Forging a Sustainability Lens
Anuja Ojha's entry into the world of sustainability was not a direct academic pursuit but a personal and professional evolution. After completing her business administration studies, she began her career in the fashion industry. She started with one of India's largest manufacturing units, a major global export house. Her path unfolded on a global scale, where she spent over 15 years managing sustainability initiatives in India and globally. This extensive tenure provided her with a distinct vantage point on corporate responsibility, which she now uses for her holistic consulting.
A key insight emerged early in her career: the necessity for "the coming together of the functions for sustainability". Sustainability, she realized, cannot reside in a single department. It is an intricate web touching supply chain partners, value chains, diverse operations, and critical decision-making processes across organizations. Her roles encompassed a broad spectrum, from supply chain and consumer engagement to worker well-being programs. Despite their imperfections, this comprehensive exposure within industry-leading companies highlighted a significant reality: these organizations possessed the "intent and the weight and the muscle behind" driving substantial sustainability initiatives from their foundational stages.
The period of her corporate engagement also marked a critical shift in the industry itself. Sustainability transitioned from a niche concern to a "mainstream function for many other brands". This overall momentum and the "give and take in the industry" influenced strategic thinking within large enterprises. It presented a dynamic environment where concepts were not "frozen in time" but constantly evolving, demanding continuous learning and adaptation. Her corporate background thus served as a platform, providing exposure and orientation in this rapidly changing field. This foundational experience shaped her understanding of sustainability as an integrated business imperative, not a peripheral CSR activity. It gave her a comprehensive understanding of how large-scale change takes root within complex systems.
"The most interesting thing that I could see as an individual, and as a professional is the coming together of functions for sustainability"
The Ground.
Where Grand Climate Ambitions Meet Indian Realities.
My Encounter with Shivani Mehta
by Albert Schiller
From Academic Ideals to
Village Earth
Shivani Mehta's professional trajectory was set early, diverging sharply from the conventional career paths of a doctor or engineer. Her innate "liking towards environment" hinted at a deeper calling, a personal resonance that would shape her life's work. Her academic foundation began with a bachelor's in Environmental Science at Ferguson College in Pune. This was a pioneering choice at the time, as only a handful of Indian universities offered such courses. This initial academic pursuit, however, merely scratched the surface of her evolving understanding of environmental realities.
The true crucible of her learning, the "turning point in my life", arrived with her Master's in Sustainability at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). The curriculum here was not confined to lecture halls. It mandated immersive "field visit[s] in every semester". This meant living "in a village along with the villagers", confronting raw, unvarnished realities that textbooks could not convey. Shivani experienced life devoid of urban conveniences: "without bedding, without electricity, without a proper toilet facility". She shared their daily existence, eating the "local food that they eat", immersing herself in their rhythms and challenges.
This direct engagement with rural life was an "eye-opening experience". It revealed a philosophical notion: sustainability was not an abstract concept to be implemented, but a lived reality, deeply woven into traditional existence. "The rural people are actually having the lifestyle that we should have," she observed. Their practices, born of necessity and deep connection to their immediate environment, showcased an inherent, often overlooked, wisdom regarding resource management and ecological harmony. This direct encounter fundamentally challenged her preconceived urban notions of progress and efficiency. It instilled a deeper understanding of the human element at the heart of environmental issues.
Following her social work insights from TISS, Shivani pursued a second Master's in Climate Change at the University of East Anglia, UK. This move was a deliberate attempt to "get back into science again", seeking to bridge the gap between scientific understanding and social impact. Yet, the vivid lessons from the villages "stuck with [her] so strongly". Combining rigorous scientific knowledge with empathetic grassroots understanding, this dual perspective became the unique lens through which she approached climate change work. It led directly to her role with the Government of Maharashtra and as a UNICEF representative, where policy met the ground realities she intimately understood. Her journey indicates that genuine understanding often transcends academic theory, being forged in the crucible of direct, lived experience.
"The rural people actually have the lifestyle that we should have."
The Shifting Sands of Certainty
Human systems are built on order. We establish legal and commercial structures, seeking to manage complexity through defined rules. How does this precise approach align with the expansive concept of sustainability? Shashank S, whose professional foundation lies in the rigorous fields of law and business, offers a pointed view on this transition. His journey from established certainties to the fluid demands of planetary health reveals a necessary shift in intellectual perspective.
Shashank views ESG and sustainability as interconnected. They link finance, biology, sociology, and moral science. This broad scope suggests no single professional background is a prerequisite for engagement. He considers sustainability a composite of all acquired knowledge, a continuous learning process from early life onward. This understanding implies that individual experience profoundly shapes one's capacity to address environmental, social, and governance challenges.
A fundamental distinction for Shashank exists between human-made regulations and the planet's inherent system. Legal frameworks, he explains, are human constructs, "prepared by us" and "followed by us," based on historical and economic contexts. Sustainability, by contrast, existed long before humanity and will continue to exist after. He directly states, "The earth does not need us". Our efforts, often framed as "saving the earth," are about "saving just ourselves". This insight implies that human responsibility for sustainability stems from a pragmatic need to secure our own future, not from safeguarding the planet itself.
This perspective alters the foundation of environmental stewardship. It moves the discussion from an abstract moral imperative to a tangible necessity for self-preservation. The essence of sustainability, therefore, is not about imposing human rules on nature. It is about understanding and operating within the planet's own large-scale system. He concludes this "big gambit of sustainability" cannot be confined by the "little tiny... rules and regulations that the humans have prepared". This forms the bedrock of Shashank's view, demanding humility and perpetual learning when confronting a complex, self-regulating global environment.
"The earth does not need us, you know. In a sense, we might go out about bragging, saying we are trying and saving the earth, but ideally, we are saving just ourselves."
From Geography to
Global Resilience
Why do some endeavors struggle to take root despite meticulous planning and noble intent, while others flourish against all expectations? The answer often lies not in grand strategy, but in the unseen threads of human connection and understanding. Ariba Naaz, a professional deeply immersed in the world of sustainability, offers a perspective that doesn’t rely on corporate jargon and is devoted to finding core truths. Her journey, initially rooted in the abstract systems of geography and disaster management, reveals a consistent theme: the indispensable role of the human element in any genuine push for a more sustainable future. This is evident when examining the concept of ESG. Environmental, Social, and Governance. As Ariba declares, the "Social pillar often remains neglected,” losing the latent anchor that determines the effectiveness of the entire structure.
Ariba's professional path began not with a direct pursuit of sustainability as it is often defined today, but through the lens of disaster management. She notes that sustainability was always a complementary subject alongside her geography and disaster management studies. For her, the two fields are intrinsically linked, "different sides of the same coin". Disaster management focuses on building resilience and preparing for crises, while sustainability aims to prevent crises from occurring in the first place. This initial framework, where prevention and mitigation are two facets of the same objective, set the stage for her later understanding of sustainability’s broader implications.
The transition from academic theory to corporate application quickly illuminated a pragmatic reality. In the corporate sphere, "everything is about managing costs". This is not a dismissal of sustainability's purpose. It is a sensible recognition of the environment in which it operates. Even well-intended initiatives, Ariba explains, aim to create a system where "there are no incidents, so that that could harm the flow of work in our everyday life". This objective, viewed through a corporate lens, translates directly to cost minimization. The conceptual overlap between disaster management’s preparedness and sustainability’s prevention became apparent. Both ultimately seek to minimize disruptions and associated financial burdens.
"Sustainability and disaster management. They go hand in hand with prevention and mitigation. They are the same. They are different sides of the same coin."
Translating Engineer Vocabulary to a Worldview
Can mastering a language fundamentally alter an engineer's approach to problem-solving? Swati Devi's journey into Japanese culture presented this very challenge and opportunity. Her initial perception of learning Japanese was pragmatic: a necessary skill to navigate a new professional environment. However, the reality of Japanese corporate life quickly revealed a deeper immersion was required. All aspects of work, from emails to documents, were conducted in Japanese. This was a surprise, as she had expected the language preference to be limited to day-to-day conversations, not official life. This linguistic barrier became the first gateway to a genuine cultural and philosophical education.
Her immersion exceeded vocabulary acquisition. It unveiled a distinctive work philosophy centered on collective contribution and efficiency. Dalal learned that Japanese companies emphasize ensuring "everybody is able to give their best and contribute". This ethos meant problems were solved through multi-layered team efforts, involving managers, colleagues, engineers, technicians, and junior staff. Each person had a specific part to play, with no individual expected to carry the entire burden. This collective approach highlighted a critical principle she observed: if one person adopts a "laid back attitude," it "is actually determining the whole efficiency of the team". She likened this to the "rate-determining step" in science, where the slowest reaction governs the overall process.
This understanding instilled a powerful motivation within Swati Devi. She grasped that to "solve a problem to work efficiently", the "whole team needs to work on that piece". Her employer deliberately chose to hire a non-Japanese engineer, implying an expectation for a different contribution. To fulfill this expectation and avoid becoming the "weakest link in the team," she recognized the need to understand the language and culture deeply. This commitment transformed language learning from a formal chore into an organic part of her daily life. It "never came like, I'm giving some exam". Her priority was practical: to comprehend requirements and "give back the feedback or the contribution that is expected out of me".
Within two years, she presented and spoke entirely in Japanese, effectively becoming "one of them". Yet, she also understood her role was to introduce "aspects as well, which were different from Japanese culture". This deeply integrated yet distinctly impactful dual role revealed how linguistic and cultural immersion reshaped her engineering worldview. It taught her the profound power of collective responsibility and the direct link between individual commitment and team efficiency. The experience expanded her understanding of problem-solving beyond technical diagrams to encompass the intricate dynamics of human collaboration.
"Everybody is giving their best. This way it's easier and faster to solve a problem."
Quantifying Sustainability
in a Material World.
My Encounter with Rakesh Roshan Sharma
by Albert Schiller
An Unplanned Trajectory
Towards Impact
The trajectory into sustainability often appears deliberate, a conscious pivot towards a burgeoning field. Yet, for Rakesh Sharma, the journey commenced not through a strategic blueprint but through the meticulous work of an electronics engineer. His initial professional focus lay deep within the realm of component design. Here, amidst circuits and schematics, he encountered the subtle yet pervasive world of compliance activities. These were the essential requirements, the specific taggings and labels, necessary for electronic products to enter the market. Though initially perceived as a regulatory detail, this early engagement inadvertently connected him to environmental considerations. Was the nascent seed of environmental consciousness sown in the very mechanics of manufacturing and compliance protocols?
Sharma's path took an unforeseen turn when a new project propelled him into direct engagement with environmental regulations. He immersed himself in directives such as Reach and RoHS, governing hazardous chemicals whose presence in components could negatively "impact human and other living creatures". His task involved identifying and rectifying components containing these prohibited substances. This delve into chemical aspects, a domain explicitly "not part of my education", was a path he willingly embraced. The intricate interplay between component behavior and environmental considerations began to solidify a nascent interest. He recognized the implications of seemingly small material choices for the broader biosphere.
A significant shift in his understanding occurred in 2019, intensifying during the global re-evaluation prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Before this period, Sharma was "completely unaware of the sustainability and carbon emissions". The pandemic, however, offered a new lens through which to observe global shifts. "Sustainability," he noted, had rapidly become a pervasive "buzzword", universally applicable across diverse sectors, from electronics to transportation. He recognized a "huge exposure" and, critically, realized he had already navigated "half of the portion… in my past career" unknowingly. This ignited self-awareness became the catalyst for reframing his existing expertise within this burgeoning, vital field.
Presented with multiple career options, Sharma strategically chose sustainability. His background in environmental compliance for electronics provided a clear, custom-fit advantage. He sought to understand the driving force behind major corporations like Microsoft and Google setting ambitious carbon reduction and water neutrality targets for 2030. Mid-scale companies' increasing adoption of sustainability and eco-design principles affirmed the field's immense potential. This evolving landscape confirmed that his technical acumen could directly contribute to a critical global imperative, where his skill set was indispensable.
Sustainability was not in the picture. Even I was not aware of sustainability until before COVID."
