Harnessing Public-Private Partnerships: A Strategic Path To Achieve India’s Net Zero Goals, Water Security

Last Updated:June 06, 2025, 14:07 IST

Water conservation is essential to India’s net-zero ambitions, given its deep influence on the environment and society.

India’s contribution for global warming has been minimal and even today its annual per capita emissions are only about one-third of the global average. (Image: PTI)

India is an emerging economy where Green House Gas (GHG) emissions are set to increase, albeit from a low base, in pursuit of its development and poverty eradication goals. India’s historical cumulative emissions from 1850 to 2019 amount to less than 4 per cent of cumulative carbon dioxide emissions of the world from the pre-industrial era, despite being home to 17 per cent of the world’s population. Hence, India’s contribution for global warming has been minimal and even today its annual per capita emissions are only about one-third of the global average .

During the 26th session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (COP 26) in November, 2021, India announced its target to achieve net zero by 2070. India’s long-term low-carbon development strategy is based on the principles of equity and climate justice and the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities.

Water conservation is essential to India’s net-zero ambitions, given its deep influence on the environment and society. As a country largely dependent on agriculture, industry, and domestic use, India is confronting significant water scarcity issues that are worsened by climate change and rising population.

Large parts of India are already close to a crisis as the taps are running dry. The subcontinent, paradoxically blessed with abundant rainfall, faces one of the gravest water shortages of any large economy. Insights from Water Research Institute of India (WRI) and NITI Aayog reveal that India ranks 13th among 17 countries facing extreme water stress. Over the past decade, major urban centres such as Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai have repeatedly grappled with acute water shortages. Further, between 2017 and 2021, power plants in India lost 8.2 TWh of generation due to water shortages equivalent to the energy consumption of 1.5 million homes over five years.

The reasons are not elusive. They lie in decades of groundwater overextraction, haphazard urban growth, population explosion, poor infrastructure, and the creeping, often overlooked, consequences of climate change.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2025, the impact of this crisis falls heaviest on the shoulders of the marginalised, urban poor, and industry-reliant regions, where water scarcity is not just inconvenient but economically calamitous.

Sustainable water conservation and management are crucial for climate change adaptation and also play a key role in lowering carbon emissions. Renewable Energy generation and Green Hydrogen production that significantly contribute to GHG emission reductions by displacing fossil fuel in hard to abate sectors also are heavily reliant on water availability. By prioritising measures for water efficiency, India can advance its goal of achieving net zero emissions. In such a scenario, the private sector can become key partners for the Government and act as co-stewards of this water conservation movement.

Water is No Longer Just an Environmental Risk. It is a Strategic One

Once pushed down to the appendices of CSR reports, water has now moved to the top tier of corporate concern. It has become a strategic variable that is central to supply chain stability, ESG ratings, and most importantly investor trust. Further, many strategies of the private and public sector corporates for achieving their net zero targets are directly or indirectly connected to water management. India’s policy regime is also gradually catching up. SEBI’s Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) framework now obliges companies to disclose their water usage and risks. Yet regulation alone cannot repair aquifers or replenish rivers. What is needed is a transformation in how businesses engage with water, starting with how they value it.

Innovation, Community & Collaboration

Across the globe, large corporates are setting ambitious sustainability goals—ranging from net-zero commitments to circularity targets. Amazon, for instance, has made significant progress in clean energy adoption, becoming the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy. Its operations are increasingly powered by wind and solar farms, including new projects in India. The company has also undertaken robust waste management efforts—cutting down single-use plastics in packaging and promoting reusable delivery options in key markets.

Water, too, is emerging as a crucial frontier in this sustainability journey. Businesses are beginning to shift from being consumers of water to custodians of it. This new water ethic rests on three foundational pillars: operational efficiency, ecosystem replenishment, and collaborative governance.

On efficiency, technology is making the invisible visible. Smart metering, leak detection systems, and real-time water monitoring are enabling companies to reduce usage and minimise waste.

On ecosystem replenishment, Private Sector’s water stewardship efforts are exemplified through projects such as lake restoration projects in Bengaluru’s Yamare Lake and Hyderabad’s Sai Reddy Lake, by Amazon in collaboration with SayTrees. These lakes—considered vital lifelines for their respective cities—had long suffered from neglect, sedimentation, and flood risks due to urban sprawl. The restoration, once complete, is expected to replenish over 570 million litres of water annually, tripling their storage capacity and revitalising the surrounding ecosystem. This aligns with Amazon’s broader goal of becoming a water-positive company in India—returning more water to communities than it consumes.

The third pillar is collaborative governance, which determines whether these efforts scale. Coca-Cola India is a strong example—replenishing over 200% of the water it uses through joint projects with NGOs and government agencies. These include the rehabilitation of local water bodies and community infrastructure, contributing directly to the fulfilment of SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation.

Crucially, the government is creating an enabling environment. Flagship programmes such as the Jal Shakti Abhiyan, Atal Bhujal Yojana, and the Catch the Rain campaign are revitalising traditional water systems, promoting aquifer recharge, and encouraging citizen participation. The convergence of public initiatives and private sector innovation offers a compelling case for blending capital with credibility—and for redefining how sustainability goals are met.

Water, once considered an operational input, is now being recognised as a shared resource—essential to climate resilience, community well-being, and long-term business continuity. When companies take on the responsibility not just to conserve, but to restore and replenish, they become true partners in sustainable development.

Culture of Water Accountability is the Next Corporate Imperative

Water sustainability can no longer be seen as a philanthropic gesture or a regulatory checkbox. It must become embedded in the architecture of enterprise, reflected in capital allocation by both public and private enterprises, boardroom discourse, and operational design. A clear ecosystem where public and private enterprises come together for a common cause is the need of the day.

This is about mitigating risk and pre-empting disruption. It is also about building trust with communities who live with the consequences of corporate choices. And above all, it is about recognising that the most valuable asset any company holds in a warming world is not its brand equity or its patents. It is its social licence to operate.

Prioritising water conservation supports India’s net-zero objectives by enhancing agricultural sustainability, encouraging eco-friendly industrial practices, and advancing social equity. By understanding the linkages between water, energy, and emissions, India’s focus on conserving water can play a vital role in reaching its overall climate and environmental targets. India’s water future will not be shaped solely by climate change. It will be written in boardrooms, and through partnerships. The question is no longer whether business should lead. It is a clarion call for public and private sector to come together.

Namrata Mukherjee is former Chief of Party, USAID South Asia Regional Energy Partnership (SAREP). Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.

Namrata Mukherjee

Namrata Mukherjee is Former Chief of Party, USAID South Asia Regional Energy Partnership (SAREP).

Namrata Mukherjee is Former Chief of Party, USAID South Asia Regional Energy Partnership (SAREP).

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News opinion Harnessing Public-Private Partnerships: A Strategic Path To Achieve India’s Net Zero Goals, Water Security

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