SCMS to set up Chair for climate change

Kochi, Oct 17 (UNI) School of Communication and Management Studies (SCMS), one of the top business schools in Kerala, proposes to establish a Chair for 'Climatic and Environmental Changes and Risk Reduction' in association with the UK-based NGO Royal Institute of International Affairs.

Talking to mediapersons here today, SCMS Chairman G P C Nair said the Royal Institute had agreed to provide necessary inputs, including expertise and manpower support for the Chair.

He claimed that SCMS was the first business school in India to venture into environmental protection activities by instituting a Chair for the purpose.

Emphasis would be given to identify areas relevant to the state like waste management and developing renewable sources like wind and tidal energy, he said.

Royal Institute Associate Fellow for Energy, Environment and Development Programme Cleo Paskal said if the problem of climate change was not addressed, most of the development programmes of various nations would be undermined.

She said a holistic approach, which includes monitoring and minimising natural and man-made hazards, and reducing vulnerabilities of people and regions, with effective disaster response and recovery mechanisms should be implemented.

Ms Paskal said the thematic areas of the Chair included global climate change and organisational responses, disaster risk reduction, and corporate social responsibility and environment management.

UNI MA PD SB KP1553