AUGUST,2021
ISSUE,03 CSSA QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
SDG
IN FOCUS
From the Editors Welcome to the third issue of SDG Samvaad. This issue addresses SDG 12 which champions the cause of developing sustainable consumption and production patterns. The message is clear – reduce wastage of water, energy, and food and increase resource efficiency to save
SPOTLIGHT
How much do you know about UNSDG 12 and
Sustainable
Economy
the planet from further degradation. The need of the hour is to go beyond the linear economy based on the Take-
Our
practices such as circularity which is based on regenerative
COVID
A chance to make a difference
BUSINESS AND SUSTAINABILITY
Make-Waste model. We need to adopt newer business
under
19?
Better
Planet:
Gateway
The
August
Company:
Advocating
Sustainable Fashion
systems. This issue re-emphasizes the relevance of SDG 12 and shares good practices, of how businesses are contributing towards responsible production and consumption. The issue also includes discussions on thrift fashion, the perception of students towards a sustainable lifestyle, and how GIM
REDUCE WASTE, SAVE THE PLANET
Make the Case Competition BE THE CHANGE
Thifting, swapping : New Fashion habit for Responsible Consumption Dumping the taboo of "Thrift"
strives to inculcate a sustainable lifestyle among students.
The Paper Dress
Even a small act of change can have a bigger impact. So be
Change your Life, Practice Sustainable
the change.
Write to us : cssa@gim.ac.in Professor Divya Singhal and Dr. Sreerupa Sengupta Editors, SDG Samvaad
to
Sustainable Living
Consumption
ISSUE,03 CSSA QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
01
SPOTLIGHT
SDG 12 : How much do you know about UNSDG12 and
Sustainable Economy under COVID-19?
The implementation of the Sustainable with governance structure, Integration Development Goals (SDGs) since 2015
of
environmental
issues
with
have been moving from a global scale into governance structure, Address Social a local scale with impacts and actions, for Issues, Benchmark performance with example, the selected targets under SDG market leaders, Convincing ESG PRME SUSTAINABILITY MINDSET, WORKING GROUP MEMBER, US ASIA AMBASSADOR, UNITED NATIONS UNSDSN-KENYA BRAND AMBASSADOR, ICENECDEV, CAMEROON
12 which focus on:
Disclosure, Assessments with Trends
Encourage companies, especially large
on
ESG
Impacts,
Demonstrate
and transnational companies, to adopt Independent ESG Rating, Transparent
“The Low Touch Economy” (Board sustainable practices and to integrate Strategy”. of Innovation, 2020 quoted in sustainability Baghiu,
2020)
and
United
Sustainable Development Goals
information
into
This
well
echo
to
their UNSDG#12 responsible production
reporting cycle, and
and consumption.
Promote public procurement practices
Responsible that are sustainable, in accordance with To further examine their relevancy to national policies and priorities. the topic, a text search using the sustainability report for disclosure Yeung (2021) conducted a study to above factors as keywords was carried (UNSDG)
#12.6
Production and Consumption with a
have become a fad under COVID-
explore
factors
out with Nvivo. Findings indicated that
19 for a kind of business model with
mentioned in Environmental, Social and
some factors such as Integrate
responsibility and sustainability. Not
Governance (ESG) reports and their
environmental issues with governance
only the producers, but also the
relationships. Five annual reports of two
structure, Benchmark performance
consumers are concerned as our
listed companies published between
with market leaders and Integrate
lives are affected by the issues of
2018 and 2020 were studied. After
social issues with governance structure
safety, hygiene, technology, income
reviewing the reports, several factors
were frequently cited with 449, 429
generation, level of happiness and
appeared to be related to the topic,
and 418 times respectively while
harmony.
which included “Integrate social issues
Transparent Strategy
the
significant
ISSUE,03 CSSA QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
02
ITo further examine their relevancy to the topic, a text search using the above factors as keywords was carried out with Nvivo. Findings indicated that some factors such as Integrate environmental issues with governance structure, Benchmark performance with market leaders and Integrate social issues with governance structure were frequently cited with 449, 429 and 418 times respectively while Transparent Strategy and Demonstrate Independent ESG Rating were comparatively less mentioned. Further reviewing the articles, relationships between some factors were found where Integrate social issues with governance structure, Integration of environmental issues with governance structure, Address Social Issues, Benchmark performance with market leaders, Assessments with Trends on ESG Impacts, Demonstrate Independent ESG Conclusion and Discussion Rating and Transparent Strategy had contribution
Through literature review on the literature on futures of
to Convincing ESG Disclosure. Based on the
economy, UNSDGs and ESG report, it is recommended to
findings, a model on the factors was developed
examine the contents and audit approach with technology to
(Figure 1).
achieve UNSDG#12 with UNSDG #4.7 knowledge transfer under COVID-19 with alignment to policy documents, for example,
Olympic
Games
organized
by
the
Tokyo
Metropolitan Government (TMG) to gain an insight and understanding of the triangulation of research, UNSDG#12 and impacts of policies for the benefit of the community and economic development.
ISSUE,03 CSSA QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
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SPOTLIGHT
A chance to make a difference
PGDM CORE (2020-22)
Food and nutrition play a crucial role in strengthening the immune system of one’s body. Well-nourished people are better able to participate and support the development of their communities. Good nutrition is the bedrock of a child’s survival and development. But, is there adequate resource to provide a child with minimal nourishment?
The Food Waste Index Report published by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in 2021 estimated that around 931 million tonnes of food waste were generated in 2019, globally. Every year in India, around 67 million tonnes of food is wasted, which has been valued at around Rs. 92,000 crores. We are aware of all these facts and yet we continue to exploit resources faster than nature can recycle. In 2015, the United Nations launched an ambitious plan (popularly known as Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs) to reduce all forms of inequalities, provide justice to all human beings, and protect the environment. SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) makes a promise towards responsible consumption and production to reduce the destructive impact on the planet. For instance, SDG 12.3 addresses food waste at the retail and consumer levels and makes a commitment to reduce food loss across supply chains. Globally, many brands, have embraced sustainable production. Various recycling programs have been launched globally for responsible production. In India, the textile industries are focusing on sustainable fashion. Moreover, FMCG brands offering ready-to-cook/ready-to-eat category products have changed their packaging drastically and working towards sustainability
Being responsible in production is not enough. It is essential to adopt responsible consumption, too. For instance, while it is the responsibility of the brands to ensure that their products are sustainably produced; simultaneously, it is also the responsibility of the households to change their consumption and disposal habits. Food Waste Index Report clearly stated that out of the total food waste generated in 2019, a major share came from households. The UNEP report of 2021 showed that 61 percent of the food waste came from households, 26 percent from food service, and 13 percent from retail. Thus, we, the consumers have to practice sustainable consumption which will result in a fundamental change in the way that goods and services are consumed. The health club at the Goa Institute of Management has undertaken a unique initiative to reduce food waste. It displays the quantity of the food wasted on the previous day, on the canteen board, to create a sense of responsibility among the students. Further, the canteen authorities have formed networks with the local communities to provide them with the surplus food, which remains, after the consumption of students. Always remember that we cannot solve the problem with the same mindset that created it in the first place. Now is your chance to make a difference! Why not start from your own doorstep?
ISSUE. 03 CSSA QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
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BUSINESS AND SUSTAINABILITY Our Better Planet: Gateway to Sustainable Living
Gradually, I shifted towards consuming more sustainable products. When I came back to India, I started looking for sustainable products. I realized that majority of the raw materials used to make sustainable products are exported from India but not readily available to Indian consumers. Even if they are available, these products are very expensive and unaffordable for middle-class Indian FOUNDER AND CEO, OUR BETTER PLANET
Our Better Planet is a curated platform for aware individuals who are conscious of their purchases and are mindful of the impact it creates. Our choices if made correctly have the power to add to/reduce the current environmental, social, and economic issues being faced by our Planet. An array of ethically
families. I started talking to businesses, parents, and people who have knowledge about sustainability and had a knack for sustainable products. My explorations revealed there is a market in India and thus Our Better Planet – the one-stop-shop for sustainable living was born.
sourced and produced offerings are being made available on the platform after careful curation and interactions with social
The Journey
enterprises and organizations who are working with local
I discussed my business proposition with my GIM alumni
artisans, natural produce, socially deprived communities and
group. Two of my seniors from the 1998 batch, joined me in
helpingdriveattentiontolegitimatecauses.
this exploration. We wanted to first gain an in-depth understanding of people’s perception towards sustainable
Motivation Behind Our Better Planet
The motivation to set up Our Better Planet is a result of myriad personal experiences and events. During my stay in USA, I developed a habit of noticing the major ingredients of the products which I consumed daily.
products in India. We carried out extensive research – reached out to over 300 college students, gathered a lot of information about consumer behavior; also conducted over 150 qualitative interviews.
ISSUE,03 CSSA QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
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The background research came in extremely handy.
The e motto of Our Better Planet is offer products to
It helped us to understand the market better and
customers which do not harm the planet. The platform
design our business plan. We then worked on
prides itself in helping customers purchase handcrafted
developing the platform and finally the venture was
and ethically produced products.
launched on 8th April, 2020. Making
production
&
WAY AHEAD consumption
sustainable
Our Better Planet works only with vendors who produce goods in a responsible and sustainable manner. Although we have just forayed into the world of sustainability; we have realized that in order to make the production process sustainable, vendors need to be trained. Thus, in collaboration
We need to do two things, simultaneously – reduce waste and be aware of what we buy, try to gradually opt for sustainable products. It is impossible to overhaul either our production or our consumption patterns, pronto. But we can surely start the process and change our habits, slowly. We need to be more aware of our daily activities, the products we consume and bring about small changes
with CISCO, we will soon be offering an
in our lifestyle. Even minor shifts in our consumption
enablement program for vendor. The program will
pattern will create pressure on businesses to adopt
help
better
sustainable practices. If we want a healthier planet, we
understanding of the environmental impact of their
will have to change. Our choices have the power to
products and accordingly design solutions to
reduce waste, save artisans and handicrafts from being
minimize the harsh impact. We are trying to help
perished and give a new lease of life to our planet.
more
vendors
to
develop
a
vendors with sustainable packaging so that they can stop using bubble and plastic wrapping. We also help our customers make informed purchases and strive towards changing their lifestyle and consumption pattern.
(as shared with Dr. Sreerupa Sengupta)
ISSUE,03 CSSA QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
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BUSINESS AND SUSTAINABILITY
The August Company: Advocating Sustainable Fashion
Motivation behind the August company
I have always found it difficult to find the right kind of formal wear in India – either they were too short for me or they did not fit me well. I shopped for my formal wear from the popular brands in the USA as the clothes fitted me like a glove. After I quit my job, I realized there is a gap in the Indian formal wear segment. The Indian fashion industry was FOUNDER,THE AUGUST COMPANY
following European size charts for designing formal
The August Co. designs and manufactures apparel that is
wear for Indian women. This had to change as body
quintessentially Indian with a contemporary touch. Grounded
types of Indian women are very different. The need was
on the principles of sustainable fashion, The August Co.’s
to rework the size charts and make clothes that suit
offerings are crafted by women and specifically tailored to suit
Indian bodies. It was this thought that led to the
Indian body types. The brand believes that its products should be
creation of The August Company.
accessible to all women and offer sizes up to 3XL with the convenience of size customization. Known for functionality, comfort, attention to detail, quality, and customization, its apparel is designed to be timeless and made of superior quality natural fabrics, avoiding synthetically produced fabrics. It prides itself on the fact that 90% of its workforce are women and that allitstailorsarealsowomen.
The journey
In September 2017, our first collection was launched. Since then, we have been reinventing ourselves – trying to make Indian women look beautiful. We started with formal wear and then realized the need for smartcasuals for women. We have also designed plus-sized clothing and have started customizing clothes for women. We spend a lot of time understanding fabrics. Our focus is on quality and comfort – clothing which is easy on the skin and breathable.
07
ISSUE,03 CSSA QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
We are also proud to say we are a brand by women
The August Company is subtlety trying to change consumer
and for women, and we are a brand that is for every
behavior through its products and campaigns on
“body”. No matter what size you are, what shape you
sustainability.
are, you will be able to find something from The August company.
Making production and consumption sustainable. We follow the philosophy of just-in-time production. We do not maintain a large inventory of raw materials or finished products. We observe our sales – when we see certain styles are doing better than others, we stock them up and then keep on ordering them on a rolling basis. This gives us a lot of control over our production. Our brand does not use plastic packaging- the organization only uses paper packaging. The bane of the fashion industry is its wastage. So, all the extra pieces of clothing are turned into headbands, scrunchies, bottles cover, to minimize waste. We also make a conscious effort to integrate sustainability into our culture of work. We motivate our employees to minimize the landfills, to reduce waste while producing the products. Our customers are our biggest assets. We actively tell our customers to buy well and buy less.
WAY AHEAD
If you want customers to adopt responsible patterns of consumption, it is necessary to stick to affordable prices. If prices of sustainable clothing are higher, customers will not opt for them. From the production point of view, the biggest challenge is to get quality fabrics at desired prices. But businesses that want to embrace sustainability have to rethink their supply chain and keep their prices low. For many, having an in-house production unit may be challenging but it definitely helps to maintain the price points and the quality of the product. Organizations also have a responsibility in influencing customer choice and their patterns of consumption. The August Company designs modern silhouettes using traditional fabrics and motifs. The endeavor is to bring about an attitudinal change - make their customers appreciate the seamless blend of tradition and modernity in their clothing and at the same time support the artists behind the creations. (as shared with Dr. Sreerupa Sengupta)
08
ISSUE,03 CSSA QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
Reduce Waste, Save the Planet
Make the Case Competition
Centre for Social Sensitivity and Action (CSSA), Goa Institute of Management in collaboration with Commitments Accelerator for Plastic Pollution (CAPP), Ocean Recovery Alliance (ORA), and Indian Plastic Institute (IPI) launched a national level case study competition on reducing plastic waste in India in November 2020. The national-level competition was supported by the prestigious Chellaram Foundation. The purpose of the competition was to identify and showcase high-impact initiatives undertaken by organizations to reduce plastic waste in India. The competition also showcased how Indian organizations through such unique initiatives was responding to multiple goals of sustainable development such as 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), 4 (Quality Education),9 (Industry, Innovation), and 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). The competition known as the “Make-a-Case” Competition was designed for students from B Schools/Technical and Scientific Institutes/ Universities of India. Over 160 participants registered for the competition. The final round of the competition was held in March 2021. 11 teams received awards in the final round. To know more about the case study competition, visit https://cappindia.in/
ISSUE,03 CSSA QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
09 Be the Change
Thrifting, Swapping: New Fashion habit for
Responsible Consumption
Kay Karen Gomes (Staff Member of CSSA) Fashion is an addiction that has consumed us for more than a decade. Although many of us are aware how our quick purchases contribute to huge landfills and vast toxic mountains in a third world country; still we did not make major amends to our lifestyle and consumption pattern; till the pandemic happened. The pandemic in 2020, made our lives come to a sudden standstill. And this sudden jolt forced us to rethink not only about fashion but about our lifestyle – our entire pattern of consumption. We may not have been able to overhaul our consumption pattern, overnight; but we have to make a start. Creating awareness about the impact our decisions on the planet, definitely, is the first step towards fixing the bigger problem. Recently there is a lot of discussion on thrifting. Thrifting simply means buying items previously used, but in very good shape and with enough life left which can be used by a new owner and at very discounted prices. In order to decrease the need for production of additional items, thrift shops come handy and encourages us to re-use clothes and items that have been already created. Is this a new idea? Well, actually not. In any Indian household, there is a tradition of passing items (clothes and other resources) from one generation to another. In a way thrifting has been part of our tradition. The pandemic made the practice of and discussions around thrifting mainstream, exponentially. As the world struggles to heal from the scourge of the pandemic, we need to adopt practices which will support this healing process. We need to change our mindsets and our lifestyle. May be, we can thrift shop as this will help to keep our oceans clean, reduce air pollution and energy consumption. Thrift shopping is also the best way to practice sustainability and take care of our animals. So, why wait…think about thrifting.
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Be the Change
Dumping the taboo of “Thrift”
As Indians, we are all familiar with the life cycle of an item of clothing. For
instance, a brand-new shirt, first, becomes a daily wear shirt, then the shirt gets passed on to the youngest sibling, which after a while transforms into a colourful mess on Holi and finally breathes its last as the trusty dusting cloth or Paucha. Most of us have grown up with parents who refuse to throw out anything until they extract every last drop of usefulness from it. So, the 3 R’s of waste management (Reduce, reuse, and recycle) are not uncommon in an Indian household, and borrowing from siblings continues to be the norm. However, when it comes to buying thrifted clothing, our Indian minds, refuse to give in and draws a line.
Rachita Donti PGDM CORE (2020-2022)
I personally have been an avid thrifter. I source my outfits from a combination of sources - thrift stores, family closets, and swap clothes with my close friends. My Ammamma (grandmother) taught me not to waste any resources. So, when I thrifted an amazing pair of pants, my natural inclination was to share with my Ammamma. Although I was skeptical about her reaction, still told her about my buy. There was no issue with the cloth or the making. But to my surprise, the first thing she said was “What if someone has worn them before?” My grandmother’s reactions indicated the misconceptions people had about thrifted clothing. The point to understand here is thrifting does not always include second-hand or used clothing. In fact, it majorly includes export goods with minor damages and items of clothing from huge fast fashion brands such as HnM or Zara (among others) that are dumped due to the fast-changing trends that they cater to. Such “rejected” items find their way to export ports and company value channels that in turn are bought in bales by micro and small business owners. Thrifting is a sustainable alternative that is slowly emerging as the primary source for young shoppers. Getting my Ammamma excited about thrifted clothes is still a journey. But she did like the box of thrifted handkerchiefs I gifted to her. So, making Ammamma appreciate thrift fashion is only a matter of time! At the end of this maze-like exploration of my thoughts about fashion, how to make it sustainable, I would like to emphasize that thrifting has immense potential to make the fashion industry and allied businesses sustainable. Thrifting supports homegrown small businesses and facilitates salvaging perfectly good clothes from reaching a dumpster and adding to textile waste. And the icing on the cake - we get awesome outfits!
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Be the Change
The Paper Dress
Soumya Singh PGDM CORE (2020-2022)
One fine morning I saw the pile of newspaper being kept in the corner of my room, unaddressed! Although I have been making Paper Crafts from them, I thought of doing something new this time, something that is related to sustainable fashion, and I being a person who loves to do photoshoots ideated to make a paper dress, and within an hour, my dress was ready! The comments of appreciation that I received were overwhelming and people just loved the idea of a paper dress! Next time I made another dress and that too was a big hit on my social media handles! So, the idea that I wish to convey is that basically a dress can be made up of anything like paper, plastic, etc. It is high time that we must understand that apparel need not be necessarily made up of fabric. We have to broaden our mindset to accept the new sustainable fashion. I hope someday I will get an opportunity to organize a fashion show to showcase the paper dresses and people can get to know that fashion has paved its way for something new - Sustainable Fashion.
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Change your Life, Practice Sustainable Consumption
Vaishnavi Shreya PGDM CORE (2021-2023)
Shruti Singh PGDM HCM (2021-2023)
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ISSUE,03 CSSA QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
Students’ Speak: Together towards Adopting a Sustainable Lifestyle
SDG 12 is a holistic goal that aims to tackle the unsustainable practices currently prevalent in society. While Goal 12 endorses mindful production by industries around the world; it also focuses on the habits and lifestyle of the common people- the consumers, who are often given a clean chit when it comes to accountability for their actions. SDG 12 promotes an approach of “doing more and better with less,” and in light of the current scenario with environmental red flags all around, inculcating this approach in all our systems is imperative.
As global citizens and future managers, the time has come for us to understand how our managerial decisions will impact the world. Through SDG Samvaad, we hope to accelerate the spread of information about the significance of sustainability and how we can contribute towards creating a sustainable society and business.
We invite you to read this edition of SDG Samvaad and hopefully learn some useful tips to design your own contribution towards Agenda 2030.
MEET THE TEAM We invite students, faculty, industry and the government to share their good practices on SDG 3,4,5,8,10,12, 17
Connect with us :
@cssagim
Student Team Harshul Bhatia, Rachita Donti, Sakshi Singh & Soumya Singh
Published by CSSA, GIM
Source: www.unep.org
Centre for Social Sensitivity and Action Goa Institute of Management Poriem, Sattari, Goa 403505. Tel: 0832 -2366700 Website: www.gim.ac.in Email: cssa@gim.ac.in
Concept Dr. Sreerupa Sengupta, Assistant Professor, GIM