Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd., India's leading mineral water company, has strengthened its sustainability strategy by launching 'Bisleri Greener Promise.' The sustainability philosophy focuses on creating a greener future by reinforcing and implementing programs in recycling, water conservation and sustainability.

Under the aegis of this philosophy, the company has become one of the first consumer goods companies to be plastic-neutral and water positive. It further emphasizes its promise to the sustainable development of the country by announcing bold initiatives under plastic recycling and water conservation.

The company has outlined its vision to connect with 20 major cities to collect and recycle 12,500 tonnes of plastic by 2025, through its Bottles for Change initiative. Additionally, it has also announced restoration or building of 350 dams in Maharashtra and Gujarat to provide water security and enhance crop production. Under the initiative, Project Nayi Umeed, more than 35,000 million litres of water will be harvested, and it will help irrigate more than 23,000 acres of land. The company aims to reduce its carbon footprint by 10% and lower the use of virgin plastic by over 7%.

Furthermore, the company released its sustainability report defining its progress in environment, social, and governance (ESG) practices. The report has been developed by TERI School of Advanced Studies. It highlights the company's efforts in building a circular economy, utilising resources efficiently, reducing GHG emissions, replenishing water, and recollecting packaging material.

Angelo George, CEO, Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd., said, "At Bisleri International, we develop solutions that fuel business growth and, at the same time, address environmental challenges. We are in constant pursuit of creating a positive impact, and continue to integrate our business strategy with sustainability goals. Thus, ensuring that we operate purposefully and responsibly. Innovations in packaging will continue to be our focus for the next three years and we aim to be ready for the guidelines on reuse targets stipulated by Government."

As part of its commitment to protect the environment and mitigate the effects of irresponsible disposal of used plastic, Bisleri International's Bottle For Change initiative works towards bringing behavioural change and raising awareness about the importance of post-consumer plastic. Through the programme, Bisleri International has brought a behavioural change amongst 600,000 citizens by organising sensitisation workshops and collection drives. These workshops and drives were conducted at over 3500 housing societies, 680 educational institutions, 790 corporates, and 600 hotels & restaurants across seven cities. The efforts have resulted in collecting and recycling over 4000MT of used plastic.

For Project Nayi Umeed, the company focuses on building or restoring Check Dams, rainwater harvesting and empowering communities. It provides access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene, benefiting farmers and their families. Through the programme, it has built or restored over 200 Check Dams in Gujarat and Maharashtra. These Check Dams have helped harvest approximately 22 billion litres of water, covering more than 124 villages and benefiting almost 40,000 family members of farmers. Over 13,000 acres of land have been irrigated through the project, turning barren lands into fertile farms. Also, for every litre of water drawn, eight litres of water is replenished from the ground.

Dr Shruti Sharma, assistant professor, TERI, SAS, said, “We at TERI School of Advanced Studies believe that resource efficiency and waste management are the keys to smart, sustainable and inclusive development.  We work together internally and externally to maximize shared knowledge and impact. Bisleri International Private Limited has been practicing triple bottom line as an approach.  We are happy to partner with them to develop their first Sustainability report. Hope this aligns all their stakeholders to their work towards sustainable development.”

Panaji: Speaking at a conference, environment minister Nilesh Cabral urged the state’s students to volunteer for climate monitoring, especially measuring temperature, rainfall, and wind speed on a regular basis. Tulsi Gouda, a Padma Shri awardee popularly known as the ‘Encyclopedia of Forests’, was the chief guest at the event. Gouda appealed to the young audience to plant more trees.

The minister and Gouda were speaking on the final day of the two-day national conference on ‘Sustainable Development: Addressing Climate Change, Global Warming & Carbon Footprints’, on Tuesday. The conference was hosted at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao.

Gouda spoke about the importance of trees and forests in maintaining the ecological balance, while BITS Pilani Goa Campus professor Rajiv Kumar Chaturvedi called for more research on climate change.

The conference received 57 abstracts from institutes across India, of which 21 were selected for presentation. The paper presenters included those from TERI School of Advanced Studies, New Delhi; Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai; JNU, New Delhi; Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi; and Goa University. Participants from eight states presented papers at the conference organized by the department of economics of Government College, Quepem, in association with the state directorate of higher education and Goa State Biodiversity Board.