Enhancing Sustainability and Compliance through the CII-EMC 'Corporate Air Emissions Reporting' (CAER) Guide (2024)
In the ever-evolving landscape of corporate sustainability, one issue that continues to pose significant hurdles for companies is the reporting of air emissions. The inconsistency in reporting practices, lack of clarity in pollutant categorization, and operational barriers like differentiating between 'air emissions' and 'ambient air monitoring' are just a few of the challenges companies face.
Overlapping definitions of pollutants like Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs), and Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) further complicate matters, making it difficult for companies to classify and prioritize these air emissions accurately.
However, hope is on the horizon. The Corporate Air Emissions Reporting Guide (CAER Guide), published by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), is designed to address these challenges. This comprehensive guide serves as a vital resource for businesses of all sizes and sectors in India, offering standardized processes with real-world examples for emissions reporting.
The CAER Guide clarifies pollutant categories and provides tools for converting emissions data into relevant units. It establishes clear distinctions between emission loading and ambient air concentrations, and offers guidance on prioritizing and reporting air emissions.
By improving the quality of air emissions reporting, Indian companies can strengthen their reputational capital and position themselves as leaders in environmental stewardship. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) also require companies to disclose data on specific air pollutants like nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SO2), and other significant air emissions in absolute terms.
While global standards favour reporting emissions in mass units like tonne, Indian companies typically use concentration units such as parts per million (ppm) or micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3). The CAER Guide aims to bridge this gap by providing a common language for emissions reporting.
However, the journey towards comprehensive and transparent emissions reporting is not without its challenges. High costs associated with monitoring certain pollutants, like HAPs and POPs, further deter comprehensive reporting. Additionally, companies must adhere to state-specific Pollution Control Board standards, which can vary significantly across geographies, creating barriers to standardizing emissions reporting practices.
To address these challenges, the CAER Guide aims to enhance the capacity of reporting teams through education and awareness-building initiatives. In India, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has introduced the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) framework, mandating the top 1,000 listed companies to report their emissions data.
While the BRSR framework lacks specificity in reporting of air emissions, not prescribing the units for reporting emissions or providing detailed guidance on methodologies, the CAER Guide can serve as a valuable complement to this framework.
In conclusion, the CAER Guide offers a beacon of hope for companies navigating the complexities of air emissions reporting. By adopting the good practices outlined in the guide, companies can improve their reporting accuracy and transparency, ultimately contributing to a cleaner and healthier environment.
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