this is the draft text for introduction created in 2007

1. Center for Ecological Audit, Social Inclusion and Governance- An introduction
CENTER FOR ECOLOGICAL AUDIT, SOCIAL INCLUSION AND GOVERNANCE
(CEASIG)
An introduction
Environment Sustainability is one of the major goals for the nations that must be met for a safer,
cleaner, just and better world. This is included in the millennium development goals that have been
ratified by more than 186 nations around the world. Kyoto Protocol for the green house gases came
in force on Feb. 16 2005. Some nations responsible for generation of green house gases have not
ratified the Kyoto Protocol emission target and they are seeking alternative routes for meeting the
emission targets as they feel that ratification will cause deceleration in the economic growth, loss of
jobs and strategic advantages that they have been enjoying for some years. People’s movement and
citizens groups, concerned world citizens, youths and women have been protesting against the
decisions that contribute in the generation of ecological imbalances across the world.
There are positive developments as well. Several bourses in Europe have started applying sustainability
index for the investment decisions and for evaluating the share prices of the various corporations and
businesses that are listed on the stock exchanges across the world. Environment education is part of
the curriculum in the schools and the universities. There are environment-protecting agencies and
there are environment assessment done for the projects that sanctioned by the banks and
governments. There are political parties that have taken up the cause of renewable energy based
services and utilities that are critical for the provision of basic needs such as health and education. A
paradigm shift has taken place as the inclusion of ecologically sustainable, socially equitable; gender
just, social inclusive and spiritually uplifting social, political, cultural and economic development
policies are being considered mandatory.
A sustainable supply of energy for meeting the basic needs is a global concern and there are
responses to the same. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the president of India has been communicating for
realizing the vision of energy secure India by 2020 and energy independent India by 2030 through
research and innovation for generating plant based bio fuels, carbon nano tube (CNT) based solar
energy, hydrogen based fuels and nuclear energy. There exists a new deal for nuclear energy between
US and India. G-8 nations have discussed measures for energy security for all the nations while
addressing the ecological impact and recognizing the need to halt the globalisation of unsustainable
consumption patterns. It is indeed likely that after 50-100 years we may not have adequate supplies
of energy. It is likely that we may fail in decelerating the consumption of green house gas producing
services and utilities.
Recognizing such as global scenario for safeguarding the future of Earth and future of children all
over the world, there is a need to innovate on the tools, processes and educate on the need to
transform consumption, production, decision patterns for meeting the ecological and security
challenges and disseminate the learnings gained in the process so as to maximize the possibilities of
success not only at the national level but also at the global level. There is a need to work with the
concepts such as Sustainability Index, Ecological footprints, ecological rucksacks and ecological
audit.
The concept of 'Sustainability Index'1 is well-established instrument for assessing the investments
in the futures. The concept of 'Ecological Footprints' is for measuring the ecological impact of the
consumption and production decisions. The concept of 'Ecological rucksack' is for measuring the
1
The concept of eternity index and sustainability index propounded by the author of this note exists in the
Ph.D dissertation entitled “A Study of Cognitive Representations related to the Concept of World Citizen”
Labour League Foundation, Delhi 1

2. Center for Ecological Audit, Social Inclusion and Governance- An introduction
amount of waste that is generated for the production of a finished industrial good. The concept of
'Ecological audit'2 of the consumption, production, and leisure use patterns is required for addressing
the targets for green house gas emission and for protecting the ecologically sustainable livelihoods in
all over the world. This is especially relevant for protecting the ecologically sustainable livelihoods of
people involved with agriculture and forest based livelihoods. This becomes critical for the protected
forests and national parks where indigenous people and people living in the forests are called to leave
the forests for protecting the wild species. Lot of civil unrest has been generated due to
encroachment in the areas that have been populated by the indigenous groups for generations.
Application of the ecological audit procedure is proposed to halt the ecological degradation of the
sustainable habitats while generating responses across the world for rationalizing the consumption of
the non-renewable resource based services and utilities in the urban areas.
There are responses for transforming the finance sector that will eliminate financing for the
ecologically hostile development projects and policies. There are responses for education globally for
global adoption of ecologically sustainable lifestyles. Faith based responses are being considered and
advocated for transforming the leisure use patterns that utilize non-renewable resource based energy.
Centre for Ecological audit, Social Inclusion and Governance (CEASIG) was established in June
2006 meeting the knowledge, capacity building, networking, advocacy and communication needs of
the organizations involved in application of the sustainability index, measurement of ecological
footprints, measurement of the ecological rucksacks and supporting the cause of the alternative
definitions of the gross domestic product, growth, development that are in congruence with the
demands of the eco-safety, bio-safety, ecological sustainability, social cohesion, social inclusion and
interspecies justice within and across the nations.
The centre offers Analytical and advisory services for the meeting the millennium
development goals for environment sustainability through filling the knowledge gaps through
studies, researches, seminars and colloquiums ,conducting environment assessments for the
development projects at various levels, conducting ecological audits for the policy decisions at the
local, state, national and global levels, supporting generation of information and the filling the data
gaps for meeting the needs of the civil society movement for ecological sustainability and social
equity, developing monitoring and evaluation tools and, learning forums for meeting the key
demands of the ecological audit and integrating the concerns of ecological audit in the monitoring
and evaluation tools of the organizations
It conducts knowledge workshops on Ecological Audit. The features of the knowledge workshop
on ecological audit include plenary sessions with the ecologically sustainable development
practitioners from the rural as well as urban areas, provision of information on the global scenario on
the work ensuring ecological sustainability of the development processes, assessment of the
sustainability of the consumption patterns through understanding the history of the consumption
patterns and productions, analysis of the consumption decisions through participatory process,
generating visions for carbon neutral growth, conducting participatory process for getting a
consensus on the parameters of the ecological audit , comparison with the social watch / audit
processes for governance , group work for the discussing the methodology of the ecological audit
It offers capacity building support for public sector and private sector organizations,
government agencies, UN agencies and others intergovernmental agencies involved in the
discourse and practice of socially equitable and ecologically sustainable development. Features of the
capacity building programmes for ecological audit includes adaptability to for both ICT and non-ICT
2
The concept of Ecological Audit has been proposed by the author of this concept note in the meeting of
Wada Na Todo Abhiyan on 20 November 2005.
Labour League Foundation, Delhi 2

3. Center for Ecological Audit, Social Inclusion and Governance- An introduction
enabled venues and audiences , promotion of measures for ecological sustainability and social equity
as the core value ,Non-specialist orientation for imparting the lessons , Generating learning in a
participatory mode of interaction with total respect for the beginners, graded for different categories
of professionals, executives and officials , customized for the different domains of work, Simple
language and locally relevant concepts and examples.
In the field of networking assistance CEASIG work includes capacity building on networking for
ecological audit, sustaining peoples network on Ecological Audit, creating global and local outreach
for the network, strengthening the existing networks through incorporating the work for ecological
audit , interactions with the local civic bodies for conducting processes for ecological audit,
networking for ecological audit and ecological sustainability and networking for creation of
communities of practice
The work for meeting the communication needs of the organizations involved in the ecological audit
processes includes assistance in the assessment of the communication modules of the organizations,
generating new ideas for communication for ecological audit of the consumption, decision and
production processes that are part of the development projects, sharing of the best practices in the
communications for ecological audit, communication packages for the promotion of ecologically
sustainable lifestyle, designing communication modules for Ecological Audit.
Advisors:
Dr.Muhammad Mukhtar Alam, Executive Director
CENTER FOR ECOLOGICAL AUDIT, SOCIAL INCLUSION AND GOVERNANCE
(CEASIG)
A collaborative project of Sewa, Labour League Foundation and Sufi trust for creating
ecologically safe and socially inclusive future
Contact Address: 58-C, Top Floor, DDA Flats, Ashok Vihar-Phase -III, Delhi-110052,India
ceasig@gmail.com
+9968345380
Labour League Foundation, Delhi 3