen partnerships and accelerate pathways for India’s sustainability transition with greater urgency and impact.
For further information on the Summit agenda and key speakers, please visit:?
https://sustainabledevelopment.in/brands/21st-global-sustainability-summit/