On May 4th we have had the real pleasure of organising a webinar on Sustainable Development and companies.
> What are the actions to be taken by companies to adapt their CSR strategies to support the planet?
> Why should they commit to take action?
> Which difficulties will they face?
> Which actions can be concretely taken?
Thanks to our Expert Panel all these questions were answered, and we are really grateful to our both speakers for their participation!
Please find the detailed summary below
TIME TO TAKE ACTION!!!!!
Sujata Chatterjee, Founder and CEO of Twirl Store
> Twirl Store is a social enterprise focused on reducing fabric waste. The idea came from a simple observation: what do we do with clothes we do not wear? And how can we reduce the social and environmental impact of fabric?
People send their unwanted clothes to Twirl Store, from where they are distributed to people in need, or upcycled in new products. This entire work is done by rural women or disadvantaged women, empowering women at every steps of the way
> When Twirl’s started it was a fairly new concept, with a lack of consumer awareness with regard to this particular problem and their solutions. It was necessary to justify the action at every step of the creation.
Now individuals and organizations send clothes from all across the country, medias highlight the positive impact of the work, and awards were given to the start-up. Twirl is now looking forward to expand.
> Sujata Chatterjee is an engineer, with no background in sales. She decided to be the person to start the conversation, and hope that new person will take forward for Twirl. Upcycling is not something modern, but we gave it a modern twist.
> If your mission is aligned with social and environmental problems, it can be really difficult to advance. However it is not possible to look aside from these problems, and it is necessary to offer solutions. CSR activities are not sufficient sometimes, in order to have a continuous impact.
> In today’s world sustainability is no longer an option you can have. Even if numerous people tell you that a business cannot generate profit if it focuses on the environment, you can do a good business, which is both kind to the environment and society.
> Be the change you want to see
Sujata gave away everything she had to create Twirl, to build the company, to recruit women. She is always open to new ideas that can be given to her, through the relationship with other
Abhinav Bajpai, Ubuntu
> Born in one of the most polluted cities. When he traveled outside of the city he realized the importance of climate change, and the need to take action. He joined Greenpeace, allowing him to have a better understanding of the issue. His first action was to become a minimalist, then a vegan/eating plant-based.
> From an activist Abhinav became an entrepreneur, creating Ubuntu: India's first Vegan Community Cafe.
> The majority of our products are not sustainable: material, packaging,... For instance a toothbrush
> Every day we have about 10 to 15 choices that positively or negatively impact the planet. The largest amount of negative impact is created via food (damaging the planet and killing animals).
> Changing lifestyle is difficult, however everybody can do it. It is difficult because of lack of awareness, or lack of options available (eg: dairy products as a vegan). Remember: your habits should not drive you.
Being vegan for a day represents : 100 gallons of water, 45 pounds of grain, 30 sq ft of forested land, 20 lbs CO2 equivalent, and one animal’s life saved.