Supreme Court Expands Corporate Responsibility to Include Environmental Protection

The Supreme Court has ruled that corporate social responsibility must include environmental protection. This decision aims to safeguard the endangered Great Indian Bustard by directing CSR funds towards conservation efforts. The court has imposed restrictions on non-renewable power generators in Rajasthan and Gujarat to protect the species' habitats.

In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court has clarified that corporate social responsibility (CSR) cannot be separated from environmental responsibility. The court emphasized that companies cannot assert social responsibility while neglecting environmental concerns and ecosystem claims.

Justices PS Narasimha and AS Chandurkar delivered directives to protect the endangered Great Indian Bustard, facing extinction threats from non-renewable energy operations in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Underlining its judgment, the court stated that corporations hold a fundamental constitutional duty to safeguard the natural environment.

The court has imposed strict limits on expanding power infrastructure, particularly impacting areas of high conservation significance for the Bustard. These include banning new wind turbines, solar parks, and overhead power lines, essentials for balancing the needs of India's renewable energy transition with ecological preservation.

(With inputs from agencies.)