This is How Corporates Encourage Sustainability

“Without environmental sustainability, economic stability and social cohesion cannot be achieved.“
-Phil Harding

With the changing world scenario, corporates have understood that creating a strong business and building a better world are not conflicting goals, in fact, they are complementary for long term success. Followed and appreciated by consumers, business houses hold the moral responsibility to create awareness about environment protection. With increasing momentum in the field of eco-initiatives, hopes are high to race towards the mission of a greener world. Eco-sustainability programs by the MNCs hold the power to generate a large scale impact by influencing their consumers and people associated with the brand to follow their footsteps. They help people understand, “Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony.”

These are some of the ways that caught our eye:

• A few months ago, our newspapers were filled with the green initiative, Rakshakaran, supported by TATA AIA. In an innovative approach, the company offered to plant a tree in the name of its policyholders whenever a new policy was taken. Not only did this initiative create a huge impact by tree plantation; it was also targeted to create awareness among mass audiences about the importance of trees. Users were introduced to the latest e-planting trend and encouraged to plant more trees online.

• Recently, a motor company came up with a project to conserve energy in villages and create awareness about it. They installed solar panels, replaced conventional lamps with LED bulbs and on top of that educated people with the benefits of it and trained them to do the same. Along with that people were taught about things like biogas to make them self dependent.  This project had a long-lasting effect as not only people were provided with immediate material for energy conservation but were taught with the need of it and were provided with the skill to do it later by themselves.

• A much talked about activity by a software company about the rejuvenation of water bodies had a deep impact on the water conservation scenario of our country. That initiative along with municipal bodies helped people in the renewal of water bodies in their area, they provided with knowledge and apparatus to do the same.  It was quite an effective project in terms of environment conversation as it not only encouraged people to become part of a green initiative, but also skilled them to carry out these activities later also, and showed them the benefits of doing the same. People got involved in it more and more after they saw the profit of it.

• A public park program by a pharmaceutical company gathered a large appreciation and support when they reached out to people with their initiative to rejuvenate old and neglected parks. They surveyed the areas and came out with the list of possible parks that needed to be renovated. After that, they contacted the societies in that area, explained to them the need of having a greener area in their neighborhood, and with collective support, they achieved the impossible.

Multiple green initiatives like these have found their way, programs like discount sale of less perfect vegetables and fruits left with farmers also have gained appreciation, and these projects are just a few to name. Along with building a better brand image for an organization, these initiatives have also helped them to boost their productivity and operations. Corporate initiatives help in providing that breakthrough which is required for a long term environment conservation activity. It creates awareness, guides people to bring greener changes in their daily lives, provides them with the skill to do a conservation job, and last but not least helps them shed the inhibition of being the first & alone to do a great job.