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Air India and UNEP come together to protect the environment
Mumbai, September 5, 2005: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has found a strong Indian ally in the form of Air India, India’s flagship carrier. Air India has established a corporate Environment Core Group under the Chairmanship of Mr. V. Thulasidas, Chairman and Managing Director, Air India. The Group will act as the focal point with whom UNEP would interact on various environmental issues. The Group is meeting in Mumbai starting today till the 8th of September, 2005 at Air India headquarters, Nariman Point, Mumbai to address environmental and social responsibility issues.
This new development has received a boost by this meeting of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) partners. GRI is an international multi-stakeholder process to develop guidelines for companies on how to do environmental and sustainability reporting (similar to their annual financial reporting). The GRI Guidelines is currently undergoing its 3rd revision process.
The working group comprises of about 30 participants, which includes global players like, Hewlett Packard, British Petroleum and Price Waterhouse Coopers, Shell and Indian companies like Tatas, ITC, Rallis, Essar, KPMG, Ambuja Cement, Ernst and Young, Confederation of Indian Industries. This will provide an ideal opportunity for Air India and other Global Compact company participants from India to be introduced to Corporate Social Responsibility management, reporting and the GRI.
In this regard, Mr. Thulasidas said, “As India’s national carrier, we are a part of our country’s effort to ensure ecological stability and environmental well-being of our country, and the world as a whole. As responsible global citizens, we have teamed up with UNEP to ensure sustainable development and progress of mankind.”
UNEP is a world body that is at the forefront of protecting the global environment. It works with governments, industry, non–governmental organizations and the public to set a flight path towards a sustainable future for all. Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director, UNEP, said, “UNEP commends Air India for taking a proactive role in raising awareness of environmental sustainability. The invention of the airplane remains one of humankind’s greatest achievements. With ingenuity and commitment, humankind broke free of gravity. With the same creative energy, we can overcome the challenges of environmental sustainability.”
This association with UNEP will give Air India the opportunity to meet other leading companies in the world and understand the environmental issues that they are addressing.
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CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
