New Delhi: The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), as part of its Circularity initiative, successfully convened the 2nd International Conference on Sustainable Circularity (ICSC), themed “Towards a Nature Positive Pathway: Embracing Circular Economies with Low Carbon Strategies” on the final day of the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2024. Aligned with the initiative’s mission to advance the circular economy, the conference aimed to gather industry stakeholders and governmental representatives to deliberate on pathways toward an automotive circular economy in India.
The event commenced with the Honorable Chief Guest, Mr. Arvind Nautiyal, Joint Secretary & Member Secretary of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), alongside other distinguished dignitaries, unveiling the Context Paper titled “Gas Based Mobility: Fuelling India’s Economy.” This paper highlighted the sustainable aspects of gas-based vehicular fuel, Compressed Bio Gas (CBG), derived from recycling biomass and waste.
The inaugural session, themed “Vision for Fostering Nature Positive Circularity Principles in the Automotive Sector: Policy & Regulatory Framework,” was opened by Mr. Prashant K Banerjee, Executive Director of SIAM, who expressed SIAM’s dedication to responsible nation-building and contributing to India’s ambition of becoming a developed nation by 2047. He emphasized SIAM’s commitment to reducing the auto industry’s carbon footprint and cultivating a sustainable future.
During the session, Mr. Arvind Nautiyal, Joint Secretary & Member Secretary of CAQM, advocated for phasing out old vehicles and incentivizing scrapping and hazardous waste management as essential components of material circularity policies. Mr. Sharath Kumar Pallerla, Advisor at MoEF&CC, stressed the importance of embracing circularity principles to maintain a balance between economic development and environmental responsibility.
Mr. Ashish Chutani, Head of Government Affairs & Relationships at Maruti Suzuki, highlighted three pivotal strategies for India’s sustainable mobility vision: Scrappage, Circularity, and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Mr. Sanjay Mehta, President of MRAI, emphasized the importance of embracing the 6Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, redesign, and remanufacture) to create a circular economy.
Technical sessions delved into various aspects of sustainable practices in the automotive sector, including Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), recycling technologies, and innovative End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) recycling methods. The sessions featured presentations from industry experts and policymakers, followed by insightful discussions on challenges and solutions.
The successful organization of the 2nd edition of ICSC underscored SIAM’s commitment to promoting circularity in the automotive sector, advancing India’s transition towards sustainable mobility. The event facilitated a fruitful exchange of ideas, best practices, and strategies, furthering the collective efforts towards a greener and more responsible future. Additionally, SIAM established a Circularity Pavilion at the expo to showcase ongoing initiatives alongside the conference.
Source www.apnnews.com
