Green tech or green technology is an umbrella term that describes the use of technology and science to reduce human impacts on the natural environment. It encompasses a wide area of scientific research including energy, atmospheric science, agriculture, material science, and hydrology. Green Technology as a subject matter has invited a series of discussions in many forums and platforms, however it still stands to seek much more attention and action in order to positively and visibility influence the environment.

Green technology includes sustainable or environmental technology and it covers continuously evolving groups of methods, practices, and materials, from techniques for generating energy. Many green technologies aim to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in order to prevent climate change. Waste Management and Solar Power are one of the most successful green technologies and are now cheaper to deploy than fossil fuels in many countries. Creation of increasing awareness about the impacts of climate change and the depletion of natural resources thus stands as a need of the hour. 

World Trade Center Bhubaneswar in association with Sri Sri University and UNDP organized "Green Technology Conclave 2022" at Sri Sri University Campus. The session was addressed by experts and practitioners from the industry to address the conclave and thus provided a platform for constructive interaction among the industry experts, academic experts and students on the subject helping us to identify more areas and explore ideas on sustainable enterprise development. 

Prof. B.R Sharma, Vice Chancellor, Sri Sri University in his address elaborated on the Net Zero Target for 2070, University’s environment friendly practices, objectives of sustainable development and the significance of maintaining harmony with the nature with the absence of which could lead to imbalance in natural forces which in turn would trigger climate change and natural calamities. He further spoke about the infrastructural development of the university in quarry and its impact on the nature, implications of Vedic mantras in our day-to-day life and the necessity to abstain from genetic modification and chemical fertilizers in agriculture.

Mr. Pawan Kumar Gupta, IEDS, Joint Director & HOO, MSME-DI, Cuttack inaugurated the session and highlighted various grass root level activities/initiatives undertaken by the Govt. of India to address global change. He further spoke about various incubation centres under the Ministry of MSME, guidelines for Seed Funding to start enterprises, how incubation centres support innovative projects and the handholding support required to support the start-ups.

Mr. Prafulla Dhal, CSR Head, JK Paper shared his insights on the Green Technology Dialogue. During his address, he spoke about the initiatives undertaken by the corporates though CSR activities and the relevance of leadership in technological advancements. “Technology doesn’t necessarily have to be about machines, it can be ideas, innovation & creativity”, he added.

Ms. Abha Mishra, State Head, UNDP Odisha, advocated the non interference with nature and its activities in order to address the present global scenario with respect to environmental impacts. She also highlighted how responsible choices and decisions can effectively act as a game changer for climate change.

Ms. Swapnasri Sarangi, General Manager, Programs, Foundation for Ecological Society (FES) emphasized on the pathfinders for Green Technology. She highlighted the basic elements of survival and technological innovations for the basic necessities in our lifestyle. She further urged to safeguard the natural resources at the very basic level starting from our homes. “We need to learn from the examples and start adapting the age old practices in order to protect our planet and preserve the resources”, she added.

Mr. Gati K Acharya, CEO, Crux Power Private Limited during his address spoke about various implementations we need to adapt with a vision to address climate change. He emphasized to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels and to look out for opportunities in eco-friendly alternatives.

Mr. Vishwajeet Kumar, NBI and R&D Head, Surya International Private Limited highlighted the objectives and vision of the organization which falls in line with the sustainability target. In addition to that, he spoke about the implications of lithium ion batteries, concept of Green Hydrogen as an energy source and Shell Fuel concept.

Mr. Narasingh Panigrahi, Director, Shree Ganesh Recycling Private Limited encouraged keeping a substantial check on both production and consumption of fuels while ensuring prioritization of sustainable sources of energy. He further urged reduction in waste generation and proper management of the waste generated. He also advocated the use of plant based products in place of plastic and other non sustainable materials.

Mr. Amit Nanda, Director, Sattatva Sustainable Development Solutions Private Limited presented a case study on the subject matter. He highlighted certain lifestyle changes we all need to incorporate in our daily lives to curb the environmental impacts of modern civilization. In his presentation, he deliberated on the way forward for green technology as a concept, environmental impacts of coal as an energy source, benefits of solar energy in the long run, collaborative consumption cum remanufacturing, reuse of infrastructure and industrial symbiosis. He further stressed upon the trends like Digital Adoption, Supply Chain Rebalancing, Sustainability, Health etc. He underlined the 5R Approach in circular economy like Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Remanufacture and Recycle.

Earlier in the session, Prof. R.N. Satapathy, Director, Office of the Vice Chancellor and Dean, Emerging Technologies & Science, Sri Sri University welcomed all the esteemed speakers and deliberated on the visionary of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and various initiatives undertaken by the university to promote sustainability.

With a purview to promote sustainability and eco-friendly practices, students of Sri Sri University were provided an opportunity to showcase their innovations which would accelerate addressing the global issue. The presentations were analyzed by the experts in the panel for ideation and were further provided with necessary guidance for proper implementation of such projects in their entrepreneurial journey.

The session was followed by an open house discussion and Q&A session.

Ms. Nimeshika Natarajan, Assistant Director, World Trade Center Bhubaneswar moderated the session and proposed the vote of thanks.