Sustainability Beyond the Factory Walls

Many companies worldwide recognise the importance of commitments to Sustainability -- and Apollo Tyres is no exception -- with it being a core component of our FY26 vision.

In particular, the automotive and manufacturing sectors continuously strive and innovate to make their operations more sustainable. However, at Apollo Tyres, we recognise that sustainability extends far beyond our factory walls. It encompasses our responsibility to promote sustainable practices and foster a culture of environmental stewardship, benefitting not only our customers but also the communities we serve on a local and global scale.

Biodiversity Conservation

Biodiversity Conservation is a cornerstone of our sustainability strategies beyond our factory walls. In particular, we have identified afforestation as a critical initiative to fight climate change. As a result, the Apollo Tyres Foundation (ATF) utilised a land area of 25,000 sq. ft. in Gujarat to plant 10,000 trees of 80 different species as part of our Miyawaki Afforestation Project. Our commitment encompasses not only planting of trees but the maintenance of the planted trees to ensure sustainable and lasting environmental benefits. Our work has been recognised through the Miyawaki Forest Award in 2023 under the category of ‘Seeding Sustainability.’ On the other hand, in Tamil Nadu, our afforestation efforts currently comprise ongoing maintenance for the 350,000 teak trees we planted.

As Apollo Tyres Ltd stands committed to biodiversity conservation globally, projects such as Mangrove Conservation supports in aligning the organisation with its sustainability goals. Our ecosystem based mutli-pronged approach and investments in nature-based solutions helps us build long-term resilience against climate risks, and support local communities as well. We have an ongoing Mangrove Conservation project in Kerala. In this project, we ensure the survival of existing mangroves and increase the ecosystem's acreage.?

In Perambra and Kalamassery, Kerala, we also have ongoing efforts to enhance biodiversity and support the growth of various flora and fauna species through maintaining themed gardens such as butterfly and fruit gardens.

As water scarcity is another primary sustainability concern, we have also worked towards reviving ponds near our plants. In FY24, we continued the maintenance of 16 ponds in various locations involving local communities, benefitting over 34,990 people in the previous financial year. However, the initiative has reached a total of over 229,218 beneficiaries.

As a global organisation, our conservation efforts extend beyond India. We have partnered with the Enschede Municipality and the European Union to undertake the Stadbeek project at Enschede, the Netherlands. This project aimed to address issues related to flooding from rainwater and groundwater to improve the local biodiversity. Elsewhere, at Gy?ngy?shalász, Hungary, we were involved in the conservation of Mátra Mountain.

But what are our future plans? While we plan on continuing our current initiatives, we have also recently pledged to plant and restore 1.05 million trees by 2030 in collaboration with the World Economic Forum to support the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030.

Community Engagement and Awareness

In alignment with our Mangrove Conservation project, we have launched a handbook on mangrove conservation for school children, ensuring that sustainability and environmental awareness in the community start from a young age.

We also conducted an Environment and Nature Quiz in FY24 to instil environmental consciousness and behavioural change among the youth and effectively progress towards a sustainable future. The finale featured 12 college teams from six Indian states: Kerala, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.

Apollo Tyres also engages with the community by celebrating global events such as World Biodiversity Day, International Mangrove Day, and World Wetland Day. Our last celebration of World Environment Day, in particular, highlights Apolloites’ dedication to combating plastic pollution. Equipped with nets and a strong commitment towards environmental sustainability, our employees embarked on a plastic fishing expedition in the beautiful yet plastic-filled canals of Amsterdam.

Meanwhile, during World Earth Day earlier this year, with the theme ‘Planet Vs Plastics,’ we worked with locals as part of our ‘Clean My Village’ initiative. The initiative involves collecting, segregating, and upscaling plastic waste into benches and chairs, which are then donated to community-led institutions and schools.

Scope 3 Emissions

Our journey towards sustainability also involves our commitment to decarbonisation. While we have set rigorous targets to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, we equally recognise the importance of addressing Scope 3 emissions to truly achieve a net-zero future by 2050. Scope 3 emissions, which include all indirect emissions across our value chain, present a significant challenge and opportunity for innovation.

We have adopted a comprehensive approach to address Scope 3 emissions by first capturing our GHG emissions that arise out of our upstream transportation and distribution, business travel, downstream transportation, and distribution categories. Such emissions are independently verified by a third party to ensure the accuracy and credibility of our emissions data, building trust with our stakeholders and demonstrating our commitment to transparency and accountability.

Our strategy to reduce carbon emissions has then been focusing on reducing our dependency on road transportation and transitioning to ocean and rail transportation. The multimodal transportation strategies we have established, such as the truck-on-train model from our Kerala and Gujarat plants, have not only enhanced our transportation capacity and reduced turnaround times but also lowered emissions.

Thus, our multifaceted approach to sustainability extends beyond our factory walls, encompassing biodiversity conservation, community engagement, and comprehensive emission reduction strategies. As we continue to innovate and expand our initiatives, let us remain steadfast in our commitment to achieve the objective of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).