Up until a decade ago, CSR was only ever ventured into by mega-rich corporations and conglomerates, particularly those who wanted to bump up their brand image, while most others were more intent on increasing their profit margins.
But as the Ministry Of Corporate Affairs brought CSR rules into effect from April 1 2014, taking up CSR is now mandatory for companies that meet a specific guideline. The CSR Policy drafted by the ministry clearly states that every company (public limited or private limited) with a net worth of Rs. 500 crore, or a turnover of Rs. 1,000 crore, or a net profit of Rs. 5 crore, needs to spend at least 2 % of their net profit on CSR activities over the next three financial years.
While a number of CSR activities have already been successfully implemented, most of these were primarily focused on providing basic infrastructural and educational reinforcements to the remote public. However, things have changed with the issue of conserving the ecosystem slowly catching up in major economies in the world.
Among the few green initiatives that have come to fruition over the years, the National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO)’s efforts are worth mentioning. This public-private establishment has actively worked with the Indian government to implement the Swacch Bharat Mission across the country.
However, compared to the gargantuan environment related hurdles ahead of us, just a few brightspots aren’t enough. So, we bring to you some of the best environment conservation-specific ideas that can help you reach your CSR missions while, at the same time, safeguarding humanity’s future.
1. The 3R- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Sweden, a small European nation with a population of just 9.8 million, is a shining example of what a successful 3R program would look like. As you read this, 99% of all household waste in Sweden is being recycled through various programs. They even have a Waste To Energy program which effectively converts 50% of generated waste into usable energy.
A similar approach would do wonders as a CSR initiative in India, considering the fact that the world’s largest democracy generates close to a half a million tonnes of waste each day. Apart from supplementing our current sources of power generation, an added bonus would be the employment opportunities that such a program can create in India.
2. Providing Eco-Friendly Services
Eco-friendly services are the need of the hour as a majority of the short, mid, and big revenue companies are ravaging the environment through the unmonitored use of key resources and energy. With innovative, eco-friendly services, you can help these companies solve a number of environmental issues and assist them with the conservation, generation, and storage of energy.
3. Tackling Climate Change
If we start talking about environmental issues, climate change is definitely the elephant in the room. An ideal environment-centric CSR project could involve working towards tackling climate change. This could range from things as simple as encouraging people to switch to LED bulbs or something as complicated as lobbying for and developing countermeasures to reduce the CO2 emissions around the world.
4. Promoting Renewable Energy
The issue of energy is a major concern, especially in a developing country like India, where electricity and energy shortages have almost ingrained themselves into people’s daily lives. One way to solve this problem, while also helping the green cause, would be to promote the use of renewable energy in the country.
With the state of the world’s ecosystem deteriorating by the day, the issue of environmental conservation should no longer be in the back burner. In fact, each and every CSR project must make nature their main concern and implement such ideas to contribute to the well being of the future.
References:
http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/an-overview-of-csr-rules-under-companies-act-2013-114031000385_1.html
http://www.softbank.jp/en/corp/csr/future/instance_04/contents_05/
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https://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2015/08/13/07/23/environmental-protection-886669_960_720.jpg