“Climate tipping points have swiftly shifted from distinct possibilities to urgent realities” 

A spate of climate-related disasters in India and around the world have only served to underline the importance of taking action on climate change on a war footing. Indeed,  the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has also warned that India is set for more extreme heat waves, monsoons and droughts if it continues on its current trajectory.  

India is already experiencing the repercussions of climate change. Extreme heatwaves, erratic monsoons, and intensifying droughts are becoming more frequent, threatening lives and livelihoods. Air pollution exacerbates the crisis, claiming over a million lives annually and reducing life expectancy for millions of Indians by nearly a decade. The societal and economic toll of inaction is clear. 

We catch up with Prarthana Borah, Vice President Sustainability, Momentum India, as we seek to understand the criticality of this situation, and how organisational and institutional action can help mitigate it.

Given that we’ve temporarily breached 1.5°C warming earlier than expected, is your organization reassessing its timeline for climate action and adaptation strategies? 

The current levels of greenhouse gases have reached around 430 parts per million (ppm) of CO₂ equivalent, a significant increase from the pre-Industrial Revolution level of 280 ppm. This rise underscores the pressing need to address the impact we are having on our planet. The heightened concentrations have already resulted in substantial warming, with further warming of at least half a degree already inevitable due to the climate system’s inertia. The breach of the 1.5°C warming threshold serves as a clear call to action, emphasizing the urgency of addressing climate change. 

At Momentum, we don’t just see ourselves as a model but also as a catalyst for positive economic, environmental, and social change within our planet’s boundaries. Our commitment lies in setting an example through sustainable operations and practices, supporting our customers in navigating sustainability challenges. We are dedicated to aiding our customers in redefining their climate objectives by utilizing scientific solutions like the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Our approach involves guiding organizations towards achieving net-zero emissions and carbon neutrality by implementing concrete steps, including the integration of renewable energy sources. 

Through data-driven insights, we pinpoint emission hotspots and recommend the adoption of low-carbon technologies to enhance operational efficiency. Recognizing the pivotal role of supply chains in climate action, we collaborate with suppliers to advance sustainability practices, fostering a collective effort towards a more environmentally friendly future.  

With 2015-2024 being the warmest decade on record, what specific climate tipping points concern you most, and how are these informing your long-term strategic decisions? 

Climate tipping points have swiftly shifted from distant possibilities to urgent realities between 2024 and 2025. The business landscape is directly impacted by these tipping points, especially concerning profitability. The escalating temperatures are triggering more frequent storms, droughts, and heatwaves, disrupting supply chains, impeding workforce productivity, and hampering material movement. Coastal businesses face heightened risks due to rising sea levels and extreme weather occurrences. Additionally, water scarcity resulting from increased evaporation and altered rainfall patterns profoundly affects water-dependent industries, while population growth diminishes available arable land. 

In navigating these challenges, it is crucial to prioritize evaluating the climate risks linked to these tipping points and devising strategies to either adapt to or mitigate these adversities. This necessitates conducting scenario analyses to gauge potential impacts on business operations and resilience.  

The strategic focus should center on sustainable expansion rather than adhering to conventional business practices. Key actions entail emission reduction, embracing renewable energy sources, and fortifying supply chain robustness. Governments play a pivotal role by enforcing transparent climate risk reporting and fostering collaboration among businesses. Frameworks like the TCFD/TNFD aid companies in integrating climate/nature risks into their decision-making processes, ensuring a proactive stance that bolsters  

What concrete steps is your organization taking to both adapt to and help mitigate accelerating climate change? 

Our organization is dedicated to addressing the challenges posed by accelerating climate change. We provide science-based strategies and innovative solutions to support our customers in limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.  

We understand that many companies in India are at the nascent stage of the sustainability journey. Through capacity building and on-the-ground implementation, we deploy initiatives that focus on both long-term strategies, goals, and solutions. At the same time, we engage with senior leadership to identify existing initiatives that align with climate goals to scale and improve.  

For us at Momentum, training and capacity building is an important part of adaptation as it equips a company’s leadership to understand the seriousness of climate impacts and prepare the departments and teams to address risks on the ground. We believe that measuring environmental impact is crucial in developing effective strategies and our training is directed at building capacity to understand, assess and measure impact. This we believe is an important adaptation mechanism.  

Our work is also based on the premise that understanding impact can drive innovation for mitigation. Mitigation is a key priority for us as we work towards sustainable, long-term benefits by tackling the root causes of climate change.