About
Overview
The Center of Excellence for Sustainable Development at Great Lakes, Gurgaon has been set up in alignment with the Institute’s Vision and Mission of contributing to creation of a sustainable society. The Centre endeavors to create a collaborative environment to embark upon cutting-edge research, its dissemination and outreach, course curriculum and content development to support teaching aspirations, and community engagement within the context of the Sustainable Development Goals, with specific focus on selected few SDGs. The Centre leverages the inherent expertise available with Great Lakes, Gurgaon for data driven decision making for stakeholders. The activities undertaken by the Centre have internal as well as external channels of engagement through thought as well as action-based outcomes.
Set up in April 2023, the Centre is currently headed by Dr. Sanghamitra Bhattacharyya, Professor, at Great Lakes, Gurgaon.
Objectives
The list of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their sub-goals formulated in 2015 together provide nearly 200 actionable goals to be achieved by 2030. The CoE for Sustainability of Great Lakes, Gurgaon aims to address some selected SDGs, through training, consultancy, workshops, conferences and research. The list of SDGs that the Centre intends on focus on are merely indicative at this stage.
Overall, the objectives of the CoE are:
- to contribute to creating environmentally and socially responsible business managers
- to emerge as a credible thought-leader with intellectual contributions that can make businesses and societies sustainable
- to help support the implementation of best practices in businesses, organizations and communities to create a more sustainable society
Activities
While the scope for every SDGs are vast and often all encompassing, we propose to adopt a Break down Analysis (BA) framework whereby we propose to isolate the key components of the goal, formulate the problem and break down the components we plan to address. In the next stage, we will analyze in details the existing problems and where the center can leverage its expertise in addressing them. Once the goals are identified and formalized, we will propose Solutions (S) involving data analytics. The effectiveness of our proposed solutions to SDGs can be measured only through the Impact (I) it has as compared to the baseline). The Centre proposes to carry out extensive impact analysis of our proposed solutions. Finally, Communication (C) of the solutions are key to the success of the Centre. The Centre will focus on effective communication of interventions (both by the Centre as well as other agencies) for maximum impact and visibility.
The table below presents an indicative framework that maps the various intended outputs of the Centre in the context of SDGs:
| SDGs | Breakdown Analysis | Solutions | Impact | Communication |
| 4.3 | Focus on education participation of women on higher/technical studies | Higher participation rate | Mostly on the “cohorts: around them. Measure impact of higher women participation on the “batches” | Research and case studies; dissemination through conferences and other industry bodies |
| 4.7 | Produce Professionals, Business managers who are more “inclusive” and “sensitive” | Various Interventions and design standardized tests – on learner cohorts in Great Lakes, Gurgaon as well as other comparable institutes | Measure impact of the interventions by administering the tests | Research and case studies; dissemination through conferences and to academia |
| 6.4 and 6.5b | Planning, Conservation and management of fresh water in vulnerable areas during normal times as well as during times of stress (floods and cyclones)-in Sunderbans area |
|
Detailed impact studies using Randomised Control Trials (RCTs), Difference in Difference Methods (DID) to measure the impact of (b) | For (a), dissemination of the index that can be used by anybody interested-an open access index. For (b), through specific consultancy and white papers that aims to influence policy |
| 11.6 and 12.5 | Focus on sustainable consumption and production practices; dissemination of best practices among the target group and create aggregate measures city wise |
|
For (a) usage by others. The indices constructed to be the benchmark “Prosperity-Environmental” index used by all. For (b), usage by others. For (c), impact studies that measure baseline versus end-line outcomes as far as communication effectiveness is concerned |
For (a) and (b), index to be hosted and will be ready to be used by all
For (c) Research and case studies; dissemination through conferences and to academia |
| 12.6 | Identify and create a compilation of industry level best practices | Consultancy as well white papers that promote sustainability practices |
|
Consultancy, dissemination in industry and other academic forums, policy think tanks |
| 12.8 | Identify the top sustainable practices individuals must adopt and design effective communication strategies to disseminate | Communication strategies of best practices | Feedback from various stakeholders | Seminars, newsletters, podcasts and other popular methods |
In order to meet its objectives, the Centre is in the process of forging partnerships with Government of India, corporates, not-for-profits and think tanks, and international academic partners.
Since its inception, the Centre:
- has published three articles in business press, co-authored by Prof. Sanghamitra Bhattacharyya and Prof. Bappaditya Mukhopadhyay, of Great Lakes, Gurgaon
- is working on developing two indices: (a) “SDG in public narrative” index, and (b) Monthly Prosperity Index.
- A book titled “Data Science for Social Good in India" co-authored by Dr Bappaditya Mukhopadhyay and Mr Avik Sarkar is proposed to be released from the Centre, in early 2024. The book has collaborators from Policy makers, Government, Academicians, Corporates etc.
- Construction of Prosperity Index (using Nightlight data) is underway
- A tool for measuring individual’s Environmental Quotient – EvQ (similar to IQ and EQ) is currently under development by Great Lakes, Gurgaon faculty
SDGs
Research and Publications
Research articles published in peer reviewed journals are given below:
- Lund, I.H., Shaikh, F., Harijan, K. Kumar, L, Dagar, V (2024). Prospects of natural gas consumption in Pakistan: based on the LMDI-STIRPAT PLSR framework. Environmental Science Pollution Research, 31, 2090–2103. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-31274-1
Four other articles are forthcoming
The Centre has also published four articles in business press, viz.
- How India fares on Sustainable Development Goals – 4 graphs offer an insight (co-authored with Dr Bappaditya Mukhopadhyay of Great Lakes, Gurgaon) (April 2023: https://news.abplive.com/india-at-2047/opinion-how-india-fares-on-sustainable-development-goals-4-graphs-offer-insight-1596349)
- UNSDGs need to be introduced into curriculum to prepare skilled managers to lead firms in sustainable development (https://thecsruniverse.com/articles/unsdgs-need-to-be-introduced-into-curriculum-to-prepare-skilled-managers-to-lead-firms-in-sustainable-development)
- Can Green Credit Programme Change Behaviors Towards A Sustainable Future? (3rd Oct 2023: India Times-a Times of India publication) (https://www.indiatimes.com/explainers/news/green-credit-programme-for-changing-behaviors-towards-a-sustainable-future-616399.html)
- Women's Reservation Bill 2023: The need to do more than just pass the bills (Forbes India, 8 Nov 2023: https://www.forbesindia.com/article/great-lakes-institute-of-management/womens-reservation-bill-2023-the-need-to-do-more-than-just-pass-the-bills/89565/1)
Winter Business School Conference
1st International Winter Business School Conference (WBSC 2022)
On 19th and 20th December 2022, Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon hosted their first international conference, titled “International Perspectives in Economics & Management for Sustainability”, participated by renowned international and national speakers, researchers, representatives from industry as well as government of India. With this conference, which saw participation from nearly 75 delegates, Great Lakes, Gurgaon signaled its intention to emerge as a leading academic and research institute in the sphere of “Sustainable business practices” and offer to industry not only competent and environmentally responsible management professionals but also intellectual capital in all spheres of sustainability. Details of WBSC 2022 can be found on here.
2nd International Winter Business School Conference (WBSC 2023)
On 20th and 21st December 2023, the 2nd Winter Business School Conference with the theme of “Managing Businesses for a Sustainable Future: G-20 and beyond" was held in the Great Lakes, Gurgaon campus, under the aegis of the Centre. The conference, attended by nearly 100 delegates from India and abroad, served as a platform for academicians and industry practitioners to explore innovative theories and applications of ‘sustainability’ in various domains of management practice. The conference also hosted panel discussions with reputed speakers from business organizations, policy makers and think tanks, and academia, from India and abroad. Details of WBSC 2022 can be found on here.
