Each awardee has been evaluated on a variety of factors, including recency of action, measurable results, and influence
Eight individuals of Indian and Indian-origin, including World Bank President Ajay Banga and Ola Electric's co-founder Bhavish Aggarwal, have been recognised in Time magazine's inaugural list of the world's most influential leaders driving businesses towards concrete climate action.
The 'Time 100 Climate' list comprises CEOs, founders, philanthropists, musicians, policymakers, and government officials worldwide and precedes the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference scheduled in the United Arab Emirates on November 30.
Apart from Banga and Aggarwal, the list includes Rajiv J. Shah, president of The Rockefeller Foundation; Geeta Aiyer, founder and president of Boston Common Asset Management; Jigar Shah, director of the US Department of Energy Loan Programmes Office; Manoj Sinha, CEO and co-founder of Husk Power Systems; Seema Wadhwa, executive director for environmental stewardship for Kaiser Permanente; and Amit Kumar Sinha, managing director and CEO of Mahindra Lifespaces.
Banga, 64, who commenced his five-year term as World Bank Group president in June, is steering the institution towards a new mission of eradicating poverty while combating climate change. Aggarwal, 38, is lauded for leading Ola Electric's efforts in electrifying the majority of India's mopeds and scooters, with Ola recently launching its most affordable electric scooter priced at INR 79,999 (about USD 960).
Rajiv Shah's Rockefeller Foundation focuses on aligning all initiatives and investment strategies with a climate lens. This year, the foundation partnered with the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet to launch the Coal to Clean Credit Initiative, aiming to develop a new carbon finance standard for transitioning away from coal-fired power plants to renewable energy in emerging economies.
Geeta Aiyer's Boston Common Asset Management, a woman-led, employee-owned sustainable investment firm with nearly USD 5 billion in assets under management, prioritises climate change mitigation through shareholder engagement with portfolio companies.
Amit Kumar Sinha, leading Mahindra Lifespaces, the real estate and infrastructure development arm of the Mahindra Group, is addressing the challenge of sustainable urban development as India projects a rise in income and 400 million new urban dwellers by 2050.
Manoj Sinha's Husk Power Systems operates minigrids across Asia and Africa, achieving profitability in India and Nigeria this year. He advocates for a uniform carbon tax as crucial climate legislation.
Seema Wadhwa oversees Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest healthcare providers in the US, aiming to achieve net-zero status by 2050. Under her leadership, the Santa Rosa, California, office was recognised as the country's first net-zero medical facility.
Jigar Shah, director of the US Department of Energy Loan Programmes Office, is responsible for public investment in clean infrastructure and energy projects. He emphasises that solutions to decarbonization goals are already within reach.
To compile the list, Time considered measurable, scalable achievements and recent actions, recognising individuals making significant progress in fighting climate change by creating business value. The list also includes global figures like John Kerry, Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Macquarie Group CEO Shemara Wikramanayake.