A Speech in Verse: Mr. Nadir Godrej's Poem

My Grandfather bought faraway marshy land.

His critics just couldn't understand.

They concluded he had gone quite mad

But today we are glad, not sad.

A township then slowly arose

And this is where our business grows.

We provided every needed tool

Housing, hospital, and school.

My uncle, known as SPG

Way back could clearly see

The environment was under stress.

Neglect he knew would be a mess.

Our creek side land was reserved.

The mangroves there well preserved.

And from my office I gaze out there,

A Mumbai view that's very rare

With greenery all the way

Until you sight New Bombay.

In saving tigers, he played a role.

The environment was a major goal.

And doing good is very sound

What goes around does come around.

Doing good isnt just a cost

The gain outweighs all thats lost.

And here I think that we all ought to

Pay careful heed to Michael Porter.

With Shared Value there's no cost 

For doing good as nothing's lost.

All it takes is a thinking brain

To remove a societal pain

And combine it with a business gain

To create a sustainable chain

Of endless mutual benefit. 

This concept is a tremendous hit.

We thought that we should also try

And see if we could apply

This philosophy to our group

Our employees also joined the loop.

In the year 2010 

Studies were commissioned and then

With the help of Dasra and FSG

Our new program, one could see.

We aptly named it Good and Green 

And what a journey it has been!

And how do we define our role

What could be a proper goal?

Now the UN has a lengthy list,

So, in recounting, some would be missed!

So, I will focus on just three

That I think would be the key

For all the others to fall in place 

And enable us to win the race.

Good health through perfect sanitation,

Environment and education.

All of these can be seen 

In our program Good and Green.

It is no longer Climate Change

Within a tolerable range.

A crisis is what its about

With fires, floods as well as drought.

Every week a constant blast

Far worse than seen in the past.

If we must, we will adapt

Prevention though would be more apt.

There is a cost to adaptation,

Its rising fast in every nation

As well as for the world at large.

This will be a heavy charge.

In fact, we should all conclude 

Prevention would be really shrewd.

In practice it would cost much less

And avoid a lot of stress.

All industry should play a role

In the carbon neutral goal.

GHG emissions should be reduced

More green energy should be produced.

And so, without partiality

Our goal for all's neutrality.

Whether water, carbon or solid waste

And very soon we will make haste

To make our net emissions zero.

Will that make the group a hero?

In 2010 the goal looked tall

But we took a reasoned call

Technology would save the day.

So far it has turned out that way.

To achieve these goals, we will strive

To do it all by 2035.

As technology takes a leap

Green energy gets very cheap.

Keen observers quickly saw

That Solar also tracks Moore's law.

Whether groundnut shell or bagasse

Our India's full of biomass.

At first, we thought we'd have to spend

But that's not true, for in the end,

The more we thought and the more we slaved

We did invest but we also saved.

There are many paths that we can see

For achieving Carbon neutrality.

But the cheapest way is certainly 

Through energy efficiency.

Real interest rates are rather low

And high returns quickly flow

From any energy saving device.

For business this is very nice.

Not only are returns quite brisk,

Theres also very little risk.

In India mandated CSR

Can help us go very far.

Multiple benefits are what one sees

With water projects or growing trees.

Good livelihoods are created

Our carbon emissions are abated.

Trees planted at a rivers source

Maintain the flow throughout its course.

So many benefits we can see:

The preservation of biodiversity,

Different species can be tried.

Useful products can be supplied

Like biomass or edible fruits

And yet the trunk and the roots

Can sequester carbon, clean the air,

A win-win that is very fair.

So, while we decarbonise

Why not also monetise.

So never fall for either or.

Our hearts and minds demand much more.

The environment isnt all.

On society lets take a call.

Throughout the chain lets keep in sight

Every persons human right.

Its business as usual, not bravery

To end child labour and slavery.

And in all businesses, we should see

The broadest reach of diversity.

Not only is it fair and right

It would give us the best insight.

Since life is full of many hard knocks

We need to think out of the box.

Diversitys the perfect aid

When we are required to wade

Through troubled waters or quagmires

Unusual thought is what inspires!

Sustainability is not a pain.

For after all it is a gain.

It helps us all to survive,

Last long as well as to thrive.

Its a license to operate.

The ecosystem finds its great.

Society, Governments, Banks

Cooperate, convey their thanks.

Together with both heart and brain

Sustainably lets sustain!

With ESG spends nothings lost

As benefits outweigh the cost!

And Governance also pays.

Its an effort in the early days

But over time you are rewarded

Implicit trust is then awarded.

The values for which you stand

Help to enhance your brand.

You must persist and never balk

Consistently walk the talk. 

If your Governance is strong

The payback wont be very long.

Always keep these facts in sight

Dont hesitate to do whats right.

This strategy is tried and tested

In the long haul it cant be bested.

Now ESG will take you far.

Dont just be a shooting star

Rising high before you fall

Instead take the enduring call.

With the help of business, I foresee

A helpful, thriving society.

Mr. Nadir Godrej's poetic speech reminded us all at present that sustainability is not a burden but a gain, a collective mission where business, society, and nature thrive together.