Emerging markets all set to become experts in handling environmental issues

Clean tech’s world soon to become the center of gravity in emerging markets, confirms Bhanu Choudhrie of C&C Alpha Group 

The speed of economic change can be overwhelming for those investing in the emerging markets. It offers huge opportunities to the investors but at the same time it also poses some great challenges. The social and cultural issues associated with changing markets cannot be overlooked as growth is directly associated with it. 

In the current scenario, Global warming comes across as the greatest challenge for investors. With more than seven million people dying prematurely due to environmental pollution, Global Warming is now a major issue for emerging economies worldwide. 

There is no doubt that global warming is the biggest threat to human health but it also has the potential to become the single biggest driver of economic transformation. Decarbonisation of economies can affect the world in big way. It will not just affect the way we produce power but also transform the way we grow food and live our lives. 

Expressing his concern about global warming and various environmental issues, Bhanu Choudhrie said, “It is often said that the sins of developed economies, whose factories belched out fossil fuels throughout the 20^th century, are being visited on emerging markets at the very point that they are experiencing stellar economic growth for the first time. They are being required to decarbonise, just as demand from a nascent, voracious middle-class is taking off. 

It is quite fascinating to notice that the innovation curve is moving east to west and north to south. Giving his opinion about some dramatic shifts in approach coming from emerging markets, Achim Steiner, Former Executive of the United Nations Environment Program said, “Thailland advertises itself as a “sufficiency economy” and Bhutan talks of “Gross National Happiness” –but these are not merely theoretical concepts, these are national branding strategies which feed through to political implementation” 

Interestingly, we all have this concept fixed in our minds that wealth and technology can make us independent. On the contrary, we are more dependent on it than ever before. It is high time that all of us realize that we need to protect nature in order to survive.