CSR @ Süd-Chemie India
Süd-Chemie has always been sensitive toward both social and ecological concerns and believes that doing well by doing good is of paramount importance. The organization has thus remained committed to corporate philanthropy and environmental sustainability since its inception. We appreciate the role that businesses can play in minimizing negative impacts and maximizing positive impacts on people and the planet and as a result, have aligned our CSR goals to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) laid out by the UN.
Süd-Chemie's CSR Vision
Our CSR vision is to apply our creativity and innovation to solve global sustainability challenges and act as a catalyst in the realization of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Currently our CSR efforts focus on six of the seventeen SDGs, however, we are looking at paving the way for a longer term approach, through which we hope to commit holistically to all seventeen goals.
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
Nature is critical to our survival but it is under increasing stress. Ensuring the conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity is crucial for us at Süd-Chemie India.
Süd-Chemie’s contribution:
- Supporting an organisation, committed to redefining wildlife conservation, to sponsor the education and vocational training of poachers’ children. These children are exposed to several vocations and equipped with the knowledge and skills to pursue career paths other than poaching.
- Sponsoring waste management projects in Jim Corbett National Park aimed at responsible and effective collection and treatment of waste and thereby, the protection of the forests, waterbodies, and wildlife.
- Supporting a solid waste management NGO in Dehradun to scale up and establish and maintain waste management infrastructure which allows them to efficiently collect, segregate, recycle, and trade solid waste. This initiative has helped recover approximately 40 metric tons of recyclables from 500 tons of segregated waste in a year, which would have otherwise ended up in the city’s landfills.
Responsible Consumption and Production
Environmental Sustainability is embedded in the way we do business and integrated into our processes and priorities. While we are aware that the production of catalysts involves an extensive use of raw materials, energy, and water, we are committed to the judicious use of natural resources and the environmentally sound management of chemicals and waste in order to minimise their impact on human health and the environment.
Süd-Chemie’s contribution:
- Reducing waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse.
- Continuously strengthening our technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of production.
- Using zero liquid discharge plants that treat and purify waste water, which then becomes suitable for reuse.
- Installing solar lights and solar water heaters in our plants to conserve energy.
- Using Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) boilers in our plants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help combat global warming.
- Incorporating hot air recycling at our plants to enhance energy efficiency.
- Using a 1-megawatt wind turbine in our plant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve energy.
Good health and well-being
Süd-Chemie is committed to enhancing rural health and has partnered with several institutions to support marginalized communities with no or little access to quality healthcare.
Süd-Chemie’s contribution:
- Building laboratories and medical centres.
- Providing equipment and medicines to government hospitals for dialysis, cancer treatment and kidney transplants.
- Providing medical support to old age homes and childcare centres.
Gender Equality
Empowering women and fostering sustainable community development is key to enriching the quality of life of the communities that we serve.
Süd-Chemie’s contribution:
- Initiating a ‘Women Entrepreneurial Development Program’ with the objective of creating self-reliance among women from less privileged families.
- Supporting rural bodies in setting up flour making units, catering units, baking and snack making units, tailoring units, and small shops to provide women the opportunity to develop their skills and engage in income generating activities.
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture
Improving the income and productivity of small scale - farmers will not only enhance their livelihood but also ensure that everyone has access to good quality healthy food.
Süd-Chemie’s contribution:
- Supporting farmers by providing irrigation facilities for their paddy fields.
- Building a bio-technology lab at a school to enable mushroom cultivation in their premises.
- Providing nutritious food to students and their families at schools.
Quality Education
Süd-Chemie has partnered with several government schools and schools for differently abled children to provide communities access to quality education.
Süd-Chemie’s contribution:
- Funding students’ tuition fees and scholarships.
- The creation of digitally equipped ‘smart classrooms’.
- Providing vocational training to rural youth in areas such as welding, plumbing, safety, installing and maintaining electrical equipment, and soft skills.
- Constructing and maintaining school buildings.
- Procurement and distribution of study material and uniforms.
- Providing medical assistance and food to students and their families.
- Running school bus services.