THE CHALLENGE OF PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT, AND RESTORING OUR PLANET HAS BEEN CLOSE TO THE HEART OF OUR CHAIRMAN SHASHI KIRAN SHETTY.

The challenge of protecting our environment, and restoring our planet has been close to the heart of our Chairman Shashi Kiran Shetty.It is this personal conviction and commitment that has motivated our company over the years to undertake a variety of initiatives under Avashya Foundation that protect environment and serve communities. While a full-fledged, multi-dimensional and rapidly-growing CSR program has been in place for many years, our management fervently believes that much more must be done with every succeeding year and that our efforts should exceed the mandated CSR; it should be a living and committed stream of activity that has only increased by the year.

 

At Davos for the World Economic Forum this year, our Chairman had a front-row view of the world's leading luminaries and environmental activists as they reiterated the multiple concerns of the environmental challenges and explained the damage that has been one, and is being done, and will be done. Our Chairman believes that we must act to make our contribution to the global response reach critical mass and begin pushing the tide of destruction back. Everyone agrees this will not be an easy journey and everyone is poised to participate in every way to make that journey easier.

 

There are the obvious challenges. As nations join together, all their interests have to be taken into account. As businesses large and small join in, their commercial realities must be taken into account. Established industry and commerce cannot be decimated to accommodate environmental initiatives. Every step must be taken with care, and orchestrated with an eye on multiple outcomes. Saving the environment should not be derailed because of the cost of it all.

 

Costs aside, there is the matter of the price to be paid in terms of time, people energies and corporate commitments. It is time to pay the price willingly and enthusiastically. There are now enough established best practices that make it possible for any company to begin this exercise on a war footing and yet not have their efforts derailed because of the cost implications. Yet, it cannot be stated less strongly, the price must be paid, and paid willingly. Again, Allcargo has considerable experience in this: our CSR programmes have been in place, and growing for nearly a decade now. The challenge is to capitalise on the success and momentum and exponentially achieve a completely new dimension of efficacy.

 

We know that a large difference can be made by moving the entire corporate headquarters and facilities across India to be more 'green'. Paper usage can be curtailed, solar can be deployed, electronic measures like sensors that switch lights and AC off when a room is empty are powerful starts. The goal is to have these measures reflected in the annual cost computations. We are prepared to make the investments, and more than prepared to count the ROI only in green terms. Everything can be streamlined and perfected to increase the benefits every single year.