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Mercedes-Benz India wins Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice

Mercedes-Benz India bestowed the accolade for social responsibility project – plantation in

degraded forest areas

●Ranked in SILVER Category among 500 entries submitted globally

●Mercedes-Benz India took up plantation in degraded forest areas as a social

responsibility project in 2017

●Mercedes-Benz India started a nursery program wherein the whole community

participated in seed collection and creating appropriate seedbeds for sapling raising

●Community introduced the saplings in the identified degraded areas and every

participating villager received wages for their contribution

●Project runs in an area where the majority of village residents are Katkari and Mahadev Koli tribals, which is listed as ‘Vulnerable Tribal Group’

●This project contributes to the empowerment of the community and generates

livelihood for this tribal community

●This particular project has multiple environmental benefits like control over emitted

pollutants, resource protection and protection of natural habitat

Pune: Mercedes-Benz, India’s largest luxury car manufacturer has received the coveted

Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice, for its efforts at restoring degraded forests.

Mercedes-Benz since 2017 has embarked on a plantation drive, doing its bit to battle the

degradation of forests, especially in India’s tribal areas.

Deforestation is a major cause of climate change, the realities of which are hitting harder than ever with soaring summer temperatures, protracted monsoons, unseasonal floods and wildfires.

Besides the environmental consequences, deforestation is also destroying the livelihood and way of life of India’s indigenous tribal communities.

Mercedes-Benz India is doing its bit to battle the issue with the plantation project, which

currently spans eight villages in India’s Western Ghats and operates across areas where the

majority of village residents are classified as belonging to Vulnerable Tribal Groups as

defined by the Government of India.

It aims to reintroduce local tree species so as to restore natural resources, recharge ground

water, improve soil quality, recreate appropriate habitats for local biodiversity, control carbon

emissions and also provide alternative livelihood support for local communities.

The Mercedes-Benz project competed among 500 entries with the company’s CSR Manager,

Mr. Mandar Kulkarni picking up the award at a ceremony in London.

Mercedes-Benz India Vice President, Customer Services and Corporate Affairs, Mr.

Shekhar Bhide said, “The realities of climate change have never been more evident.

Europe’s record heat wave, India’s extended monsoon rains, floods in Venice, the severity of

the bush fires in Australia and California are all consequences of environmental degradation.

As a responsible corporate citizen, Mercedes-Benz has always been committed to

sustainability, whether it’s in the manufacturing of our cars or projects like the one we have undertaken in the Western Ghats. Our commitment to sustainability is proof of our belief that

if we all act and do our bit, we can beat climate change.”

The Green Apple Environment Awards were instituted in 1994 to recognize environmental

best practices around the world. They aim to improve environmental performance of

individuals and companies, encourage the efficient use of resources, enhance the

competitiveness of organizations and support the wider goals of sustainable development,

including social benefits through community and staff involvement.

Harpreet S

Harpreet is a senior Technocrat from Industry with penchant for blogging, product reviews. Apart from Technology, he covers sectors like Lifestyle, Luxury, Travel, Automobile, Fashion, Healthcare, Real Estate, Hospitality, Education and much more