Pollution Control Board to seek environmental compliance reports by companies from SEBI

Kolkata: The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) will soon hold a meeting with SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) to understand if the BRSR (Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting) report submitted by the companies, regarding environmental compliances, really reflect the true picture.

Market regulator SEBI has recently mandated 1000 top companies to submit their BRSR report stating how much they comply with ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) norms along with their value chain partners.

“The BRSR report has been designed in such a manner that it doesn’t give feedback to us. We will hold a meeting with SEBI representatives in the state to create a system where we can get some idea from the audit report which is submitted by the different companies along with their value chain. We are responsible for assessing these companies’ waste management, water effluent compliance, air pollution curbing measures etc. Hence, we want to be in sync with them to keep track of the good practices that they are undertaking for improving the environment. Every company is trying to address environmental concerns. By working together, we can make a significant impact,” said Rajesh Kumar, member secretary of WBPCB said at the 17th Environment Partnership Summit organised by Indian Chamber of Commerce on Thursday.

Tapas Gupta, chief technical officer of WBPCB, said plans are afoot to take up at least one case study involving a company that received environmental excellence awards at the summit to assess how much benefit is being delivered to the supply chain.

Md. Ghulam Rabbani, minister in-charge of the Environment department, said that the state has implemented effective policies, offering financial subsidies and promoting the adoption of solar energies. He maintained that these initiatives aim to transform the state’s economy into a green one. Additionally, efforts are directed towards providing organic fertilisers for landscaping, clay pack formation, and roadside beautification. “The construction of net zero buildings is on the rise, reflecting the state’s proactive stance on environmental issues,” he added.