The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which is providing a leading forum for addressing environmental challenges and the appropriate response of Business, the Government, the Academia and the Civil Society, has gone beyond just being a business forum in this realm. We are providing our stakeholders the opportunity to be a part of the larger movement which is all about managing the change of epic proportions in the climate-dictated economic space which we are confronted with.

The Chamber has embarked on a movement at the national level committed to energizing a behavioural response to save energy. The Chamber launched this movement at a very special programme – “Energizing Behavioural Response to Save Energy” in the evening of 30th January 2014 (6.30 p.m. onwards) at the Palladian Lounge in the Chamber premises.

The increasing demand for power has led to considerable fossil fuel burning thus not only depleting the fossil fuel reserves, but also greatly and adversely impacting the environment. We have read that efficient use of energy and its conservation assumes even greater importance in view of the fact that one unit of energy saved at the consumption level reduces the need for fresh capacity creation by 2.5 times to 3 times. Further, such saving through efficient use of energy can be achieved at less than one-fifth the cost of fresh capacity creation. Energy efficiency would, therefore, significantly supplement our efforts to meet power requirement, apart from reducing fossil fuel consumption. Thus, energy management has shifted parameters from the 'can do' alternative to the 'must do'. Therefore, in order to incentivize energy conservation and make the consumer aware of the great benefits of energy saving (both in the context of monetary and lifestyle changes) through an interactive and multimedia mode, an e-portal dedicated to propagating the virtues and benefits of energy conservation is being created by the Bengal Chamber.

An enabling forum for promoting an overarching consciousness towards the need for energy conservation, the portal stands on the superstructure created by the three pillars of engagement, information and assistance, which are the three broad areas of delivery. From information on energy efficient products to videos, articles and blogs by experts, games and an online energy meter, the focus is on utilizing the portal as a forum for engaging with the consumer and simultaneously as a knowledge platform for energy conservation aimed towards catering to the general citizen – from the teenager to the student, the young professional and even not counting out the senior citizen.

The programme on 30th January witnessed the launch of the portal and included a panel discussion on “Empowering the India that needs power”, bringing to board the voluntary role that society needs to play (by conserving energy) to bring light to the lives of the countless hundreds of millions who do not even have access to a single electric light in their homes. The panel discussion featured Dr. Ajay Mathur, Director General, Bureau of Energy Efficiency; Dr. Bikash Sinha, Padma Bhushan and eminent nuclear physicist, Shri Sunil Mitra, Former Revenue and Finance Secretary, Government of India.

The portal, thus created is completely in sync with the vision and mission of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency and can be a most appropriate and relevant vehicle for propagating energy conservation in a country, where it is the duty of organizations like ours to stand with the BEE in delivering the message to the citizens effectively.

Following the launch of the portal, the Chamber will take this nationwide initiative to other cities in the country.