On 1 September 2026, the 4th Indo-German Environment Forum convened in New Delhi under the theme 'Together for More Resilience'. The high-level bilateral format between India and Germany on environmental policy has been held since 2008, and this fourth edition was co-chaired by Indian Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav and German Federal Minister for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety H.E. Carsten Schneider.
Over 200 representatives from policymaking, business, academia and civil society took part. Discussions were organised around four themes: low carbon industries, biodiversity in wetlands, mountains and forests, resource efficiency and the circular economy as a business model, and sustainable finance, green skills and investment mobilisation. The Forum met at a point when India sits at the centre of several international conversations on environment and industry, having hosted the World Circular Economy Forum earlier this year. The EU-India Free Trade Agreement, concluded in Delhi in January 2026, has also brought questions of trade and environmental performance closer together.
Stronger Together, Across the Chain
Against the thematic backdrop of the forum, the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) hosted a table session with the support of the Federation of European Business in India (FEBI), titled 'Stronger Together: Driving Sustainability Across Value Chains'.
As sustainability performance increasingly shapes market access, investor confidence and customer trust, companies are expected to understand and address environmental impacts across their networks of suppliers and business partners. Meeting this expectation rarely rests with one company alone. It requires cooperation along the value chain, which presents both a challenge and an opportunity for companies of different sizes along Indo-German trade networks.
The table session took place as part of the matchmaking and networking track of the Forum. As part of the table session, participants were invited to share their views through an interactive peer exchange – exploring ideas of successful cooperation, what makes partnerships work in practice, and what it would take to make joint action the norm across industry.
Common Ground and Common Obstacles
Data exchange drew strong support as both a proposed action and an enabler of partnerships, while transparency and data security were identified as barriers. Common requirements, formats and rules for access and use could make value chain data exchange more efficient and reduce duplication. A related difficulty is the business case. Benefits do not always accrue equitably across partners, and the party making the initial investment is often not the one that captures the immediate return. Cooperation must therefore address how costs, benefits and responsibilities are distributed, including arrangements that make it easier for smaller partners to take part.
Regulation was identified both as a driver of joint action and as a source of uncertainty. Companies are navigating requirements across different markets and often need to make investment decisions before the regulatory picture has settled. Competition law was a further consideration, particularly where companies work together on common standards or sector-wide initiatives. Concerns about exchanging commercially sensitive information can discourage participation even where an initiative falls outside the scope of antitrust rules, and defined objectives and clear boundaries for information sharing give companies more confidence to take part.
Participants favoured building on collaboration that already exists rather than starting from scratch, with sector-specific priority areas drawing the strongest support. The harder problem is moving existing initiatives from pilot to scale. Identifying where current efforts can be connected, strengthened or extended offers a useful starting point for companies.
Turning Shared Priorities into Practice
Across the discussion, the strongest opportunities were those where sustainability and competitiveness reinforce each other, where addressing a shared environmental challenge also strengthens long-term business value.
There is considerable scope for joint action of this kind across industry in India, where existing networks and initiatives give the Indo-German partnership a strong foundation for translating shared priorities into practical collaboration. IGCC continues to provide multilateral platforms for dialogue and exchange of this kind, alongside partners such as FEBI. A clear role is also emerging for industry leaders and representatives to act as enablers: to identify shared priorities, exchange practical experience and develop solutions that balance inclusive economic growth with environmental sustainability.
