Biodiversity crucial for human wellbeing

In the delicate web of life, nature and its resources form the very fabric that sustains us. From the air we breathe to the water we drink and the food we eat, nature's gifts are the essence of our existence. With the plethora of wildlife, natural resources, trees, oceans and mountains, the earth is all we have. The International Forest day is a day to understand raise awareness about the importance of forests and trees for the survival of humanity and the planet. India is home to a diverse range of forests—moist and dry tropical forests, temperate and subtropical montane forests, alpine forests and scrub forests. It is one of the 17 “megadiverse” countries and is home to 8% of the world’s known flora and fauna. Indian forests support the livelihood of nearly 275 million people, who are dependent on forests for food, fuelwood, fodder and other forest products[1]. In addition, Forest loss impacts India’s carbon emissions. According to Global Forest Watch, loss of tree cover in India releases an average of 0.037 gigatons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere per year[2].

Doing Our Part for Our Communities

I are tightly interlinked. Yet, mismatches in the scale at which these two priority issues are planned and implemented have exacerbated biodiversity loss, erosion of ecosystem services and declining human quality of life. The Honeywell Hometown Solutions India Foundation (HHSIF), the philanthropic arm of 霍尼韦尔 India drives social responsibility interventions for the company.?Together with leading public institutions and non-profit organizations, Honeywell has developed powerful programs to address needs in the communities it serves. HHSIF is leading our mission to create sustainable ecosystems and empower communities across the country. As we celebrate #internationalforestday, I am delighted to share the incredible strides Honeywell is taking towards environmental sustainability in India. We have taken our commitment a step further by investing over INR 150 Crores in the coming decade towards environmental sustainability projects in rural India, benefiting some of the most underprivileged communities.

It goes without saying that?tree planting?is the need of the hour and an absolute necessity now given how overall climate change has been increasing exponentially across the world. According to the Hindu, India clocked in the second highest rate of deforestation among countries worldwide between 1990 and 2020. Honeywell’s flagship intervention 'Plant the Future' Campaign, in partnership with Give Me Trees, seeks to plant 10 lakh saplings across 10 states by 2032. This campaign is aligned with the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration and aims to establish biodiversity parks, create urban micro forests, and promote crop diversification. By supporting reforestation, we envision in lending a helping hand to dwindling resources that are fast depleting in the race for economic growth.

Forests are also catalysers of economic, ecological, and sociocultural well-being for many communities around the world. For the nearly 1 billion people who depend on them for their livelihoods, forests provide access to clean water, food, and medicines, and reduce the risk of land-based climate disasters. Honeywell has partnered with Watershed Organization Trust (WOTR) to develop sustainable ecosystems through multi-sectoral interventions in #Telangana and #Karnataka. The project aims to stabilize and enhance the productive capacity of the local ecosystem, the agricultural, and livelihood base of the project villages through- undertaking soil and water conservation measures on a watershed basis, promoting sustainable agriculture practice, agricultural diversifications as well as facilitating market linages, improving the irrigation potential and coverage in project villages. The project with WOTR will impact 40000+ rural lives across 15 villages in three years.

Honeywell's partnership with Swades Foundation is another testimony of the company's focus on creating biodiversity for a sustainable living. The project aims to create model villages focused on access to safe drinking water, sanitation, economic development education and upskilling - a perfect example of 'social commitment to our communities where we work'. The project encompasses a range of activities from drip irrigation, safe drinking water schemes, clean energy through solar lighting, and the creation of toilets as well as sustainable livelihood opportunities for the underprivileged. The project running in Raigad and Nashik districts of Maharashtra impacting more than 30000 rural lives.

To summarize, Honeywell is aggressively striving toward creating a larger environment and social impact through these initiatives and on this special day, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the employees, stakeholders, and partners who actively participate in our sustainability endeavors. Together, we will continue to forge a path towards a greener, more sustainable tomorrow for generations to come.

[1] https://www.globalforestwatch.org/blog/data-and-research/whats-happening-in-india-forests/