Sustainable consumption and production are essential for development and include the efficient management of natural resources, as well as reducing the environmental impacts connected with them. Sustainable Development Goal 12 of the United Nations is that by 2030, there will be sustainable consumption and production patterns. Among the evident challenges in this respect are the effective management of increasingly limited natural resources and reducing the generated waste, together with the related environmental impacts. SDG 12 promotes decoupling, meaning that economic growth should be achieved without increasing resource use and environmental impact (The Global Goals) (UNEP - UN Environment Programme).
This goal underlines the need for a circular economy in which products and materials are reused, remanufactured, recycled, or recovered, hence reducing generation of waste and the associated environmental impacts. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of sustainable practices as disruptions in supply chains and changes in consumer behavior made most people realize just how fragile consumption and production systems are today (UN Sustainable Development Goals).
In this context, many organizations are very active in promoting sustainable natural resource management. The examples that follow constitute an inspiration and guidance for startups willing to contribute to SDG 12.
1. Pollinate Group
Founder: Alexie Seller, Julian O’Shea, and others
Founded in: 2012
Location: Bengaluru, India
Pollinate Group is a social enterprise empowering women entrepreneurs to distribute affordable and sustainable products within underserved communities. It brings specifically clean energy, clean water, hygiene products, and promotes responsible consumption and production.
Sustainable Practices
Pollinate Group runs the following projects:
Micro-entrepreneurship: This involves training women popularly called Pollinators to become micro-entrepreneurs who sell sustainable products, such as solar lights, clean cookstoves, and sanitary products, within their communities.
Product Distribution: Pollinate Group gets essential products into hard-to-reach areas, improving access to clean energy, water, and hygiene.
Capacity Building: It offers ongoing training and support for Pollinators to grow their businesses and increase their impact.
Impact and Achievements
Pollinate Group's efforts have resulted in significant positive impacts:
Empowerment of Women: The organization, being oriented to micro-entrepreneurship, empowers women with the capacity for income generation and hence socially and economically changing their status.
Access to Sustainable Products: The Pollinate Group improved access to clean energy, water, and hygiene products for thousands of underserved households, promoting environmental sustainability and health.
Community Development: This organization, in its activities, fostered community development through better conditions in life and sustainable consumption and production practices.
2. Dharma Life
Founder: Gaurav Mehta
Founded in: 2009
Location: New Delhi, India
Dharma Life is a social enterprise focused on improving the quality of life in rural India through sustainable products and entrepreneurship. Working with local entrepreneurs, the organization distributes clean cookstoves, solar lights, water purifiers, and other such products.
Sustainable Practices
Dharma Life’s initiatives include:
Entrepreneurship Development: The organization trains and supports rural entrepreneurs who are known as Dharma Life Entrepreneurs (DLEs), to sell sustainable products within their respective communities.
Access to Sustainable Products: Dharma Life makes available to the rural households some of the essential products relevant to health, hygiene, and energy.
Awareness Campaigns: The organization conducts awareness campaigns regarding the benefits of sustainable products and practices, which in turn encourage their adoption.
Impact and Achievements
Dharma Life’s efforts have led to:
Improved Health: Distribution of clean cookstoves and water purifiers has improved health outcomes through the reduction of indoor air pollution and access to clean water.
Economic Empowerment: Through its encouragement of entrepreneurship, Dharma Life has created an income-generating opportunity for thousands of people.
Sustainable Living: The organization's focus on sustainable products and practices has popularized green living in rural areas.
3. Eco Femme
Founders: Kathy Walkling and Amrita Chachra
Founded in: 2010
Location: Auroville, Tamil Nadu, India
Eco Femme is a social enterprise whose main objective is to promote menstrual hygiene and environmental sustainability through the production and distribution of reusable cloth pads. The organization further conducts educational programs to raise awareness in the communities on menstrual health.
Sustainable Practices
Eco Femme’s initiatives include:
Reusable Cloth Pads: Manufactures high-quality, reusable cloth pads, eco-friendly, and at reasonable prices.
Education and Awareness: Workshops and training on menstrual hygiene management and the use of reusable pads are conducted by Eco Femme.
Empowering Women: An opportunity for livelihood is given to women by engaging them in the production and distribution of cloth pads by the organization.
Impact and Achievements
Eco Femme’s efforts have resulted in:
Environmental Benefits: Use of reusable cloth pads has reduced wastes generated by disposable sanitary products.
Improved Menstrual Health: Educational activities have improved the menstrual hygiene practices of women and girls, hence their health and well-being.
Economic Empowerment: Work opportunities created by Eco Femme have empowered women to support economic development in rural areas.
4. Frontier Markets
Founder: Ajaita Shah
Founded in: 2011
Location: Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Frontier Markets is a social enterprise aimed at transforming the quality of life in rural India through clean energy solutions at an affordable and reliable cost. It trains rural women to be solar ladies who distribute solar products across their respective communities.
Sustainable Practices
Frontier Markets’ initiatives include:
Clean Energy Solutions: It offers a wide range of solar products, from solar lanterns to solar home systems, solar-powered fans, TVs, and coolers.
Women Empowerment: Frontier Markets trains rural women to become solar ambassadors known as Solar Sahelis, hence providing them with an income-generating opportunity and also equipping them with entrepreneurial skills.
Last-Mile Distribution: The group has targeted the last-mile distribution to such remote and unserved areas to provide clean energy solutions to all.
Impact and Achievements
Frontier Markets’ efforts have led to:
Access to Clean Energy: It has given clean, reliable energy access to thousands of rural households, hence reducing kerosene usage and bettering living standards.
Women Empowerment: The program has empowered Solar Sahelis with skills, income, and social recognition.
Sustainable Development: The focus on clean energy solutions by Frontier Markets has promoted environmental sustainability and health improvement in rural communities.
5. Sutara
Founder: Suresh Lakhani
Founded in: 2015
Location: Ahmedabad, India
Sutara is a social enterprise that works to provide sustainable livelihood opportunities at the rural level to artisans through production and marketing of various eco-friendly handicrafts. It works on the concept of women empowerment and promotion of traditional crafts.
Sustainable Practices
Sutara’s initiatives include:
Handicraft Production: Production of eco-friendly handicrafts that involve the application of sustainable materials and traditional techniques.
Market Access: Sutara gives its artisans a platform for selling their products by helping them get access to markets both at the national and international levels.
Skill Development: The organization has conducted various trainings that help in upscaling the skills of artisans and produce better products.
Impact and Achievements
Sutara’s efforts have resulted in:
Economic Empowerment: It has generated livelihood opportunities for thousands of artisans, making them economically independent.
Promotion of Traditional Crafts: Preserved traditional crafts—Sutara's initiatives have helped promote the rich cultural heritage.
Environmental Benefits: Promoting eco-friendly handicrafts, it has contributed hugely towards environmental sustainability and reduced waste.
6. Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL)
Founder: Government of India
Founded in: 1992
Location: Sambalpur, Odisha, India
Mahanadi Coalfields Limited is a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd. and provides mainstay to the pavement of sustainable mining practices and community development. It has, therefore, maximally committed to reducing the environmental impacts from operations and improving quality of life in mining areas.
Sustainable Practices
MCL’s initiatives include:
Environmental Management: This company implements the state-of-art technologies and practices to reduce the environmental impact of mining activities including land reclamation and water management.
Community Development: MCL is involved in community development through its investment in healthcare, education, and infrastructure building to better living standards in the mining areas.
Renewable Energy: MCL is eyeing investment in renewable energy projects such as solar power for its operations to bring down its carbon footprint and promote sustainable use of energy.
Impact and Achievements
MCL’s efforts have resulted in:
Reduced Environmental Impact: This company's focus on sustainable mining practices has reduced environmental degradation due to coal mining.
Improved Community Well-being: Programs from MCL on community development have changed the lives of thousands of people living in areas with mines.
Promotion of Renewable Energy: Through this, the company has given its input to environmental sustainability and securing energy.
7. Happy Roots
Founder: Pooja Warier
Founded in: 2015
Location: Pune, India
Happy Roots is a social enterprise working directly with small-scale farmers to produce healthy and organic food products. The organization focuses on promoting sustainable agriculture alongside farmers' welfare through the establishment of fair trade practices.
Sustainable Practices
Happy Roots’ initiatives include:
Sustainable Agriculture: It helps farmers adopt sustainable agriculture practices by way of demonstrating organic farming, crop diversification, and soil conservation.
Fair Trade: Happy Roots ensures appropriate prices of the farmers' produce, thus promoting economic sustainability and reducing poverty.
Healthy Food Products: The organization is dedicated to producing healthy and organic food products that drive environmental sustainability and health.
Impact and Achievements
Happy Roots’ efforts have led to:
Improved Farmer Livelihoods: Through advocacy for fair trade practices, Happy Roots has promoted the economic status of small-scale farmers.
Sustainable Agriculture: Through the support of the organization to the farmers in using sustainable agriculture practices, soil health, biodiversity, and environmental sustainability have been improved.
Health Benefits: Consumers start to eat more health food products through the help of Happy Roots, promoting general good health and well-being.
8. Araku Coffee
Founder: Manoj Kumar
Founded in: 2007
Location: Araku Valley, Andhra Pradesh, India
Araku Coffee is a social enterprise that works with tribal farmers in the Araku Valley to grow high-quality organic coffee. The organization focuses on promoting sustainable agriculture and improving tribal communities' livelihood through fair trade practices.
Sustainable Practices
Araku Coffee’s initiatives include:
Organic Farming: The entity supports farmers in adopting organic farming practices that enhance soil health and environmental sustainability.
Fair Trade: Araku ensures that farmers get a fair price for their coffee, thereby making their livelihoods economically sustainable and less poverty-stricken.
Community Development: The organization invests in community development programs such as education and healthcare to improve the quality of life for the tribals.
Impact and Achievements
Araku Coffee’s efforts have led to:
Improved Farmer Livelihoods: The promotion of fair trade practices by Araku Coffee improved the economic conditions of the tribals who are farming communities.
Sustainable Agriculture: With the organization's stand for organic farming, there is an improved level of soil health, biodiversity, and environmental sustainability.
Community Development: The access to education and health that Araku Coffee has been able to provide to tribal communities has increased, which in turn fastens the pace toward well-being of such communities.
9. Rangsutra
Founder: Sumita Ghose
Founded in: 2006
Location: New Delhi, India
Rangsutra is a social enterprise working toward empowering rural artisans with market access opportunities and promoting fair trade practices. The organization works for the preservation of traditional crafts and promotion of sustainable livelihoods.
Sustainable Practices
Rangsutra’s initiatives include:
Handicraft Production: Supports rural artisans to produce high-quality handicrafts using sustainable materials and traditional techniques.
Fair Trade: Rangsutra has ensured that the artisans get a just price for their products so that there is economic sustainability and poverty reduction.
Market Access: Opens up national and international markets for artisans to sell their products and sustain their livelihood.
Impact and Achievements
Rangsutra’s efforts have resulted in:
Economic Empowerment: Generated livelihood opportunities for thousands of artisans through increased economic independence.
Promotion of Traditional Crafts: Rangsutra's efforts helped preserve traditional crafts and promote cultural heritage.
Environmental Benefits: In the process of promoting eco-friendly handicrafts, Rangsutra contributed to environmental sustainability and reduced waste.
10. Under The Mango Tree
Founder: Vijaya Pastala
Founded in: 2008
Location: Mumbai, India
Under the Mango Tree is a social enterprise working towards sustainable livelihoods through beekeeping and organic farming. This NGO works with small-scale farmers to increase income and biodiversity through beekeeping.
Sustainable Practices
Under The Mango Tree’s initiatives include:
Beekeeping Training: Imparting skills and providing farmers with technical assistance on apiculture practices to produce honey and enhance crop yields through pollination.
Organic Farming: Under The Mango Tree supports farmers in adopting organic farming practices that promote environmental sustainability through the reduction of chemicals.
Fair Trade: Ensuring that farmers get a good price for honey and other bee products empowers economic sustainability and alleviates poverty.
Impact and Achievements
Under The Mango Tree’s efforts have led to:
Improved Farmer Livelihoods: The organization has been improving the income and economic status of small-scale farmers through its beekeeping and also in regard to fair trade practices.
Enhanced Biodiversity: Through beekeeping, biodiversity has been improved, and crop production through natural pollination has also increased.
Sustainable Agriculture: The organization promoted environmentally sustainable agriculture through support for organic farming and reduced resort to chemicals.
11. Avani
Founders: Rashmi Bharti and Rajnish Jain
Founded in: 1997
Location: Almora, Uttarakhand, India
Avani is a social enterprise working towards sustainable development in rural Uttarakhand through renewable energy and sustainable livelihoods. It works with local communities in developing environmentally-friendly products and services.
Sustainable Practices
Avani’s initiatives include:
Renewable Energy: Working on promotion of solar and biomass energy to meet rural energy demands so as to decrease dependence on fossil fuels.
Sustainable Livelihoods: Avani promotes natural dye production, handmade textiles, and handmade paper, in turn offering opportunities for local artisans to make a living.
Community Development: It works on education, health, and infrastructural development to upgrade the quality of life in these rural areas.
Impact and Achievements
Avani’s efforts have led to:
Environmental Sustainability: Renewable energy has minimized carbon emissions and increased the possibility of environmental conservation.
Economic Empowerment: Avani has created livelihood opportunities, improving the economic conditions for local communities.
Community Well-being: Improved access to education, healthcare, and infrastructure promotes well-being.
12. HelpUsGreen
Founders: Ankit Agarwal and Karan Rastogi
Founded in: 2015
Location: Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
HelpUsGreen is a social enterprise that recycles floral waste from temples into environment-friendly products for environment sustainability, while generating livelihood opportunities for marginalised women.
Sustainable Practices
HelpUsGreen’s initiatives include:
Floral Waste Recycling: It recycles the floral waste collected from temples and converts it into organic fertilizers, incense sticks, and biodegradable packaging.
Women Empowerment: The organization employs women from the marginalized section and engages them in collection, processing, and production of recycled products.
Sustainable Products: The organization manufactures and markets green products, hence promoting sustainable living while reducing waste.
Impact and Achievements
HelpUsGreen’s efforts have resulted in:
Waste Reduction: The organization has successfully recycled tons of floral waste, thereby reducing pollution and promoting a circular economy.
Economic Empowerment: HelpUsGreen has been able to improve the lives of hundreds of marginalized women by providing them with employment.
Environmental Benefits: Production and use of eco-friendly products have led to environmental sustainability, resulting in a reduction in wastage.
13. Ananas Anam
Founder: Carmen Hijosa
Founded in: 2013
Location: London, UK (with operations in the Philippines and India)
Ananas Anam is a social enterprise that produces Piñatex, a new innovation in natural textiles made from pineapple leaf fibers. The organization looks to offer a right and viable ecological substitute to leather, while driving ecological protection and social impact.
Sustainable Practices
Ananas Anam’s initiatives include:
Sustainable Materials: Their organization makes use of pineapple-leaf fibers—an agricultural by-product to reduce agricultural wastes in the production of Piñatex.
Eco-Friendly Production: The production process for Piñatex has been designed to ensure that the impact on the environment is minimal—through the use of non-toxic chemicals and reduction of wastes.
Social Impact: In a bid to improve the economy, Ananas Anam offers extra revenue for pineapple farming communities through leaf fiber procurement.
Impact and Achievements
Ananas Anam’s efforts have resulted in:
Sustainable Fashion: Piñatex provided an alternative to leather in a more sustainable manner, reducing the potential negative environmental impact of fashion.
Waste Reduction: Utilizing pineapple-leaf fibers has recycled agricultural wastes, thereby contributing to a circular economy.
Economic Empowerment: Extra income for pineapple farmers means that Ananas Anam supports the livelihoods of farming communities and promotes economic sustainability.
Conclusion
These organizations epitomize how social entrepreneurship can drive sustainable development by handling some of the key challenges related to responsible consumption and production. Startups could learn from their approaches and initiatives on how to contribute towards the achievement of SDG 12 in promoting a more sustainable future.
References
Pollinate Group - Pollinate Group
Dharma Life - Dharma Life
Eco Femme - Eco Femme
Frontier Markets - Frontier Markets
Sutara - Sutara
Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) - MCL
Happy Roots - Happy Roots
Araku Coffee - Araku Coffee
Rangsutra - Rangsutra
Under The Mango Tree - Under The Mango Tree
Avani - Avani
HelpUsGreen - HelpUsGreen
Ananas Anam - Ananas Anam
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