Corporate Social Responsibility- April-2019

A1a) Introduction:
Corporate social responsibility is a company’s sense of obligation towards social and physical
environments in which it operates.

• Corporate social responsibility (CSR) can be described as embracing responsibility and

encouraging a positive impact through the company’s activities related to the environment,
consumers, employees, communities, and other stakeholders.

• Corporate social responsibility may include philanthropic efforts, employee volunteering, and
core strategies. Companies may benchmark their CSR performance relative to peers and may
also report on CSR policies or undergo social audits.

• Proponents of CSR argue that socially responsible practices can have a positive impact on the
bottom line and may also argue for the recognition of a “triple bottom line” that rewards social,
environmental, and financial returns.

• Critics argue that CSR competes with shareholder value maximization and may be prone to
“greenwashing”.

• Movement aimed at encouraging companies to be more aware of the impact of their business
on the rest of society, including their own stakeholders and the environment.

• Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a business approach that contributes to sustainable

development by delivering economic, social and environmental benefits for all stakeholders.

• CSR is a concept with many definitions and practices. The way it is understood and
implemented differs greatly for each company and country. Moreover, CSR is a very broad
concept that addresses many and various topics such as human rights, corporate governance,
health and safety, environmental effects, working conditions and contribution to economic
development. Whatever the definition is, the purpose of CSR is to drive change towards
sustainability.

Although some companies may achieve remarkable efforts with unique CSR initiatives, it is
difficult to be on the forefront on all aspects of CSR. Considering this, the example below
provides good practices on one aspect of CSR – environmental sustainability.

• Example

• Unilever is a multinational corporation, in the food and beverage sector, with a comprehensive
CSR strategy. The company has been ranked ‘Food Industry leader’ in the Dow Jones
Sustainability World Indexes for the 11 consecutive years and ranked 7th in the ‘Global 100
Most Sustainable Corporations in the World’.

• One of the major and unique initiatives is the ‘sustainable tea’ programme. On a partnership-
based model with the Rainforest Alliance (an NGO), Unilever aims to source all of its Lipton and
PG Tips tea bags from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms by 2015. The Rainforest Alliance
Certification offers farms a way to differentiate their products as being socially, economically
and environmentally sustainable
 Let us take the CSR example of one of the NSE top 500 company, ABB India Ltd.

ABB India CSR Policy:

ABB India views corporate social responsibility as another channel to further its cause of ‘Power and
productivity for a better world’. The company is committed to sustainable and inclusive development
of the community’s social capital through active engagement.

Following are key areas for ABB India’s CSR intervention:

▪ Education and skills enhancement: To provide facilities and assist promotion of primary
education among children and impart skills training to the youth
▪ Health care: To support and augment ongoing national initiatives in health, hygiene and health
care systems
▪ Environment and local safeguard: To undertake greening and environmental initiatives in the
community
▪ Differently-abled: To catalyze skills training and employment opportunities for the differently
abled
▪ Access to electricity: Collaborating to provide innovative off-grid solutions to improve access to
electricity in the country
Some of the CSR initiatives aligning with its CSR policies are :

Extending rural electrification in Asia

ABB expanded its rural electrification program, known as “Access to Electricity” in two parts of Asia
during 2015, helping to deliver reliable solar energy to several thousand people in remote areas.

ABB has been involved for a decade in a project in Rajasthan, India, working with state authorities
and a non-governmental organization to provide distributed solar power to remote desert villages in
the Bamer region. In the first phase of the project, approximately 1,200 households, covering 7,000
people, were provided with solar panels, batteries, lights, and wiring to replace the traditional more
costly, and less healthy, form of lighting using kerosene.

Access to electricity has improved the lives of villagers, enabling weavers and tailors who are now
able to work after dark to increase their incomes by up to 50 percent; it has improved access to
education and health with schools and clinics staying open longer. Nurses at health clinics can also
give advice on their electrically-charged mobile phones to patients over long distances.

In 2015 the project was expanded to include another 500 households across five villages in the same
area. Every household is being provided with a package that includes a solar panel, two lamps, a
portable lamp, wall switches, a control unit and a re-chargeable battery. ABB is training the villagers
how to maintain the batteries.

In another off-grid electrification project in Myanmar, ABB has teamed up with a non-profit
organization Pact Myanmar to bring solar light to a village near Mandalay. The project will establish
solar-powered battery charging stations for the community of some 3,000 people, and ABB and Pact
Myanmar will also provide financial support to the villagers to help them buy solar equipment.
The project is expected to strengthen economic development, pave the way for progress in education
and healthcare, and also improve safety in village huts. “I am excited. Now SE don’t need to worry
about the fire hazard from using candles,” said a 70-year-old resident of Wun Pa Tae village.

The project was announced in March 2015 to coincide with the arrival in Mandalay of the Solar
Impulse plane, on the latest stage of its round-the-world flight powered by solar energy.

ABB’s Access to Electricity program has been running for over a decade, providing off-grid electrical
solutions to communities in different parts of India and Africa.

Benefiting from a leading human rights organization

ABB joined the Global Business Initiative on Human Rights (GBI) shortly after its foundation in 2009.
ABB has benefited from such work in many ways. Participating in outreach sessions with business
leaders in China, India and Malaysia, for example, has led to a greater understanding of different
cultural approaches to human rights implementation by customers, suppliers and other business
partners. This has had an influence on experts within ABB approach in-house training programs.

One of the most practical areas of GBI work is the peer learning sessions on individual challenges
raised by member companies during meetings. Considerable time is allocated to reviewing a
company’s particular dilemma by critical friends in a “safe space.” Other companies’ approaches,
tools and practices are also examined. ABB has learned from these sessions, and has also taken
advantage of the opportunity in the past to receive expert input on its indirect involvement in a dam
project in south-east Asia.

Since its inception, the GBI has become an acknowledged leader on the corporate responsibility to
respect human rights, based on the diverse experiences of its individual members. It has become
increasingly confident in its role of informing policy on the role of business, reflected in its involvement
in key events in different parts of the world.

A1b) ABB access to energy initiative:

-Currently brings light to eight Indian villages that are not connected to the grid; 7,000+ lives

-Program to include another five Gram Panchayats (villages) in Barmer district in 2015

-Standalone solar-based home lighting systems to be provided to households with no grid connection

-Small businesses in the villages witnessed more than 40 percent increase in productivity.

In Rajasthan, the productivity of weavers and tailors has risen by 50 percent and 40 percent
respectively; they can now work at night avoiding searing daytime temperatures. Children can now
study after dark, and the number attending school has doubled in two years. Electricity has replaced
kerosene, reducing the danger of fires and easing health problems. The nurse at the health center
can now treat patients at night, and dispense advice on an electrically recharged mobile phone to
patients far and wide. In addition to similar benefits, the initiative in the Sunderbans has also reduced
human-wildlife conflicts as there is now less need to collect fuel wood from the forest.

A2) Schneider Electric Sustainability Report- 2017

Under Climate action for sustainable growth, at the end of 2017 , Schneider Electric have renewed
and strengthened the commitment towards carbon neutrality. Following is one of the point with
specific action, which shows there seriousness towards their commitment.

“use 80% renewable electricity in our energy mix by 2020 (2018-2020) and 100% by 2030 (2018-
2030); and continue to reduce our energy consumption started since 2005 on our sites by doubling
our energy productivity (2005-2030)”.

Following are the initiatives taken by the company.

Schneider Electric’s Commitment to environmental performance.

Environmental resource productivity: (e.g. reduced energy and materials consumption) helps both
reduce operating costs -which is a signifi cant business opportunity with positive impact on profi t &
loss - and reduce risks related to resource price volatility, and availability.

Decarbonization of operations: with costs assigned today to CO2 commodity in various parts of the
globe and various application domains (e.g. Electricity, Oil, Carbon markets and Carbon trading
schemes, etc.), and considering that thistrend is likely to expand going forward, it is critical for
organizations to work towards -50% CO2 emissions by 2050 as per Science- Based Targets.
Organizations failing to demonstrate this may be considered as risky investments, and their value
undermined. From another perspective, those companies agile in decarbonizing their supply chains,
and even more their value propositions, will certainly position themselves favorably in the eyes of
customers and investors alike.

Proactive chemical substances substitution is again both an opportunity, as an increasing share

of customers, building standards and norms, expect less and less hazardous substances in products,
and a risk avoidance mechanism as well, as it helps remain ahead of regulations, notably REACH,
RoHS and California’s Proposition 65, as well as avoiding shortages, and preserving access to
markets.

Circular economy innovations: an obsession to avoid wastage, reuse, repair, retrofi t and recycle
as much as possible, translates into cost savings which can be massive opportunities for companies.
A circular mindset also triggers process transformations, and in some cases even opens door to
innovative business models enhancing customer intimacy and thus loyalty.

Environmental information & footprint transparency, superior environmental compliance: more

and more customers, green building standards, distributors and electricians, prefer buying or
prescribing off ers with strong green credentials. It is b oth a risk, if one is too indulgent in this domain
, or an opportunity to harness if a proactive approach can be adopted: market demand can shrink or
grow, products can be sold or sit idle. Such environmental intelligence is really critical.
Site and property environmental excellence: ill-managed industrial processes can trigger spills and
contamination of water, soil and air, and this is clearly a risk for a company as much as for the
environment. However , a proactive approach towards site & property environmental risks helps
preserve continuity of operations, reduce risks of unexpected legal action andavoid environmental
remediation costs. In addition, removal of hazardous and chemicals substances in workshops helps
preserve workers’ health.

Schneider Electric has defi ned a clear 2020 environmental strategy defi ning 15 priority initiatives
and related goals across 6 environmental domains, fully aligned and supporting our c ompany
program and our sustainable growth strategy. At Schneider Electric, environmental considerations go
far beyond our efforts towards the sustained reduction of our footprint on the planet, as they embed
everything they do, from strategy, R&D, to the value propositions to customers. The 2020 Schneider
Electric environmental strategy was defi ned in 2015, introduced in previous annual reports, and is
structured around 6 main pillars: CO2 neutrality strategy in our extended supply chain, resource effi
cient supply chain, “Waste as W orth” mindset, environmental performance delivered to customers,
circular business models and innovations, increasinglystronger environmental governance (suppliers,
compliance, products, etc.

Briefly introduced the 6 domains of SE environmental strategy, our 2017 achievements and
key aspirations:

1) CO2 and resources strategy towards a climate-compatible and planet-compatible

growth path.

SE have defi ned a CO2 strategy and roadmap (with 2035 and 2050 time horizons), towards
“COP21 and +2°C compatibility” with a sustained and step-by-step decoupling of our growth
journey and supply chain transformations from climate implications. We have committed to set
Science- Based Targets. Furthermore, through our eff orts in R&D and eco-design, they have
designed a broad range of products, services, and solutions bringing signifi cant CO2 gains to
our customers, thus avoiding millions of tons of CO2 emissions attheir ends, in addition to
there own supply chain eff orts. As part of our 2030 commitment tocarbon neutrality in there
extended supply chain , they became RE100 members in 2017 and committed to work towards
100% renewable electricity in there mix by 2030. Last, they quantified CO2 avoided by there
off ers atour customers’ end, which allows them to take 2018-2020 commitments of 100 million
tons CO2 avoided in the period.

2) building an increasingly Greener Supply Chain.

Resource effi ciency and productivity are there mottos. In 2017 they updated the mapping of
their end-to-end resource footprint (copper and other metals, plastics, packaging, wood, gases, other
resources), and have an up-to-date understanding of the major impacts and stakes, and areas for
further resource decoupling are prioritized. The p resent report contains specifi c sections about their
initiatives and achievements towards energy effi ciency, reduction of transportation and
manufacturing externalities, adoption of green Best Available Techniques in their plants and
distribution centers. Additionally, key Schneider Electric processes embed environmental
considerations, making environmental performance and resource productivity key dimensions of
major decisions (e.g. through our SPS/ Schneider Production System framework). On the energy
front, leveraging their own solutions and expertise, there sites delivered a 10.3% improvement in their
energy effi ciency compared to 2014, which is in line with the ambitions set for the 3 year period, and
follows many years of prior energy effi ciency improvements (42% since 2005).

3) Considering Waste as Worth There drive an “obsession towards zero waste” across our facilities
globally, focusing on the largest waste- emitting sites. Waste minimization, reuse, recycling, and
landfi llavoidance have become an integral part of their plants and distribution centers’ performance
scorecards, and they see constant progress. This year, they are proud to have 130 plants receiving
the “Towards Zero Waste to Landfi ll” designation. They are successfully diverting thousands of tons
of waste from landfi ll, year after year, and since 2014, have seen a strong increase (+7 pt) in there
waste recovery ratio globally, now at 94%. Their efforts in the areas of eco-design and
industrialization also add to their ability to generate less waste and be smarter with their resource
use.

4) Promoting Green attributes and value-addition to their customers, and their Green
Premium™ eco-label.

A growing share of their customers is increasingly valuing our off ers’ environmental credentials, and
keen to quantify their environmental (e.g. kWh, CO2 , water) benefi ts at their end. Towards this goal,
Schneider Electric has been investing signifi cant resources for many years to design and implement
an innovative eco-label, Green Premium™, which by end 2017 covered more than EUR11,1 billion
(which is 80.1%) of our product-based turnover. This label benefi ted in 2017 from a further set of
innovations, such as new features of MySchneiderApp with increasingly easy24/7 access to digitized
environmental information (REACH, RoHS, Product Environment Profi le/PEP, End-of-Life
Instructions/EoLI). They also achieved UL (Underwriters Laboratories) certifi cation of their underlying
ecodesign processes against relevant ISO norms. Quantifi cation of CO2 gains for large projects met
the target of 100% set in 2017.

5) Implementing a Circular Economy in a variety of ways for our customers’ satisfaction.

Schneider Electric circularity expresses itself in many ways. They again grew their field services and
retrofi t (EcoFit™) revenues in 2017. Such services help prolong their products’ lifetime, and this
helps their customers enjoy energy management and automation services using fewer resources,
‘Doing more with less’. They also grow their services towards the management of their products’ end-
of-life, for low and medium- voltage equipment, or UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) systems, for
instance. They see circularity as based on common sense, like an extraordinary magnifying glass that
helps drive further innovation and value-addition for their customers and the planet alike; they took
part in many multi- stakeholders’ consultations in Europe, China and France on this subject , in a
dynamic move towards a more circular economy. Their partnership with the Ellen MacArthur
Foundation CE100 initiative on the c ircular e conomy helps them innovate faster.

6) Constantly strengthening their efforts towards robust environmental governance.

Besides the 5 strategic and transformational dimensions summarized above, they can also stress
their eff orts towards environmental stewardship in the way they select and grow their supplier base
(more than 1,000 independent assessments, plus hundreds of fi eld visits and audits), in the way they
assess environmental risks in their supply chain, how they comply with changing regulations, or
report to a variety of external stakeholders and analysts, not forgetting their efforts towards the
embedding of environmental considerations across other functions’ processes, such as purchasing,
investment, manufacturing, logistics, acquisition, Human Resources management, etc. While
improving the strategic alignment of their environmental journey with their corporate strategy and
company program, they meanwhile strive to address key risks and changing expectations of their
global ecosystem.

Key targets and results

For this section, 7 key performance indicators have been set in the Planet & Society
Barometer 2015-2017:

Objective of year- 2017 2016 2015 2014

end 2017
1. 10% energy 10.3% 7.1% 4.5% -
savings
2. 10% CO2 10.3 11.2% 8.4% -
savings from
transportation.
3. Towards Zero 130 99 64 34
Waste to Land fill
for 100 industrial
sites
4. 100% of 100% 81.6% 13.3% -
products in R&D
designed with
Schneider
ecoDesign Way
5. 75% of product 80.1% 74.8% 67.1% 60.5%
revenue with
Green Premium™
eco-label
6. 100% of new 100% 16% -
large customer
projects with CO2
impact quantifi
cation
7. 120,000 tons of 168,400 101,508 44,777 -
CO2 avoided
through
maintenance,
retrofi t and end-
of-life services

A3) Introduction: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) under New Company Act 2012-13.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is now accepted as a means to achieve sustainable

development of an organization. Hence, it needs to be accepted as an organizational objective. The
Companies Bill, 2012 will make Indian companies to consciously work towards that objective, as it
requires a prescribed class of companies to spend a portion of their profits on CSR activities.
Businesses can no longer limit themselves to using resources to engage in activities that increase
their profits. They have to be socially responsible corporate citizens and also contribute to the social
good. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about integrating economic, environmental and social
objectives with a company’s operations and growth. Many consider CSR philanthropy, but that is a
limited definition. An organization can accomplish sustainable development if CSR becomes an
integral part of its business process.

CSR impacts almost every area of operations: governance and ethics; employee hiring, providing
opportunity; stakeholders benefit sharing and energy usage and environment protection. The
Companies Bill, 2012 intends to inculcate the philosophy of CSR among Indian companies.

STIPULATIONS OF THE COMPANIES BILL, 2012

• Every company with net worth of Rs 500 crore or more, or turnover of Rs 1,000 crore or more
or a net profit of Rs 5 crore or more during any financial year to constitute a CSR Committee of
the Board consisting of three or more directors, of which at least one director shall be an
independent director.
• The Board’s report to disclose the composition of the CSR Committee.
• The main functions of the CSR Committee are to:
1. Formulate and recommend to the board, a CSR policy indicating the activity or activities
to be undertaken by the company as specified in Schedule VII of the Act;
2. Recommend the amount to be spent on these activities; and
3. Monitor the company's CSR policy periodically.

• After the CSR Committee makes it recommendations, Board of the company shall approve the
CSR Policy and disclose contents of such policy in its report and also place it on the
company's website. Further, details about the policy developed and implemented by the
company on CSR initiatives during the year to be included in the Board's report every year.
• Board to ensure that the activities listed in the CSR Policy are undertaken by the company.
• Board to ensure that at least 2% of average net profits of the company in the three immediately
preceding financial years are spent in every financial year on such activity.
• Preference to be given to the local area and areas around the company operates for CSR
spending.
• If a company fails to provide or spend such amount, Board to specify reasons in its report for
that failure.
• Companies required to comply with CSR shall give additional Information by way of notes to
the Statement of Profit and Loss about the aggregate expenditure on CSR activities.
• Schedule VII of the Companies Bill 2012 prescribes activities that may be included by
companies in their CSR policies:
 1. Eradicating extreme hunger and poverty;
2. Promotion of education;
3. Promoting gender equality and empowering women
4. Reducing child mortality and improving maternal health;
5. Combating human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immune deficiency syndrome,
malaria and other diseases;
6. Ensuring environmental sustainability;
7. Employment enhancing vocational skills;
8. Social business projects;
9. Contribution to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund or any other fund set up by the
Central Government or the State Governments for socioeconomic development and
relief and funds for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, other
backward classes, minorities and women; and;
10. Other matters as may be prescribed.

A3.1) Keeping in view the above mentioned CSR points , the five challenges , which should be
addressed should be 1) Eradicating extreme hunger and poverty, 2) Promotion of Education, 3)
Promoting gender equality and empowering women, 4) Reducing child mortality and improving
maternal health and 5) Ensuring environmental sustainability.

1) Eradicating extreme hunger and poverty:

While global poverty rates have been cut by more than half since 2000, one in ten people in
developing regions are still living with their families on less than the international poverty line of
US$1.90 a day, and there are millions more who make little more than this daily amount. Significant
progress has been made in many countries within Eastern and Southeastern Asia, but up to 42% of
the population in Sub-Saharan Africa continues to live below the poverty line.

Poverty is more than the lack of income and resources to ensure a sustainable livelihood. Its
manifestations include hunger and malnutrition, limited access to education and other basic services,
social discrimination and exclusion as well as the lack of participation in decision-making.

Economic growth must be inclusive to provide sustainable jobs and promote equality. Social
protection systems need to be implemented to help alleviate the suffering of disaster-prone countries
and provide support in the face of great economic risks. These systems will help strengthen
responses by afflicted populations to unexpected economic losses during disasters and will
eventually help to end extreme poverty in the most impoverished areas.
It is time to rethink how we grow, share and consume our food. If done right, agriculture, forestry and
fisheries can provide nutritious food for all and generate decent incomes, while supporting people-
centered rural development and protecting the environment.

Right now, our soils, freshwater, oceans, forests and biodiversity are being rapidly degraded. Climate
change is putting even more pressure on the resources we depend on, increasing risks associated
with disasters, such as droughts and floods. Many rural women and men can no longer make ends
meet on their land, forcing them to migrate to cities in search of opportunities. Poor food security is
also causing millions of children to be stunted, or too short for the ages, due to severe malnutrition.

A profound change of the global food and agriculture system is needed if we are to nourish the 815
million people who are hungry today and the additional 2 billion people expected to be
undernourished by 2050. Investments in agriculture are crucial to increasing the capacity for
agricultural productivity and sustainable food production systems are necessary to help alleviate the
perils of hunger.

Some of the target goals mentioned by the UN SDG for eradicating poverty and hunger, which can be
our guidance while drafting CSR activities are.

1. By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living
on less than $1.25 a day

2. By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in
poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions implement nationally appropriate social
protection systems and measure for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of
the poor and the vulnerable

3. Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors,
and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable

4. By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal
rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land
and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial
services, including microfinance

5. By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their
exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and
environmental shocks and disasters

1.A Ensure significant mobilization of resources from a variety of sources, including through enhanced
development cooperation, in order to provide adequate and predictable means for developing
countries, in particular least developed countries, to implement programmes and policies to end
poverty in all its dimensions
1.B Create sound policy frameworks at the national, regional and international levels, based on pro-
poor and gender-sensitive development strategies, to support accelerated investment in poverty
eradication actionsk protection due to conflict.

2.1 By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in
vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.
2.2 By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed
targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of
adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons.

2.3 By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in
particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through
secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial
services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment.

2.4 By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural
practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen
capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and
that progressively improve land and soil quality.

2.5 By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated
animals and their related wild species, including through soundly managed and diversified seed and
plant banks at the national, regional and international levels, and promote access to and fair and
equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated
traditional knowledge, as internationally agreed.

2.A Increase investment, including through enhanced international cooperation, in rural infrastructure,
agricultural research and extension services, technology development and plant and livestock gene
banks in order to enhance agricultural productive capacity in developing countries, in particular least
developed countries.

2.B Correct and prevent trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets, including
through the parallel elimination of all forms of agricultural export subsidies and all export measures
with equivalent effect, in accordance with the mandate of the Doha Development Round.

2.C Adopt measures to ensure the proper functioning of food commodity markets and their derivatives
and facilitate timely access to market information, including on food reserves, in order to help limit
extreme food price volatility.

2) Promotion of Education.

Obtaining a quality education is the foundation to creating sustainable development. In addition to

improving quality of life, access to inclusive education can help equip locals with the tools required to
develop innovative solutions to the world’s greatest problems.
Over 265 million children are currently out of school and 22% of them are of primary school age.
Additionally, even the children who are attending schools are lacking basic skills in reading and math.
In the past decade, major progress has been made towards increasing access to education at all
levels and increasing enrolment rates in schools particularly for women and girls. Basic literacy skills
have improved tremendously, yet bolder efforts are needed to make even greater strides for
achieving universal education goals. For example, the world has achieved equality in primary
education between girls and boys, but few countries have achieved that target at all levels of
education.

The reasons for lack of quality education are due to lack of adequately trained teachers, poor
conditions of schools and equity issues related to opportunities provided to rural children. For quality
education to be provided to the children of impoverished families, investment is needed in educational
scholarships, teacher training workshops, school building and improvement of water and electricity
access to schools.

Some of the target goals mentioned by the UN SDG for promotion of education, which can be our
guidance while drafting CSR activities are.

1. By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary
education leading to relevant and Goal-4 effective learning outcomes

2. By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care
and preprimary education so that they are ready for primary education

3. By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational
and tertiary education, including university

4. By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including
technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship

5. By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of
education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous
peoples and children in vulnerable situations

6. By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women,
achieve literacy and numeracy

7. By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable
development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and
sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-
violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to
sustainable development

8.Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide
safe, nonviolent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all

9. By 2020, substantially expand globally the number of scholarships available to developing

countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States and African
countries, for enrolment in higher education, including vocational training and information and
communications technology, technical, engineering and scientific programmes, in developed
countries and other developing countries

10. By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international
cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and
small island developing states

3) Promoting gender equality.

While the world has achieved progress towards gender equality and women’s empowerment under
the Millennium Development Goals (including equal access to primary education between girls and
boys), women and girls continue to suffer discrimination and violence in every part of the world.

Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful,
prosperous and sustainable world. Unfortunately, at the current time, 1 in 5 women and girls between
the ages of 15-49 have reported experiencing physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner
within a 12-month period and 49 countries currently have no laws protecting women from domestic
violence. Progress is occurring regarding harmful practices such as child marriage and FGM (Female
Genital Mutilation), which has declined by 30% in the past decade, but there is still much work to be
done to complete eliminate such practices.

Providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and
representation in political and economic decision-making processes will fuel sustainable economies
and benefit societies and humanity at large. Implementing new legal frameworks regarding female
equality in the workplace and the eradication of harmful practices targeted at women is crucial to
ending the gender-based discrimination prevalent in many countries around the world.

Some of the target goals mentioned by the UN SDG for promotion of gender equality, which can be
our guidance while drafting CSR activities are.

1. End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere

2. Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres,
including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation

3. Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital
mutilation

4. Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services,
infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the
household and the family as nationally appropriate

5. Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of
decisionmaking in political, economic and public life
6. Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in
accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and
Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review
conferences

5.A Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to
ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and
natural resources, in accordance with national laws

5.B Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications
technology, to promote the empowerment of women

5.C Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender
equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.

4) Ensuring environmental sustainability.

Climate change is now affecting every country on every continent. It is disrupting national economies
and affecting lives, costing people, communities and countries dearly today and even more tomorrow.
Weather patterns are changing, sea levels are rising, weather events are becoming more extreme
and greenhouse gas emissions are now at their highest levels in history. Without action, the world’s
average surface temperature is likely to surpass 3 degrees centigrade this century. The poorest and
most vulnerable people are being affected the most.

Affordable, scalable solutions are now available to enable countries to leapfrog to cleaner, more
resilient economies. The pace of change is quickening as more people are turning to renewable
energy and a range of other measures that will reduce emissions and increase adaptation efforts.
Climate change, however, is a global challenge that does not respect national borders. It is an issue
that requires solutions that need to be coordinated at the international level to help developing
countries move toward a low-carbon economy.

To strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change, countries adopted the Paris
Agreement at the COP21 in Paris, which went into force in November of 2016. In the agreement, all
countries agreed to work to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees centigrade. As of
April 2018, 175 parties had ratified the Paris Agreement and 10 developing countries had submitted
their first iteration of their national adaptation plans for responding to climate change.

Some of the target goals mentioned by the UN SDG for promotion for sustainable climate, which can
be our guidance while drafting CSR activities are.

1 Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all
countries

2 Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning
3 Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change
mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning

1.A Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by
2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful
mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate
Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible.

1.B Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and
management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including focusing on
women, youth and local and marginalized communities.

5) Reducing child mortality and improving maternal health

Ensuring healthy lives and promoting the well-being at all ages is essential to sustainable
development.

Significant strides have been made in increasing life expectancy and reducing some of the common
killers associated with child and maternal mortality, but working towards achieving the target of less
than 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030 would require improvements in skilled
delivery care.

Achieving the target of reducing premature deaths due to incommunicable diseases by 1/3 by the
year 2030 would also require more efficient technologies for clean fuel use during cooking and
education on the risks of tobacco.

Many more efforts are needed to fully eradicate a wide range of diseases and address many different
persistent and emerging health issues. By focusing on providing more efficient funding of health
systems, improved sanitation and hygiene, increased access to physicians and more tips on ways to
reduce ambient pollution, significant progress can be made in helping to save the lives of millions.

Some facts and figures.

Child health

• 17,000 fewer children die each day than in 1990, but more than five million children still die
before their fifth birthday each year.
• Since 2000, measles vaccines have averted nearly 15.6 million deaths.
• Despite determined global progress, an increasing proportion of child deaths are in Sub-
Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. Four out of every five deaths of children under age five
occur in these regions.
 • Children born into poverty are almost twice as likely to die before the age of five as those from
wealthier families.
• Children of educated mothers—even mothers with only primary schooling—are more likely to
survive than children of mothers with no education.
Maternal health

• Maternal mortality has fallen by 37% since 2000.

• In Eastern Asia, Northern Africa and Southern Asia, maternal mortality has declined by around
two-thirds.
• But maternal mortality ratio – the proportion of mothers that do not survive childbirth compared
to those who do – in developing regions is still 14 times higher than in the developed regions.
• More women are receiving antenatal care. In developing regions, antenatal care increased
from 65 per cent in 1990 to 83 per cent in 2012.
• Only half of women in developing regions receive the recommended amount of health care
they need.
• Fewer teens are having children in most developing regions, but progress has slowed. The
large increase in contraceptive use in the 1990s was not matched in the 2000s.
• The need for family planning is slowly being met for more women, but demand is increasing at
a rapid pace.

Some of the target goals mentioned by the UN SDG for promotion for good health and well being,
which can be our guidance while drafting CSR activities are.

1. By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births.

2. By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries
aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality
to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births.

3. By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and
combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases.

4. By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through
prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.

5. Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and
harmful use of alcohol.

6. By 2020, halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents.
7. By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for
family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national
strategies and programmes.

8. Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential
health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and
vaccines for all.

9. By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and
air, water and soil pollution and contamination.

1.A Strengthen the implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on
Tobacco Control in all countries, as appropriate.

1.B Support the research and development of vaccines and medicines for the communicable and
noncommunicable diseases that primarily affect developing countries, provide access to affordable
essential medicines and vaccines, in accordance with the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement
and Public Health, which affirms the right of developing countries to use to the full the provisions in
the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights regarding flexibilities to
protect public health, and, in particular, provide access to medicines for all.

1.C Substantially increase health financing and the recruitment, development, training and retention of
the health workforce in developing countries, especially in least developed countries and small island
developing States.

1.D Strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk
reduction and management of national and global health risks.

A3.2) Viable and practical Solutions for the challenges.

Promotion of Education and quality of education.

Education is central to advancing human development. By empowering people to determine their
own destinies, education can transform individual lives, as well as those of families, communities
and nations.

• Coming up with the initiative of community radio to educate a backward community can be
one of the initiative the company can take. As phone and internet penetration is deep in
India, education through community radio can definitely help in this CSR initiative for the
promotion of education.

• The other viable solution, could be employees volunteering for the teaching initiatives or
approaching the NGO’s like “teach for India” where employees provide primary education
to the children’s of financially backward community in government schools.
 • One more viable option could be conducting small workshops to provide awareness about the
different professions like plumbing, electrifying, woodwork , technician so as to increase the
professional exposure and help people to get jobs in the market.

• Providing apprentice jobs at our factories could be one more viable option for providing the
initial professional exposure and hands on experience for the people at no cost . This will help
them get ready for the market.

• Companies adopting different small villages and taking responsibility for the education of the
kids below certain age could be one more viable option which can adopted as the part of
promoting education CSR activity.

Eradicating extreme hunger and poverty:

Poverty is more than the lack of income and resources to ensure a sustainable livelihood. Its
manifestations include hunger and malnutrition, limited access to education and other basic
services, social discrimination and exclusion as well as the lack of participation in decision-making.
A profound change of the global food and agriculture system is needed if we are to nourish the
815 million people who are hungry today and the additional 2 billion people expected to be
undernourished by 2050. Investments in agriculture are crucial to increasing the capacity for
agricultural productivity and sustainable food production systems are necessary to help alleviate the
perils of hunger.

• Educating the people and making them professionally ready for the market to earn the
lively hood should be considered as one of the most viable option for given. All the options
mentioned in the above section under the “promoting education” should be considered for
this goal also.

• Making sure that food is not wasted in the company canteens and providing information
about the quantity of food that is wasted and how many people that food can feed should
be the default option , which should be implemented.

• Tying up with several different NGO’s which help in feeding the economically backward
people and helping with voluntarily resources and economically.