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May 25, 2025
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WABAG wins the prestigious Global Water Award

By
The CSR Journal
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VA TECH WABAG LIMITED (‘WABAG’), a leading pure-play water technology Indian multinational, has won the prestigious Global Water Award for its 45 MLD Tertiary Treatment Reverse Osmosis (TTRO) Plant at Koyambedu, Chennai.
The plant bagged the Distinction Award under “Wastewater Project of the Year” category. The TTRO plant is one of the Largest and Technologically most Advanced Water Reuse Plants in India designed and built by a consortium comprising WABAG and IDE Technologies for Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (CMWSSB). The project marks a decisive step in the direction of municipal water recycling, thereby promoting an alternative and viable model for urban water governance.
The TTRO plant uses a multi-stage treatment scheme, including Rapid Gravity Sand Filters, Ultrafiltration, Reverse Osmosis, and Ozonation. Also, it is the first reuse facility in India to use Ozonation for disinfection.
The project will boost Chennai’s water resilience and sustainability in the wake of the city’s ongoing struggles with drought and water scarcity. The treated water from the plant caters to the water requirements of the industrial hub in South Chennai. The TTRO Plant will help free up over 16 million m3of freshwater each year, securing water supply for Chennai’s population of more than 10 million people.

The plant makes Chennai the first Indian city to reuse more than 20% of its treated wastewater.

Water Recycle & Reuse is projected to be the key growth driver, opening up major business opportunities in the time to come. Several states in India have come up with Reuse policies aiming at recycling 70% of Treated Waste Water by 2025 & 100% of Treated Waste Water by 2030, further providing impetus to the sector in India. Thus, it opens doors for WABAG for a multi-billion-dollar opportunity in Recycle & Reuse for Municipal – Industrial Partnerships, in line with the Government’s policies for the segment.

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CSR at NMDC is most effective in conflict zones

By
Kasmin Fernandes
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India’s single largest iron ore producer is public sector undertaking NMDC Limited. Short for National Mineral Development Corporation, it has an incontestably large presence in the states of Karnataka and Chhattisgarh. Apart from mining iron ore, the PSU also mines diamonds, minerals and magnesite. It has been around for more than 60 years, with the administration under the control of the Ministry of Steel, GoI. As recently as earlier this month, there was a big change in the company’s top brass, with Sumit Deb – who was Director (Personnel) – being promoted to Chairman-cum-Managing Director of the corporation. Considering Deb has always been passionate about CSR at NMDC in his long stint at the company, corporate social responsibility is set to become more prominent.

1. CSR at NMDC

Not that it wasn’t a highlight there. Apart from being accorded Navratna PSU status since 2008 and a Schedule-A public sector company by the government, this mining giant is also a responsible one. Rather than categorising the transformation of tribal villages under generic rural development, CSR at NMDC has an Integrated Village Development plan that encompasses healthcare, education, infrastructure, livelihood and skill development, culture and sustainable agriculture. Tribal villages in conflict-prone zones have benefited greatly from NMDC corporate social responsibility.
Tribals in India are a harangued lot. They are losing their sacred living spaces to mines and factories. The government has turned a blind eye to their pleas for protection from predatory corporate forces. Adivasis are subjected to land grab. Their low literacy and socio-economic status make them more susceptible to exploitation. In this scenario, NMDC CSR has improved the quality of life for many tribal villagers in its areas of operations. 
The scope of sustainable development has led to excellent relations with the Chhattisgarh government, although there are differences of opinion in certain business operations and adherence to mandates. Most of the flagship CSR initiatives are running the conflict zone of Bastar in this mineral-rich State. Needless to say, there has been quite the transformation in the lives of the tribal villagers there.

2. CSR Spend

The mining giant spends the lion’s share of its CSR funding on welfare initiatives in Chhattisgarh; as much as 85% of the total budget allocated to corporate citizenship. For example, out of a total of Rs. 199.99 crore allocated for NMDC CSR initiatives, Rs. 172.41 crore was spent on welfare projects in this region.
No wonder Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel questioned why the PSU has diverted Rs. 150 crore of CSR funds to the central govt’s PM CARES Fund for fighting COVID-19 rather than spending those financial resources on the State in this time of crisis. The chief minister has put restrictions on the company and has asked Union steel minister Dharmendra Pradhan to instruct NMDC Ltd. to pay up Rs. 1,000 crore as pending penalty for violations. 
NMDC Ltd CSR spend
CSR spend of NMDC for last 5 years
Nevertheless, when it comes to compliance with CSR norms, the corporation is clearly on solid ground. Its monetary contribution to Nation Building has been substantial in the corporate sphere. A year-on-year comparison of the CSR spend in the last 5 years shows that the company almost always spends more than Rs. 165 crores on average, outdoing itself in 2015-16 by going well over the 200-crore mark. The company more than meets the prescribed CSR amount every year.
In fact, it has been spending more than the mandate. In 2019-20 alone, the actual spend is Rs. 80 crore more than the prescribed amount! In that sense, this public sector undertaking is leading by example for many others who are regularly notified for non-spending and non-compliance according to the provisions set by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

3. Approach to CSR

Healthcare, education, sanitation, safe drinking water, rural infrastructure development and employable skill development are the core sectors for CSR of NMDC. The corporation has adopted an all-in approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR). The committee brings all the stakeholders on board and consults them before putting to paper the plan for sustainability programmes.
From the gram panchayat to villagers, the government departments and the nonprofit organisations, everyone is invited for stakeholder consultation, so much so that its approach to CSR is held up as a model for other Public Sector Enterprises. CSR of NMDC works closely with the state governments to implement projects.

3.1 Recognition for social contribution

NMDC is the first Indian organisation to win in the CSR category, the prestigious S&P Global Platts Global Metals Awards. Moreover, it has been conferred with this prize for the last two consecutive years. For its influential Education initiatives, the corporation won the 2019 ICC Social Impact Award as well as the 2019 Global CSR Award by the Energy and Environment Foundation in the Platinum Category.
NMDC education
Education initiatives by CSR at NMDC won the 2019 ICC Social Impact Award
The corporation was a multiple award-winner at the 2018 ET Now CSR Leadership Award for its “women empowerment” and “community development” CSR programmes. Other awards for sustainable development projects include SKOCH BSE Order of Merit, a commendation at the CII-ITC Sustainability Award 2017 and a Certificate of Distinction in the domain of CSR by “ET 2 Good 4 Good” system created by The Economic Times and KPMG India.

4. Integrated Village Development

The Integrated Village Development programme is actually an umbrella of various welfare initiatives that were started a decade ago, much before the importance of corporate social responsibility was drilled into the Indian industry psyche. It has borne fruit because the socio-economic progress of tribals and adivasis has been the single-minded focus of all the interventions.
Tribals have a history of exploitation in the industrial era. They are continuously displaced from their place of origin. Their right of possession over the land they have inherited down the ages is constantly challenged by greedy corporates and lawmakers. Their ancient cultural traditions and rituals are endangered. Their societal isolation, their lack of literacy and economic savvy mean they are unable to fend for themselves or defend their basic rights.
NMDC started the Integrated Village Development programme in 2009 to empower these adivasi and rural groups. The idea behind the umbrella of interventions was to metamorphosize tribal communities near its areas of operations into model villages. IVD seeks to improve the profile and earning capacity of the people.
IVD started with just two villages, and has expanded into 18 model villages benefitting 20,000 people in remote rural areas. The measure of IVD’s success is the positive influence on the literacy, self-confidence and finances of the community members.

4.1 Women empowerment

It’s a widely known fact that SHGs (Self Help Groups run by women) in a public-private partnership with the government have changed the face of rural female empowerment. The SHG method has given rural Indian women an outlet to channelise their potential, organise their savings jointly, become entrepreneurs and fund business projects. IVD helped set up 56 SHGs across 15 villages.
IVD also conducts vocational training programmes on a regular basis to upskill women in sectors. The training is done in a way to instill enough confidence and impart advanced skills so that they can earn a livelihood independently.

4.2 Agricultural interventions

The agrarian activities are all about enabling farmers to increase agricultural productivity. Experts provide them with technical knowledge for sustainable farming. They encourage farmers to do crop rotation, interchange between grains and organic vegetables for enriching the soil and to change up the pattern of sowing.

agriculture

Irrigation is a priority; without sustained irrigation, there is no guarantee that the new methods will bear fruit. The CSR department has developed 13 water storage tanks, 24 wells, 18 ponds and 50 irrigation pumps last year. The company has a team for the maintenance and repair of these water structures. These changes have increased farmer incomes substantially. Paddy yield has gone up from 2 units per acre to 35 since they adopted the new methods of farming and irrigation.

4.3 Vocational training

Food production is not the only source of income for tribals. IVD looks after the needs of people engaged in non-agricultural trades through vocational training. While young people are the future of India, women’s advancement signifies the family’s progress and hence the nation’s sustainable development on a larger scale. So, it’s no surprise that youth and women are chosen as the main beneficiaries of skilling initiatives.
The CSR team considers the trades traditionally present in the area with the most potential for gainful employment and active engagement. It designs training based on these findings. Workshops on tailoring, sewing, house painting etc are conducted for free. Once the students have completed the training successfully, they are also linked to modes of output.

4.4 Health services

Hospital on Wheels is a mobile IVD service active in 26 villages in Chhattisgarh. Mobile clinics are, of course, a strong component of CSR programmes in hard-to-reach rural areas where people’s access to qualified doctors is questionable.
Another health concern that IVD addresses is malnutrition in rural kids. Their parents are either unaware or unable to provide the right kind of food and vegetables to these kids. Under the nutrition programme, 46 Anganwadi centres dispense dietary supplements to children.

4.5 Education services

Given that basic education itself is missing in remote villages, quality education seems like a pipe dream for many parents in India. They send their kids to government schools, hoping that their children are educated better than they were, which isn’t saying much. IVD is working towards improving these low standards with after-school programmes. Dedicated staff teachers and tutors interact with children before or after school hours to make learning fun and engaging.
PM Modi in NMDC school
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a visit to the school

Conclusion

Tribal villages are among the most neglected in our country. Adivasis hold remnants of ancient India, yet find themselves neglected and displaced. Handled sensitively, they could transform into powerful change-makers. CSR at NMDC has its heart in the right place when it comes to the integrated development of the communities that retain the disappearing Indian heritage.

Amway India partners with MAMTA-Health Institute for Mother and Child, to help and empower communities through COVID-19

By
The CSR Journal
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Amway India, one of the country’s leading FMCG direct selling companies, continues to mobilize efforts to support vulnerable communities in the areas of health, hygiene, safety, education and skill development. In line with its commitment to helping people live better, healthier lives, Amway India has been constantly exploring ways and means to support the communities and has further intensified its efforts to provide them assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As maintaining safety and hygiene are of utmost importance during the pandemic and hence Amway India has conducted sanitization and disinfection drive in the premises of 12 NGO partners across India, nine Anganwadi centers under the Power of Five nutrition and education programme in Delhi, 15 villages in Dindigul district to reduce the levels of microbiological contamination. The drive covered an approximate area of 1,30,000 sq ft benefiting the lives of more than 3000 less privileged children and adults. In Delhi, the sanitization drive was done at 9 Anganwadi Centres in North-West Delhi’s Kirari Suleman Nagar covering 5,000 sq.ft. area of their premises under Amway’s Power of Five campaign.
Commenting on the initiatives, Gursharan Cheema, Senior Vice President, North & South, Amway India said, “Amway India has always been committed to supporting the community by coming forward in the face of adversity. These testing times are not just a trial of our strength and resilience, but also an opportunity for us to demonstrate the might of collective effort. We continue to be inspired by the humanity and strength of our communities and are grateful for their continued support to the vulnerable sections of our society in line with our purpose of helping people live better, healthier lives.”
During the unprecedented lock-down period, conforming to the norms of social distancing, Amway India stepped up its efforts by supporting its NGO partners in their initiatives towards training, education, skill development and assessments of the beneficiaries through various digital tools to ensure consistency in their learning & development. Amway facilitated MAMTA-Health Institute for Mother and Child and conducted bulk message service to spread awareness, counter myths and misconceptions among the community members of the project area. Over 10,000 beneficiaries are receiving the health and nutrition related advice every week. We have also identified and trained over 170 individuals from the targeted community called ‘Poshan Mitras’ who are sustaining the program on-ground. They are playing a critical role in sensitizing and educating the community.
Commenting on the initiative, Dr. Sunil Mehra, Executive Director, MAMTA, said, “Our partnership with Amway India has been very successful and rewarding. In these unprecedented COVID-19 times, the support extended by the Amway India family has been uplifting for the beneficiaries and their families in the project intervention areas. With this support we could integrate hygiene and sanitation along with addressing malnutrition in the intervention area – these two are the most evident determinants of COVID-19.”
During the current global health crisis, Amway’s Founder’s Fundamentals was reinforced by the generous voluntary contributions by Amway employees from their salaries. Amway India also contributed INR 2.36 crores to support the country’s fight against the pandemic. The fund entailed contributions towards PM CARES FUND, Tamil Nadu CM’s public relief fund, Kerala, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh CM’s public relief funds and support for Government’s on-ground health and sanitation services. Additionally, the funds also provided Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as gloves, gowns, shoe covers, head covers, masks, respirators, and eye protection gear to public health service workers through the company’s NGO partners. Further as part of the fight against COVID-19, Amway India also developed Persona Hand Sanitizer Gel which to support the frontline workers working for the cause of COVID-19 in India.

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India First Country to Recognise Poor Environment-Poor Health Nexus

By
The CSR Journal
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Experts at the 4th edition of prestigious CSR Health Impact Awards, today lauded the government’s efforts to deep-dive into the environment-health nexus and the companies’ efforts and innovative approach to carrying out CSR activities despite the COVID-19 crisis.
The CSR Health Impact Awards is a flagship event of the Integrated Health and Wellbeing (IHW) Council, a premier think tank promoting health for all. The 4th edition is hosted in association with Jagran Pehel.
Noting that poor environment can cause a loss of up to USD 4 billion by 2030, Mr Atul Bagai, India head of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) says, “India is possibly the first country in the world to understand the deep nexus between poor environment and poor health. The joint steering committee by the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) is a commendable and innovative approach – WHO and UNEP are closely working with the government on this. The move comes at an opportune time – globally, 90 million premature deaths happen every year because of the way we are using the natural resources and we are trying to find the reason for this pandemic.”
“CSR became a tool to combat COVID and we saw a lot of traction and innovation on part of the companies to address the crisis. They helped the migrant labourers and donated to the PM-CARES fund. The health cards announced by the Prime Minister may also become a potent instrument for CSR, converging SDGs and CSR,” says Dr Bhaskar Chatterjee, Former DG & CEO of Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, also known as the Father of CSR in India.
Other guests at the event included Dr Hema Divakar, Founder & Medical Director, Divakar’s Specialty Hospital; Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji, Secretary-General of The Global Interfaith WASH Alliance; and Dr. Rajeev Gautam, President, HORIBA India.
“This is not CSR, it is HSR – human social responsibility, because life is not about having more, it is about be more, share more give more – that is the true purpose of CSR. We have to bring people together through our initiatives and institutions,” Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, Co-Founder of Global Interfaith WASH Alliance (GIWA) and President of Parmarth Niketan, said in a video message.
“Never in the history of humankind was hygiene awareness as high as it is today. Awareness about hygiene can prevent the use of medicine. To improve hygiene awareness of the people, we have set up a World Toilet College in Rishikesh and another is coming up at Aurangabad,” says Mr Jack Sim, Founder, World Toilet Organization.
“CSR is often considered as an extension of charitable activities by profitable businesses, but it has the potential to do more. The change in the Companies Act in 2014 mandated CSR as a part of business for the first time anywhere in the world. By making CSR a permanent part of running a business, an opportunity has been created for these businesses to make a difference – a social impact. The award is an effort to honour all those who have imbibed responsible business practices as their core philosophy by initiating the most impactful health CSR ventures even during the pandemic,” says Mr. Kamal Narayan, CEO, Integrated Health and Wellbeing (IHW) Council.
The special COVID-19 category of awards this year will recognise exemplary efforts of institutions and individuals under CSR COVID Relief Project (Overall Community Support); CSR COVID Protection Project; CSR COVID Indigenous Response Project; COVID Healthcare Providers (Private Sector); COVID Public Health Warriors; COVID Social Impact Businesses; COVID Essential Heroes; and COVID Social Champions (Institution & Individual).
One of the most acclaimed and prestigious CSR Health Awards in India, the 4th edition of CSR Health Impact Awards continues the proud legacy of rewarding Social Health and Environment initiatives that ensure equitable access and social justice. The Awards is one of the most trusted platforms, honoured and commended by the distinguished leaders in the healthcare sector and Government officials alike. In the past 3 years, it has received more than 500 nominations and has rewarded more than 300 corporates, institutions, organizations, and individuals for being exemplars.

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CSR: Zee intensifies its fight against COVID-19

By
The CSR Journal
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Media and Entertainment Powerhouse ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. in line with its national level CSR drive against COVID-19, officially handed over critical healthcare equipment (20 oxygen humidifiers) to the state of West Bengal in the presence of Narayan Swaroop Nigam I.A.S, Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department, Govt. of West Bengal. The Company has utilized the sanctioned CSR budget to provide critical healthcare equipment to West Bengal.
In its CSR drive towards enhancing the country’s healthcare infrastructure against COVID-19, the company has committed to donate 240 ambulances, 46,000 PPE kits, 90 oxygen humidifiers and 6 lakh daily meals. The donation to the state of West Bengal is in line with this national level CSR drive.
At the national level, the company has financially supported over 5000 Daily Wage Earners working directly or indirectly with the Company. Further, 3400 employees have contributed towards PM CARES Fund. The amount generated was matched by ZEE, and the collective proceeds were donated to PM CARES Fund.
Punit Goenka, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, ZEEL said, “We are committed to stand with the West Bengal Government in its fight against COVID-19. We hope that the donated critical equipment will help the state to address the challenges faced due to the ongoing pandemic and strengthen its overall healthcare infrastructure.”
Narayan Swaroop Nigam stated in a letter: “We express sincere thanks on behalf of the Govt. of West Bengal to Zee for its kind gesture of contributing critical healthcare equipment to West Bengal. The support provided will go a long way in providing proper treatment to Covid-19 affected patients in the state.”

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Top Lake Rejuvenation CSR Projects in India

By
Hency Thacker
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Lakes play an important role in the ecosystem and biodiversity of areas. They also support agriculture and other industries by fulfilling its water as well as energy needs. However, with excess development and limited availability of the resource, the usability of lake water has reduced significantly owing to its contamination and pollution.
Pollution of water bodies such as lakes severely affects the life and biodiversity of the area. It may even lead to reduced life-span and cause illnesses and diseases. With an intent to prevent such scenarios, India Inc. through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives have worked on the revival of such lakes. Some of the noteworthy lake rejuvenation CSR initiatives are as follows.

Restoration of Sembakkam Lake by Cognizant and Grundfos

Sembakkam Lake Rejuvenation
Sembakkam Lake Rejuvenation
Cognizant, one of the world’s leading professional services companies, and Grundfos, a global leader in advanced pump solutions and water technology, has announced funding support for the restoration of the Sembakkam Lake in Chennai.
The lake rejuvenation project is expected to be completed in 2021. Through the initiative, these companies will look into cleaning the inlets and outlets, improving the lake’s connectivity with upstream and downstream water bodies, building an eco-friendly wastewater treatment system, and constructing walkways and green buffer zones along the lake.
The project will help clear the lake of solid wastes, silt and invasive plant species, improve the lake’s storage capacity by 50%, enhance groundwater recharge and improve water quality. It will benefit over 10,000 households living around the lake and conserve the local biodiversity consisting of around 180 plant species (including 11 aquatic species) and more than 65 bird species. One of the goals of the project is to provide a natural recreational space to the local community and involve them in the maintenance of the water body.
For its execution, the two companies will collaborate with the India chapter of The Nature Conservancy, one of the world’s largest conservation organisations, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, and Chennai-based Care Earth Trust, a non-governmental organization that works in the area of biodiversity conservation.
In addition, after the COVID-19 situation improves, volunteers from Cognizant Outreach, Cognizant’s employee-led volunteering program, and Grundfos, together with project partners, will run a range of community engagement and awareness initiatives, expert talks, lake festivals and tree plantation drives ― to ensure the long-term impact of the restoration project.

Rejuvenation of Hebbagodi Lake by Biocon

Located off Hosur Road, near Electronics City in southeast Bengaluru, the Hebbagodi Lake is spread over 35 acres and has a perimeter of over 2 km. A few years ago, the lake was largely covered by weeds and garbage. Biocon Foundation, the CSR arm of Biocon Ltd. and Syngene International Ltd. worked on reviving the lake and handed it over to the community two years ago.
As a part of its efforts to ensure environmental sustainability, Biocon Foundation, with approvals from the Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority (KLCDA) and other government authorities, has brought back to life the dying 35-acre Hebbagodi Lake, leading to a significant improvement in the water quality and the return of flora and fauna.
For its revival, a natural and eco-friendly bioremediation process was implemented by the foundation, which involved dosing the lake with a blend of enzymes and microorganisms to rapidly digest organic pollutants. An in-house bioreactor was commissioned by Biocon Foundation to produce ~3,000 litres of bio-enzyme every day. Multiple energy efficient cascading aerators and submersible mixers were installed in the lake to enhance the level of dissolved oxygen in the water. Floating wetlands were also deployed for the continuous natural cleaning process.
The daily dosing of enzymes has helped improve the quality of the water with pH value maintained between 6.5 and 8.5. The Dissolved Oxygen (DO) levels have improved from zero to 2.8 mg/L.

Revival of Kumudepalli Lake in Hosur by Ashok Leyland

Ashok Leyland took up the lake rejuvenation as part of its CSR project in December 2017. Within three months, the lake and its surrounding areas were transformed and will be an integral part of the local community and ecosystem. The vast expanse of 4.5 hectares of land area-water with a storage capacity of 60Lakh KL is now clean and self-sustaining. The lake stores water from the rains and PWD Irrigation Canal. It is used for irrigation and fishing. In this water-scarce area, the survival of this lake is essential for the local population.
With the objective of preserving the lake and surrounding areas from pollution and land encroachment, Ashok Leyland took up the challenge to make this area safe and beautiful for the Community. The lake will also serve as a reservoir for rainwater harvesting. Now, with requisite government permissions, the lake is free of weed and domestic waste. It has been de-silted and formation of the island is also complete. A cross-over bridge has been constructed and shore-side has been stone pitched. A new 400-metre pathway is now in place with three feet high steel fencing and physical barrier for the safety of school children using the lakeside pathway.

SDG 17: Cargill provided $115 million in total charitable contributions in 2020

By
The CSR Journal
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Across Cargill’s locations in 70 countries, the company and its employees are committed to positively impacting the communities where they live and work. This year, with a pandemic and natural disasters globally, Cargill intensified its focus on boosting economies, improving livelihoods and making a difference to individuals, families, farmers and small businesses around the world.
In the fiscal year 2020, Cargill provided $115 million in total charitable contributions, hosted training for 860,000 farmers in sustainable agricultural practices and business practices to improve their earnings potential and provided more than 39 million meals to global and local food bank partners.
“As the world faces extraordinary challenges – from climate change to food insecurity – delivering on Cargill’s purpose to nourish the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way is more critical than ever before,” said Michelle Grogg, vice president of corporate responsibility at Cargill. “We collaborate with strategic partners across the globe to bring this purpose to life by empowering farmers, protecting the planet and nourishing people and communities.”

Empowering farming communities

The National FFA Organization and Cargill continued their 60-year commitment to inspire and educate future leaders of the food and agriculture industry. Over the last year, the partnership reached 29,500 students and 500 teachers.
– Cargill and CARE announced a new phase of collaboration aligned to CARE’s She Feeds the World initiative. This phase aims to improve education, nutrition, sanitation and economic support to 2 million people across Central America, Africa and Asia. The programme strengthens women’s skills and confidence in sustainable agriculture, financial inclusion, market engagement, gender equality and food and nutrition – while also engaging males to support greater equality. In the first six months of the three-year programme, 502 small producers and microentrepreneurs across Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua saw a gross income improvement of $540,212.
– Cargill and Heifer International expanded Hatching Hope into Mexico, helping women farmers improve their livelihoods via poultry farming. The programme connects Mexican women smallholder farmers with private sector buyers, creating market access and income opportunities. Hatching Hope has reached 206 Mexican smallholder female farmers and their families. This builds off the original Hatching Hope programme in India, which has improved earnings for 24,000 smallholder female farmers since June 2019.
– In Vietnam, Cargill has built a total of 96 schools across the country, 9 of those during the company’s past fiscal year. These schools positively impact and bring education opportunities to 14,000 students annually.

Nourishing communities

In partnership with the Global FoodBanking Network, Cargill provided 14,640,750 meals across 16 countries.
– Feeding America and Cargill supported the creation of a new USDA clean room at the Houston Food Bank that, once in place, will deliver 3 million more pounds of protein annually to families in need. Cargill’s other contributions to Feeding America helped provide more than 1 million meals across the U.S.
– In Canada, Cargill worked with Food Banks Canada to provide 554,772 meals.
– In Central America, Cargill worked with World Central Kitchen to train school cooks in 40 schools across Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and Costa Rica on how to improve the safety, sanitization, and nutritional value of the food they prepare for more than 15,000 students. This initiative also significantly reduced food waste.
– The Cargill Foundation, contributed more than $10 million to over 50 local nonprofits and schools in its headquarters state, Minnesota, to provide support for low-income children of colour. Targeted investments in childhood nutrition, STEM education and college and career readiness brought to life the company’s goal to advance racial equity.
– Cargill and Save the Children partnered in Thailand to promote positive nutritional practices and physical activity among children, adolescents and communities through school-based programmes. The programme is running across 50 schools and impacted 3,5000 children. Cargill and Save the Children also launched programmes in Indonesia, Cote d’Ivoire and the Philippines.
“Thanks to Cargill’s support of The Global FoodBanking Network, food banks in 44 countries served 1.4 billion meals to families facing hunger. Unfortunately, the number of those suffering from food insecurity are steadily on the rise,” said Lisa Moon, President & CEO, The Global FoodBanking Network. “Due to the devastating impacts of COVID-19, demand for food relief has skyrocketed in the countries we serve. Our partnership with Cargill is now more important than ever. Since early March this collaboration has enabled food banks in our network to reach to more than 21 million people facing hunger.”

Supporting those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic

In addition to continuing its long term strategic corporate responsibility work, Cargill has worked with nonprofit and nongovernmental organization partners worldwide to address food security, health and safety needs, agriculture and industry challenges and employee support due to the spread of COVID-19.
– To address industry challenges and support customers and their employees, Cargill partnered with the National Cattlemen’s Foundation and the Canadian Cattleman’s Foundation, the American Farmland Trust’s Farmer Relief Fund, the National Restaurant Association Foundation Employee Relief Fund and the China Animal Health and Food Safety Alliance.
– Cargill opened the kitchen at its corporate office centre in Wayzata, Minn. to cook meals for the nonprofit partnership, Minnesota Central Kitchen. The additional kitchen space provided employment for laid-off food service workers and 5,000 meals each week for Minnesotans.
– Along with monetary contributions, Cargill has donated nearly 3 million pounds of products to food shelves and hunger relief efforts, including 239 tonnes of chicken, sausage, and eggs to local food banks across Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Colombia; 1,000 metric tonnes of animal feed in Mexico to research centres, universities, farmers and Hatching Hope participants; 56 tonnes of oils, mayonnaise and sauces in Brazil; 300,000 packages of eggs in the Philippines; 60,000 litres of disinfecting alcohol to the health sector in the Netherlands; 58,000 litres of oil in France; and 500,000 pounds of beef and turkey to Feeding America Food Banks in Virginia, Nebraska and Texas.
– The company pledged 16 million meals, impacting over 150,000 families across 16 cities in India.

Protecting the land and regenerating soil

– Through its BeefUp Sustainability initiative, Cargill teamed up with Burger King restaurants, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Northern Great Plains ranchers to launch a three-year grasslands restoration programme. Through reseeding, the programme is converting nearly 8,000 acres of marginal cropland across Montana and South Dakota to ecologically diverse grasslands. The programme is projected to save the carbon equivalent of driving nearly 70 million miles in an average passenger vehicle.
– As part of Cargill’s collaboration with the Soil Health Institute to assess the economic benefits of soil health practices, over 80 farmers across eight U.S. states were interviewed on their adoption of these practices. The majority of the farmers cited increased yield, reduced fertilizer use, increased crop resiliency, better field access and reduced runoff as key benefits to their farming businesses.
– In Mexico, Cargill has been working with Bimbo and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center to help corn farmers adopt sustainable agriculture practices, saving over 1 billion litres of water since 2018. And in Iowa, Cargill partnered with the Iowa Soybean Association and Quantified Ventures to create the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund, a pay-for-performance model that supports farmers, communities and the environment. In the first year, we enrolled 9,400 acres and aim to scale the programme up to 100,000 acres next year.
“At Cargill, our commitment to the communities where our employees live and work has been a core value of our company for over 150 years. Through these partnerships and programmes, we are able to put our values into practice – to reach higher, do the right thing and put people first,” said Grogg.

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CSR News: Cognizant and Grundfos to spend INR 4.4 crores to restore Sembakkam Lake in Chennai

By
The CSR Journal
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Cognizant and Grundfos have announced CSR funding for the restoration of the Sembakkam Lake in Chennai.
Cognizant will contribute more than INR 2.7 crores and Grundfos will contribute INR 1.7 crores and up to INR 7.5 lakhs in kind for civil works, wastewater treatment, and landscaping to rejuvenate the 100-acre lake that flows into the Pallikaranai wetland, one of south India’s last remaining natural marshlands.
The two companies will collaborate with the India chapter of The Nature Conservancy, one of the world’s largest conservation organisations, IIT Madras, and Chennai-based Care Earth Trust, a non-governmental organization that works in the area of biodiversity conservation.
Expected to be completed in 2021, the work will involve cleaning the inlets and outlets, improving the lake’s connectivity with upstream and downstream water bodies, building an eco-friendly wastewater treatment system, and constructing walkways and green buffer zones along the lake.
The CSR lake restoration project will help clear the lake of solid wastes, silt and invasive plant species, improve the lake’s storage capacity by 50%, enhance groundwater recharge and improve water quality. It will benefit over 10,000 households living around the lake and conserve the local biodiversity consisting of around 180 plant species (including 11 aquatic species) and more than 65 bird species. One of the goals of the project is to provide a natural recreational space to the local community and involve them in the maintenance of the water body.
In addition, after the COVID-19 situation improves, volunteers from Cognizant Outreach, Cognizant’s employee-led volunteering programme, and Grundfos, together with project partners, will run a range of community engagement and awareness initiatives, expert talks, lake festivals and tree plantation drives ― to ensure the longterm impact of the restoration project.
Poul Due Jensen, Group Executive Vice President, CSO, Grundfos, said, “Grundfos pioneers solutions to the world’s water and climate challenges and improves the quality of life for people. We are also committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals #6 (Water and Sanitation) and we have set very ambitious and concrete goals for ourselves. By 2030, Grundfos will save 50 billion cubic metres of freshwater through efficiency and treatment and will have contributed to providing safely managed drinking water to 300 million people in need. Our support towards the restoration of the Sembakkam Lake is aligned to delivering on these objectives. By restoring this lake, we are not only strengthening its ecosystem, but also the connection between people and nature by providing a platform to connect them with the water body and its habitat.”
Muthu Kumaran, Global Head of Delivery for Cognizant Digital Business and the head of Cognizant’s Chennai operations, said, “We are pleased to be a part of this much-needed lake rejuvenation project as part of our commitment to a greener, healthier, more sustainable environment. The Sembakkam Lake is one of Chennai’s 54 inter-connected lakes of the Pallikaranai watershed basin that are critical to the city’s water security and resilience to floods and droughts. We believe this initiative has the potential to become an inspiring example of how the coming together of various stakeholders for a rejuvenation project of this scale can redefine the future sustainability of urban ecology.” 
Seema Paul, Managing Director of The Nature Conservancy’s India Program, said, “The support of Cognizant and Grundfos is vital to taking up the critical eco-restoration work at Sembakkam Lake. We are deploying science-based and nature-led solutions using constructed wetland systems that use minimal energy, require zero chemical additives, and are inexpensive for wastewater treatment at the lake. We will continue monitoring the lake even after the completion of the project to ensure sustainable maintenance. Bringing together our learnings from this project, we are developing a best practices guideline to catalyse scale-up of scientific and holistic, wetland restoration across the city.”
Some of the other experts involved in this project are the Consortia of FINISH society, Indian Leather Institute Foundation (ILIFO), The Solutions Centre (TSC) and Oasis Designs.

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Hiring women in clean energy is a win-win

By
Kasmin Fernandes
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Women have long been underrepresented in conventional energy industries such as coal, oil and gas, whether in exploration and extraction activities or in running power-generating plants. All available information suggests that men outnumber women in most of these workplaces, and especially in technical, managerial and policy-making positions.
Energy is still often seen as a man’s domain, where persistent cultural and social norms sway hiring decisions. More prosaically, workplace disparities reflect educational pathways and recruitment networks that remain heavily male-oriented. The widespread perception that the energy field requires technical skills above all else, and that energy is a “dirty” business, reinforce these patterns. Another factor is the relative scarcity of women in clean energy is female role models in the sector and inadequate peer networks for women.
Yet greater gender equality and equity is an issue of fundamental fairness: equal job and career opportunities should be available to all, irrespective of their gender or other distinguishing characteristics.

Upsides of hiring women in clean energy

The benefits to companies are compelling. Studies in many sectors of the economy show that workforce diversity is good for an organisation’s growth, culture and sustainability (World Economic Forum, 2019). Eliminating the barriers that dissuade or prevent women from entering the wind or solar sector (and remaining in it) offers several advantages to the industry. These include the ability to draw on a much wider and deeper pool of talent in technical, business and administrative occupations, and to gain from the fresh ideas and perspectives that women in clean energy bring to the industry.
Society at large also benefits from a stronger female presence and voice in the energy sector. Women’s perspectives and priorities may differ from those of men; having them reflected in decision-making on energy technology choices, market design, and scale and scope of specific projects can bring about more balanced outcomes for society as a whole. This is of great importance in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Women in renewables and the SDGs

Renewable energy enables the achievement of key social, economic and environmental objectives expressed in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The triangle of sustainable energy, jobs and gender objectives finds expression in three of the 17 SDGs: SDG 7 (access to modern, clean, and sustainable energy), SDG 5 (gender equality and empowerment), and SDG 8 (inclusive growth and decent work).
They are closely interconnected. Achieving SDG 7 is indispensable to a vibrant, clean and inclusive economy. The close interaction between the energy system and the broader economy implies a symbiotic relationship between SDGs 7 and 8. The gender objectives expressed in SDG 5 shape the way the energy industry and the economy at large function, aiming to make them inclusive.

Women in Wind

Launched in 2019 by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET), the Women in Wind Global Leadership programme’s mission is to advance the role of women as agents of change in the global energy transition, in line with SDGs 5 and 7, and to contribute to a more just, innovative and prosperous society.
As a multidimensional programme including mentorship, learning and development, webinars, a study tour and an online storytelling campaign, Women in Wind is designed to accelerate the careers of women in wind power, support their pathway to senior leadership and foster a global network of knowledge-sharing, inclusion and empowerment.
Women in Wind represents the voice of women in the wind sector at international forums like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and IRENA. In its inaugural year, it was supported by MHI Vestas, Mainstream Renewable Power and GE Renewable Energy.

German women’s cooperative

Windfang Frauen Energie Gemeinschaft is the first German energy cooperative exclusively run by women. Windfang (literally “wind catch”) was initiated in 1991 by a group of female engineering and natural sciences students. In March 1995, Windfang’s first wind turbine was connected to the grid. Today, the co-operative owns and operates eleven wind turbines in four German federal states (along with three small solar rooftop installations).
Since its inception, Windfang has generated more than 146000 MWh of wind electricity; just in the last three years (2017-2019), annual generation increased by almost 60% to 16523 MWh. Windfang supplies some 3,140 households with wind energy, avoiding 8,280 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.
The co-operative enables women to participate in male-dominated technical and strategic fields. Women run Windfang’s technical and commercial management and its finances. A general assembly of 300 associates decides democratically on the further development of the co-operative and on how profits are used. The co-operative offers a return on investment of more than 4% to its members.

Swedish women for clean energy

Qvinnovindar, a cooperative formed by 10 Swedish women, was inspired by the Swedish words for women (kvinnor) and wind (vind). It exists not only to support renewable energy, but to empower women in rural areas. Initiated in 2007, the group expanded to some 80 members with diverse professional backgrounds. Qvinnovindar has invested more than 10 million krona ($1.5 million) in various wind projects. Individual members have invested various sums, some as much as $46,000. However, regardless of the amount, each member has an equal vote in how the company is run.

Replicating women’s initiatives in the field

Mainstreaming gender into policymaking, programme design and project implementation in renewables is a must to heighten awareness of restrictive cultural and social norms and to challenge persistent gender myths. Mainstreaming is best accomplished by presenting gender-disaggregated data and boosting the visibility of the diverse roles women are already playing in expanding the wind energy sector and in promoting the energy transition.
While changing men’s perceptions is important, women themselves are the best agents of change in the quest for greater gender balance, whether as employees of companies or, as in the Windfang and Qvinnovindar cases by setting up women-operated organisations.

MMF supports Prajwala to fight sex trafficking

By
The CSR Journal
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Sex trafficking is one of the ugliest truths of our society. A truth that often comes dressed in layers of entertainment, glamour and ignorance. But this grave human rights violation needs to be spoken about for what it is. Not just because it’s the right thing to do but because there are millions of individuals who woke up this morning, only to breathe life into this truth.
The campaign built by Mukul Madhav Foundation is bold and in-your-face, calling out sex trafficking for what it is. Mukul Madhav Foundation has taken this bold unconventional route to hit people hard, raise awareness and drive a change in their mindset. We often tend to ignore the ugly truth and hence the campaign attempts to bring it to the forefront.

sex trafficking campaign by Prajwala

Sunitha Krishnan, Founder, Prajwala says, “For far too long we have tolerated this crime either by our apathy or our silence. Over the years this scourge has destroyed millions of lives worldwide. We cannot hide it under the carpet anymore. We need to confront it head-on and in that course perhaps challenge our own attitudes and perceptions. Prajwala joins hands with MMF & Schbang For Good to kickstart a campaign that will force us to look within…a campaign to collect our strength and a campaign to proclaim ‘zero tolerance’ to this modern-day form of slavery.”
Through this campaign designed by Schbang For Good, Harshil Karia, Founder at Schbang says, “We want to raise awareness about how plagued our society is with this issue and how many innocent lives we sacrifice to flesh trade every single year.” The campaign seeks to get people to support the initiative and turn awareness to action.
Prajwala is a pioneering anti-trafficking organization working on the issue of sex trafficking and sex crime. Established in the year 1996 in South India, Prajwala has pan India and International operations. In the last decade, it has become one of the most powerful voices nationally and globally for ensuring holistic victim services.

Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content

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