These questions are a part of the National Guidelines on Social, Environmental and Economic Responsibilities for Business. They provide the bedrock on which responsible business in Indian companies are laid. Hence to have a yes to any of these questions or a company policy on these aspects strengthens the #ESG aspects of the company.

This particular metric question is inspired by NVG Principle 2: Businesses should provide goods and services that are safe and contribute to sustainability throughout their life cycle.

The principle emphasizes that in order to function effectively and profitably, businesses should work to improve the quality of life of people.

The principle recognizes that all stages of the product life cycle, right from design to final disposal of the goods and services after use, have an impact on society and the environment. Responsible businesses, therefore, should engineer value in their goods and services by keeping in mind these impacts.

The principle, while appreciating that businesses are increasingly aware of the need to be internally efficient and responsible, exhorts them to extend their processes to cover the entire value chain – from sourcing of raw materials or process inputs to distribution and disposal.

Source: Indian Ministry of Corporate Affairs