Mathews shares the Group’s green initiatives at Ocean Summit
Godrej & Boyce, one of India’s leading conglomerates, is fulfilling its long-term vision for playing a key role in creating a more inclusive and greener India.
All buildings built by Godrej & Boyce will be green by 2030 and all of its existing buildings are to be retrofitted to Green Building norms by 2050, Anup Mathews, business head, Godrej Construction, said at an environment conference in Singapore.
“We follow science-based targets and that applies for our international operations,” he said after addressing the 2nd annual World Ocean Summit Asia-Pacific held in Singapore Nov 29-30.
Mathews elaborated on the group’s ‘Green Buildings Footprint’, pointing out that 600+ of the group’s buildings are green, impacting 300+ million sq ft space.
This environment approach has saved the group 553,000 MWh per annum in energy and 135,000 kl per annum water, resulting in savings of 470,000 metric tonne per year of CO2.
He highlighted the importance of automated Recycled Concrete Materials manufacturing plant by Godrej Construction in Mumbai which manufactures various recycled concrete products such as concrete blocks for walls and concrete pavers.
“Integrating sustainability in our business practices and creating business value,” Mathews, who also heads Greener India Council, told delegates at the summit.
Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste is also used for constructing Customized Prefabricated Concrete Products such as Box Culverts and Ducts which are being used for the Metro Rail project and the Coastal Road project in Mumbai.
“From producing greener construction materials to solving the pressing issue of construction waste, we are present in every stage of the real estate development life cycle.
“This not only makes us more responsible but also a preferred construction partner,” said Mathews.
Further, 100% of concrete is recycled in the construction process and up to 250+ tonnes of CO2 emissions are saved annually through recycling.
“Through our initiatives, we have recycled over 25,000 metric tonnes of concrete debris,” he said.
He underlined the views of Jamshyd Godrej, the Group’s MD and Chairman and a strong champion of sustainable practices. “He was keen that we look at how we could bring in the circular economy in the construction sector.”
The specifications, strength and other technical characteristics of the recycled concrete blocks and pavers meet or exceed that of other similar concrete products that use virgin raw material with quarried stone aggregates and sand, he explained.
These Recycled Concrete Blocks and Pavers are also Green Pro certified by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC). These solid blocks are manufactured at the Group’s Recycled Concrete Materials (RCM) Manufacturing Plant in Vikhroli, Mumbai.
The RCM factory is a green initiative that demonstrates how organizations can commit to a ‘Circular Economy’ by adopting the concept of Recover, Recycle & Rebuild.
Further, Godrej & Boyce has collaborated with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and WWF India to launch the ‘India Plastics Pact’. This is a first of its kind in Asia.
“As a part of this coalition, we have committed to continue offsetting our plastic quantities by 100%.”
By 2030, the company plans to introduce recycled content of up to 25% in its plastic product packaging
Mathews highlighted the progress of circular economy being witnessed in India within his group.
He pointed out that 100% of concrete is recycled in the construction process and up to 250+ tonnes of CO2 emissions are saved annually through recycling.
Godrej Construction is the first to switch to green energy in the Ready-Mix Concrete (RMC) plant, Recycled Concrete Materials (RCM) plant.
Common areas of Godrej IT Park building in Mumbai are now powered by 100% renewable energy.
Over a decade ago, Godrej & Boyce, the flagship company of the Godrej Group, announced that its marquee initiative for suppliers, ‘Beyond Sourcing’, has strengthened its supply chain by onboarding 25% of their MSME suppliers and plans to induct 50% more by 2030.
With MSMEs being the backbone of the manufacturing industry in India, Godrej & Boyce has created a robust suppliers’ network benefitting from the various initiatives undertaken till date.
Recently, the company announced its plans to double its revenues in the next 5 years and initiatives like Beyond Sourcing will be instrumental in driving this growth by creating a more accountable, efficient, resilient and sustainable supply chain.
As a part of this initiative, suppliers are upskilled in basic management nuances to enhance productivity through robust systems, which can in turn be transcended to uphold sustainable practices in terms of Lean & Green Management leading to ZED (Zero Effect Zero Defect).
The company believes in creating a sustainable value chain and has been engaging with its suppliers to ensure a green supply ecosystem throughout its manufacturing locations.
Godrej & Boyce has also collaborated with various industry forums. At the vendor’s end, it has established a sustainability framework and begun training sessions that cover all aspects of the CII’s GreenCo certification.
“So far, about 50 suppliers have already received the GreenCo certification, a testament to Godrej & Boyce’s commitment towards the environment and a step forward in greening the supply chain,” informed Mathews.
Touching on environment, Mathews pointed out that Godrej & Boyce has rescued over 2,000 birds, reptiles and other animals like monkeys, jackals and a leopard in distress from the urban settings and scientifically rehabilitated under its elaborate and ongoing conservation programme.
Ranked as one of India’s largest business groups, it has also identified 1,500 species as part of its mangrove and biodiversity conservation initiative.
The group has pioneered mangrove and biodiversity conservation initiative in business community.
Godrej & Boyce was one of the first businesses to join the India Business & Biodiversity Initiative, a flagship program steered by Confederation of Indian Industries, for mainstreaming biodiversity considerations in business decisions, Mathews said.
He highlighted that Mangroves App with key info on mangroves documents 67 species and is available in 11 languages in 109 countries.
India Mangroves Coalition aims to bring the latest scientific and technological developments to the fore by engaging with experts from government, academia and other organisations focused on climate change to provide insights and help members adopt leading-edge techniques to further mangrove conservation.
The platform was launched by Godrej & Boyce in partnership with CII’s Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development and WWF India. It is a first of its kind industry-led platform, according to Mathews. fiinews.com
