MUMBAI: For his efforts in steering the Godrej Group towards a sustainable future by incorporating eco-friendly practices across diverse sectors, Nadir Godrej, managing director of Godrej Industries, was recognised as Green Business Titan at the 11th Earth Care Awards held in Mumbai.
Founded in 2008 and presented jointly by JSW and The Times of India, the latest edition had seven categories to celebrate the work done in mitigating climate change: enablers for urban-centred climate management, emerging business in climate action, women leaders in climate change, community-based climate change, young changemakers in climate change, innovation in climate change and green business titan.
Accepting the award, Godrej recited an elegy: “It is no longer climate change within a tolerable range. A crisis is what it’s about, with fires, flo-ods as well as droughts. Every week a constant blast, far worse than seen in the past….”
Addressing industry captains, trade bodies, NGOs and youth at the National Centre for Performing Arts, Sangita Jindal, chairperson of the JSW Foundation, said, “I was recently reading Arshia Sattar’s iconic translation of the Ramayana. What struck me was this description of Sita, ‘Sita, born of the Earth, more familiar with plants and trees and animals than Lord Rama could be.’ When she finds herself exhausted in the Dandanayaka forest while in exile, Sita draws her strength from the Earth she knows, her mother, who she knows would protect her in the days to come. The Earth is our mother. Like Sita, each one of us is the Earth’s child.”
CEO (Publishing) of The Times Group, Sivakumar Sundaram, said, “In the ten outstanding editions of these awards (so far) we have thrown the spotlight on 79 climate crusaders, individuals as well as institutions. These awardees are heroes who don’t wear a cape but wield a mighty message for change because they prevent climate change.”
This year’s awardees included Axis Bank Foundation and Meghalaya Basin Management Agency in the category of community-based climate change. Wai and Sinnar municipal councils were awarded as enablers for urban centered climate management for implementing an efficient faecal sludge management system. Waycool Foods and Products Pvt Ltd was recognised as an emerging business in climate action and String Bio Pvt Ltd for innovation in climate action by converting greenhouse gas methane into agricultural input and animal nutrient. Young changemaker Nikky Kumar Jha was awarded for developing an IoT-enabled storage device designed to extend shelf life of fruits and vegetables for farmers and street vendors. Sharayu Kulkarni won in the category for women leaders in climate action for developing an economically profitable and environmentally sustainable farm ecosystem.
The jury comprised R A Mashelkar, former director general, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research; Vibha Dhawan, director general, The Energy and Resources Institute; Arunabha Ghosh, founder and CEO, Council on Energy, Environment and Water; Rajat Gupta, senior partner – sustainability practice, McKinsey & Co, and Shloka Nath, CEO, India Climate Collaborative.
