Big businesses rope in students to promote green branding
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07/10/2010
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Financial Express (New Delhi)
Rajiv Tikoo
New Delhi: Whether it's steelmaker ArcelorMittal, biscuit major Parle Products or global bank HSBC, big businesses across sectors are increasingly partnering with millions of schoolchildren on green corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and strengthening their brands.
The world's largest steelmaker, ArcelorMittal, is supporting probably the biggest campaign worldwide focused on 200,000 schools to crown 20 million student climate ambassadors in India. Run with the help of an Ahmedabad-based NGO, Centre for Environmental Education, and the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the ongoing second three-year phase seeks to consolidate the work of the first phase and inform schoolchildren about science, social, ethical and economic issues pertaining to the environment and impart skills to them so that they become effective change agents. The first 18-month phase ended in December 2009 by designating A P J Abdul Kalam as the country's first Paryavaran Ambassador.
Sudhir K Sinha, country head, CSR and R & R, ArcelorMittal India, says,