Accelerating toward net zero: The green business building opportunity

Getting to net zero will require tremendous, rapid change and large-scale technology deployment across industries. The transition will create massive opportunities to build entirely new businesses.

A recent McKinsey report found that reaching net zero by 2050 could entail a 60 percent increase in capital spending on physical assets, compared with current levels. The required investments amount to $9.2 trillion per year until 2050, of which $6.5 trillion annually would go into low-emissions assets and enabling infrastructure. Our analysis  also shows that growing demand for net-zero offerings could generate more than $12 trillion of annual sales by 2030 across 11 value pools, including transport ($2.3 trillion to $2.7 trillion per year), power ($1.0 trillion to $1.5 trillion), and hydrogen ($650 billion to $850 billion) (Exhibit 1). Such a transformation of the global economy could create significant growth potential for climate technologies and solutions.

Some technologies will be key in propelling the transition to net zero. In Europe, for example, our research  suggests that just 15 technologies could drive 70 percent of the emissions abatement required to reach net zero in the region. Technologies that are mature and already available at a commercial scale, including onshore wind and solar photovoltaic, account for about 25 percent of the abatement potential in Europe, while an additional 45 percent could come from technologies that have an opportunity to be commercialized in the near future. This means that, in addition to renewable-energy technologies and electric mobility, technologies for zero-carbon residential heating (such as heat pumps), carbon capture and storage, green-hydrogen-based fuels, and industrial electrification could support decarbonization at scale.

In many markets, start-ups have been the first to scale up climate-tech businesses (renewable energy and electric vehicles, for example), while incumbents have been slower to adapt. But it’s not too late for established companies to break into still-maturing climate-technology domains, where the playing field remains wide open—provided that they move quickly. In addition, there will be room for thousands of surrounding players as these businesses develop and mature.

A recent McKinsey report found that reaching net zero by 2050 could entail a 60 percent increase in capital spending on physical assets, compared with current levels.

Building green businesses is top of mind for many leaders. In Leap by McKinsey’s state of new-business building report , 92 percent of executives say that new businesses built in the next five years will address sustainability to some extent—and 42 percent expect to put sustainability at the center of their new businesses’ value proposition. In our work with organizations that have built green businesses, we have identified ways companies could set themselves up not only for entry into a market but also for significant growth. Green business builders will likely need to plan and scale at the speed of digital companies to accelerate the transition to net zero. They’re ambitious with their growth goals and have cost advantages, often because they move quickly. Here, we share key lessons from successful green business builders.

green business case studies

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Moving at the speed of digital

While it took many years and significant governmental support to scale up renewable-electricity generation, broadening support for the net-zero agenda could enable the next wave of green businesses to grow more quickly.

By now, more than 3,000 companies across the world have set or are in the process of committing to an emissions reduction through the Science Based Targets initiative, 1 “Companies taking action” dashboard, Science Based Targets, accessed June 3, 2022. an institution that has created a framework around reduction commitments for businesses. Additionally, regulation (the EU taxonomy, 2 “EU taxonomy for sustainable activities,” European Commission, accessed June 3, 2022. for instance, which helps to define what economic activities in the region can be considered environmentally sustainable), investor activism, and rising consumer interest, among other factors, are pushing companies to benchmark and improve the sustainability performance of their offerings. For example, suppliers in B2B value chains are facing increasingly stringent emissions-reductions requirements as more of their customers pursue net-zero strategies. All of this is likely to accelerate the adoption of cleaner materials—such as low-emissions steel in the automotive industry, as one example—and solutions (for instance, the electrification of thermal-energy processes in manufacturing). Some sustainable products, such as low-emissions steel and recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the plastic most commonly used for beverage bottles, are already seeing a price premium due to a shortage of supply versus demand.

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The development of green businesses could be much faster for an additional reason: some climate technologies can only compete on price when they are being manufactured at a large enough scale (more on this idea in a later section). The need to scale up quickly to compete could propel new green businesses to achieve execution speeds that are more familiar to the digital economy. Commercializing many green technologies will likely require significant investments in physical assets, which aren’t required for software development or digital engineering; these investments could reach billions of dollars or euros per plant. Nevertheless, green business builders can learn lessons from digital-business builders, including aggressive growth plans, working with agility, and being a first mover. Historically, scaling sustainable technologies has been done carefully, step-by-step over years, to manage both the technological and commercial risks involved.

A few companies in the alternative-proteins and alternative-dairy categories illustrate how embracing the speed of digital could create a market advantage. For one, some of these players did not allow their lack of manufacturing capacity to get in the way of growth. They were early to get their products distributed through leading fast-food and coffee chains, which helped to elevate brand awareness. Some relied on co-manufacturing, even though this typically hurts margins in the short term. And now, as their revenues have grown, some of these players are building up their own manufacturing capacity to help meet demand, often with larger plants that produce goods at lower unit costs.

In some cases these players could experience scaling pains—when demand outpaces expanded production capacity, for example. However, being early to market and growing quickly has resulted in strong market share, with the distribution and cost advantages that come along with such a position. Gross margins tend to be strong for these players, too, since many consumers have been willing to pay a premium for their products. These companies have typically reinvested profits back into the business.

The alternative-proteins and alternative-dairy examples are, of course, B2C cases. However, scaling early and quickly is an approach that, based on our experience, may help to separate strong green businesses, whether B2B or B2C, from competitors or followers in the same space.

Seven keys to scaling green businesses

For green business building, incumbents may have advantages, including access to capital and deep institutional knowledge. Some corporate leaders have identified success factors for building a new business in general , such as providing ring-fenced investment in the new business and setting realistic expectations with both internal and external stakeholders on investment needs. However, building a green business can also come with new challenges for incumbents. For example, when scaling a new climate technology, it may be difficult to balance the time it takes to validate the technology on a demonstration scale while also planning industrial-scale installations across different conditions and geographies. Start-ups  typically have been the first movers on some green ventures, as they are often equipped with a higher tolerance for risk-taking and the ability to operate at faster speeds.

Through our work with organizations that have built and scaled green businesses successfully, we have identified seven key principles.

  • Lead with game-changing ambition. Effective green business builders tend to set their sights on creating something significant from the start. Game-changing ambition may mean aspiring to produce a zero-carbon product at a competitive cost (which enables a competitive price), compared with a less sustainable alternative, and scaling new capacity fast. Leaders tend to think about what it will take for the product to achieve significant market share within the next, say, five years—instead of 15—and engineer backward from there, much like in the world of digital business building. Our experience shows that operating with such ambition could result in companies reaching their targeted costs faster. By setting firm production-capacity goals, a new business might better position itself to reach lower unit costs faster and potentially be competitive on price from the start (more on cost advantages shortly). Leading with game-changing ambition could also encourage certain markets to make the shift to net zero faster. For example, H2 Green Steel, a Swedish company founded in 2020, is building a fossil-fuel-free steel mill that relies on a hydrogen-based production process. Last year, H2 Green Steel announced that total financing for the first phase of the project is approximately €2.5 billion ($2.7 billion), and the company plans to begin production in 2024. 3 “H2 Green Steel to build large-scale fossil-free steel plant in northern Sweden,” H2 Green Steel press release, February 23, 2021. Industry incumbents in Europe may have already been planning green-steel investments, but H2 Green Steel’s launch has coincided with incumbents now pursuing at least 20 other green-steel projects in the region. 4 Fastmarkets; company websites; press search.
  • Secure a cost advantage by identifying a scaling break point for any new technology. Building a business around a clean technology may require analyzing different technological pathways, including some technology options that are not yet commercialized. When analyzing a new technology, leaders must understand the scale break point for cost competitiveness, so business viability can be reached as quickly as possible. Take recycled textiles, for example. Based on our experience, many fashion and apparel players are looking to introduce materials that require the scaling of textile-recycling technologies. Our analysis of one of the technologies identified the scale break point at which producing recycled man-made cellulosic fibers, an alternative to virgin viscose, would likely be cost competitive. In this case, only when average plant size and the number of plants reaches a critical scale could costs be expected to become competitive (Exhibit 2). Before committing to investments at scale, leaders may benefit from knowing the relative maturity of the technologies, assessing their performance under different scaling speeds, and understanding the environmental footprint.
  • Sign up captive demand before scaling. Green business builders often tackle the commercial side of investment risk by signing up captive demand for their output before they start to physically scale—as Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt AB did with Volkswagen and BMW. 5 “Northvolt receives $14 billion battery cell order for Swedish gigafactory from Volkswagen,” Northvolt press release, March 15, 2021; “BMW Group signs long-term supply agreement for battery cells with Northvolt,” Northvolt press release, July 13, 2020. Many green business builders—including Northvolt—also invite their customers to invest in the business up front, as a way to align interests even further. Alternatively, when larger corporations start a green business, they might themselves be the ideal first captive customer. For example, shipping company Maersk and ferry operator DFDS are major investors in a new e-ammonia project (e-ammonia is a green shipping fuel). 6 “Maersk backs plan to build Europe’s largest green ammonia facility,” Maersk press release, February 23, 2021.
  • Build capacity with parallel scaling. To reach scale-up goals, the ability to drive several investments or market introductions in a limited time frame is key. Often we’ve seen leaders “parallelize the scaling” from the start—that is, initiate additional growth waves before they have completed the first one. They create a modular, replicable standard for production based on the first business deployment rather than a tailor-made, one-off pilot. They also incorporate key lessons from each growth wave into the next, as a way to help manage costs and keep ambitious deployment timelines on schedule. One example of the parallel-scaling approach is a zero-carbon metals player that is planning to start building a second plant halfway into the construction of the first—and aims to complete it in approximately half the time as the first. The parallelization of scaling is also something to consider when growing adjacent businesses.

Proactively create business ecosystems. Many green business building efforts are also value-chain-building efforts. Consider circular materials, like the recycled textiles example mentioned earlier. There is a need to secure effective collection, appropriate sorting and processing, and market-based demand for the recycled textile fibers. No one player is the natural investor in all steps of the value chain. But investments in a single step may be less feasible without all the other steps already in place. Similarly, many new green businesses require new infrastructure around them. In the case of the e-ammonia project, substantial investments in upstream hydrogen and renewable electricity capacity are needed, as well as new transportation and fueling infrastructure downstream. Green business builders look to collaborate with players in their value chains and make sure that the infrastructure and investments come together in a coordinated manner. This could be done through joint feasibility studies or demonstration pilots where relevant players team up. When done successfully, these collaborations could also lead to the captive-demand arrangements described earlier. Once the framework of a new value chain starts to operate and has a financial underpinning, more ecosystem players may start gravitating toward it.

One example of new ecosystem players getting together is the Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Council. 7 McKinsey has collaborated with the LDES Council as a knowledge partner, including on the reports Net-zero power: Long duration energy storage for a renewable grid , November 2021, and A path towards full grid decarbonization with 24/7 clean Power Purchase Agreements , May 2022. The CEO-led group has brought together key actors—from technology providers to end customers—with the aim of understanding the technology landscape and pathways to economic breakthrough and scaling. Council participants are in a position to help shape their industries and drive collaborations.

  • Lead on sustainable operations, through ambitious targets, innovation, and partnerships. Successful green business builders are leaders in how their operations minimize carbon emissions and other environmental impacts. For example, Northvolt, the Swedish battery manufacturer, has set a target to produce batteries that have a lower carbon footprint than most current EV batteries—by 80 to 90 percent—by leveraging green electricity and recycled input materials. Sustainable-textile company Spinnova has designed a manufacturing process with a water and chemicals footprint that is lower than that of similar products. Many green business builders also partner with organizations that share the same mentality. This 360-degree dedication to sustainability could help to drive credibility and encourage partnerships and innovation that may keep these companies ahead of their peers.
  • Dedicate recruiting resources early in the process. Many green business builders, whether they’re start-ups or corporates, are seeking the talent they need to scale quickly—and the range of skills required to pull off successful green businesses can be wide. Green business builders identify individuals who could help shape and (as needed) pivot strong business models and explore potential partnerships and financing structures. Many new green businesses benefit from those who understand customers’ technical, investment, and decision-making processes. Consider the specific skill sets the organization may need to meet business goals. For B2B technologies, for example, there could be a need to build awareness and acceptance. In B2C, strong brand-building skills could be beneficial to create messaging that speaks to green credibility and tangible, real-world impact. Finally, physical technology ramp-up, factory construction, and supply chain scaling at an ambitious speed typically require bringing along the best of the best in operations skills. Dedicating resources for recruiting early in the endeavor could be a critical enabler of scaling quickly, especially in areas where there may be a scarcity of talent.
Green business builders often tackle the commercial side of investment risk by signing up captive demand for their output before they start to physically scale.

Building a green business is no small feat. It often requires moving at unprecedented speed, setting ambitious growth targets, and planning multiple steps ahead. The mindset green business builders have demonstrated is very close to that of the digital leaders of our time: they have been adept at creating and shaping markets rather than spectating and waiting for the markets to appear, and they have embraced the notion of accelerated scaling. This mindset combined with a few key principles could help propel green business building on the global journey to net zero.

green business case studies

The authors wish to thank Jonatan Janmark and Sean Kane for their contributions to this article.

This article was edited by Andrew Simon, a senior editor in the Seattle office.

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Top 10 Sustainability Case Studies & Success Stories in 2024

green business case studies

Environmental and social practices have a significant impact on the long-term success of businesses. Some businesses outperform others in this area, giving them a competitive advantage. We will present ten sustainability success stories to executives searching for methods to close the sustainability gap between themselves and outperformers. 

We take a holistic approach to sustainability when presenting these case studies, seeing environmental and social challenges as a part of maintaining a sustainable business (see Figure 1). We also recognize that, while technology can aid in the improvement of corporate sustainability, changing business processes can be just as successful. As a result, we will provide a variety of scenarios that fully demonstrate the ESG framework .

1. UPS ORION: Improve transportation efficiency

Transportation activities accounted for almost 30% of US greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. (See Figure 2). For a company like UPS, which distributes goods across regions, transportation activities make up the bulk of GHG emissions. As a result, enhancing transportation efficiency is crucial for organizations like UPS to remain sustainable.

As a solution, UPS adopted an AI system called ORION which is a route optimizer that aims to minimize the number of turns during the delivery. Initiation began in 2012 and up today UPS has been working on developing it.

ORION saves UPS 10 million gallons of fuel per year, which means that in addition to the financial benefits, it decreases UPS’s carbon footprint by 100,000 metric tonnes per year, or the equivalent to removing more than 20,000 cars from the roads.

There are public cloud route optimizer systems which businesses can deploy without building hardware. These tools help firms to use their software as a service by paying a subscription cost.

To learn more about ensuring supply chain sustainability with technology you can read our Top 5 Technologies Improving Supply Chain Sustainability article.

Figure 2: US GHG emissions.

29% of US GHG emission belongs to transportation. It is followed by 25% electricity generation, 23% industrial emissions, 13% commercial and residential emissions and finally, 10% emissions are related to agriculture activities.

2. IKEA IWAY: Make business with ESG oriented corporations

Supplier code of conducts are established guidelines that require other businesses to demonstrate their operations’ social and environmental impacts. The objective is to reward companies that meet strong ESG standards. It is also one of the positive governance indications for organizations, as we highlighted in our ESG metrics article .

IWAY is the supplier code of conduct of IKEA forcing suppliers to meet certain environmental and humanitarian qualities to work with. The initiative has been in place for over 20 years, and over that time, IKEA has refined it based on their prior experiences. IWAY six is the most recent version of IKEA’s supplier code of conduct, which evaluates:

  • Core worker rights.
  • Safety of the working place.
  • Life-work balance of employees.
  • Water and waste management of potential suppliers.
  • Prevention of child labour. 

3. General Electric digital wind farm: Produce green energy efficiently

Wind turbine productivity varies greatly depending on the design, weather conditions, and geography of the location it is deployed. Using IoT and digital twins to collect data on each wind turbine and simulate possible modifications such as adjusting the direction of the wind turbine can assist corporations in locating their wind turbines in a wind farm more effectively (see Figure 3).

Furthermore, the performance of wind turbines declines with time and may require maintenance; employing sensors and digital twins can assist in determining the appropriate time for repair.

Figure 3: How digital twins can optimize wind turbine productivity.

Image shows how digital twins can monitor and improve performance of wind turbines.

The General Electric’s (GE) digital wind farms are based on these two elements. GE optimized over 15,000 turbines using sensors and digital twins technologies. Each wind farm can create up to 10% more green energy as a result of the digital wind farm initiative, which helps to enhance our worldwide green energy mix.

4. Swire Properties green building: Minimize GHG emissions

Swire Properties is a construction company that operates in China and especially in the Hong Kong area. In 2018, the company built One Taikoo Place which is a green building that aims to reduce GHG emissions of Swire Properties in order to align with sustainability goals of the company’s stakeholders.

Swire properties use 3D modeling techniques to optimize the building’s energy efficiency. Reduce electricity consumption by using smart lighting systems with sunshine and motion sensors. A biodiesel generation system has been installed in the building, which converts waste food oil into biodiesel. Swire Properties additionally uses low carbon embedded materials and a lot of recycled materials in their construction.

Swire Properties was able to cut GHG emissions intensity throughout their portfolio by nearly 20% because of the usage of digital technologies and low carbon integrated materials.

5. H&M Let’s Close the Gap: Deposit scheme for gathering raw material

In 2021, we consumed 1.7 times more resources than Earth generates annually because our economic outlook is based on production, use and disposal. Such an economy is not sustainable and that is the reason why the concept of circular economy (CE) is trending nowadays.

The most basic principles of CE is to use trash as a raw material for production through innovation, recycling, or repairing and reusing existing products.

H&M’s “Let’s Close the Gap” project began in 2013 as a CE best practice that collects and categorizes discarded clothing from customers. If the garment is in decent condition, they will restore it and find a new owner for it. If a garment reaches the end of its useful life, H&M will recycle it and reuse the material in new goods.

Customers who bring in their old clothes are rewarded with tokens that can be used to get a discount at H&M shops. Incentivizing customers creates a complete CE loop.

In 2019, 57% of H&M’s raw materials were sustainable, according to Forbes. By 2030, the company hopes to improve it 100 percent.

6. Gusto: Hiring female engineers to close gender inequality gap

Gender inequality remains a major social issue despite all the improvements. There are two common types of gender disparity in the workplace. The first is gender pay disparity, which occurs when companies pay male employees more and provide better working conditions than female employees in the same position. 

The second is occupational segregation, in which women are hired for non-technical jobs while men hold the majority of leadership roles. This was the situation at software firm Gusto, where female engineers made up slightly more than 5% of the engineering team at the beginning of 2015. 

Julia Lee , one of Gusto’s first female engineers, claimed that other engineers did not accept her ideas because she was a “female engineer.” Gusto initiated an HR drive to reduce gender inequality by prioritizing the recruitment of female engineers, prohibiting female workers from scrolling, and deleting masculine job ads like “ninja rockstar coder.”

Gusto was able to improve its female engineer ratio to roughly 20% by the end of 2015 thanks to the campaign. The average ratio among software businesses’ engineering teams was 12% in 2013, therefore this was a significant improvement in a short period of time.  

7. HSBC: ESG concerned green finance

Finance companies can help speed up the transition to sustainable business practices by supporting initiatives run by responsible businesses. By the end of 2025, HSBC has committed to investing $100 billion in sustainability projects. HSBC already has funded sustainability projects that require more than $50 billion in investment as of 2019, indicating that the corporation is on track to meet its objective.

HSBC created an ESG risk evaluation framework to assure funding for green projects in 2019. Since then, the framework has been improved. In 2021, HSBC’s ESG practices were rewarded with an AA rating by MSCI.

HSBC is also working toward a goal of using 100% renewable energy as their source of electricity by 2030. Company reduces its consumption of paper, and single used plastics for coffee and beverages.

For more information about best ESG practices you can read our Top 6 ESG Reporting Best Practices article.

8. Signify light-as-a-Service: Enhance production stewardship

The product-service system ( PSS ) is a business model in which producers acquire a product over its lifetime and rent or lease it to the users. PSS ensures product stewardship since the product always becomes the asset of the company. It encourages producers to provide high-quality, repairable items in order to extend the product’s useful life. As a result, it helps to close the circularity gap by ensuring better use of natural resources.

Signify, a luminaire producer, adopts such a business strategy where it demands a subscription fee according to usage period of their lightning systems. PSS allows Signify claims that PSS allows them to produce 0 luminaire waste and drops maintenance costs around 60%.

9. Airbus additive manufacturing: Manufacture lighter planes with 3D printing

AIMultiple expects that additive manufacturing will disruptive for the airplane manufacturing since:

  • It speeds up the manufacturing of parts compared to traditional molding techniques.
  • It is cheaper due to effective use of raw materials and time reduction of production.
  • It enables the manufacturing of lighter parts by up to 45% , resulting in lighter planes that burn less fuel. According to Airbus, additive manufacturing technology can reduce an A320 plane’s annual GHG emissions by around 465,000 metric tons, which is roughly the same as eliminating 100,000 automobiles from the road for a year. (An average car emits 4.6 tonnes of GHG per year). 

To effectively use 3D printers Airbus partnered with Materialise , a Belgium-based technology company  that specialize in additive manufacturing.

For more information regarding improving corporate sustainability by digital transformation you can read our Top 4 Digital Technologies that Improve Corporate Sustainability article.

10. Tata Power: Solar plants on the roofs

Rooftops offer a lot of empty space that can be used to install solar panels. Such initiatives have been taken in various parts of the world. Tata Power does it in India and generates green electricity by using idle places of buildings.

In 2021, Tata Power was able to spread their program throughout 90 Indian cities, producing 421 million watts of electricity, which is equivalent to nearly 40 thousand homes’ yearly electricity use in the US. (The average annual power usage for a residential utility customer in the US was 10,715 kWh in 2020, according to the EIA .).

We expect that in the near future the cooperation between energy and construction companies will enhance the use of idle places in buildings in a more effective way. Such an industrial symbiosis reduces both sectors’ ESG risk.

For more information on the top carbon footprint calculators, check our article, Top 7 Carbon Footprint Calculator Software/Tools for Businesses .

To learn more about corporate sustainability you can contact with us:

This article was drafted by former AIMultiple industry analyst Görkem Gençer.

green business case studies

Cem has been the principal analyst at AIMultiple since 2017. AIMultiple informs hundreds of thousands of businesses (as per similarWeb) including 60% of Fortune 500 every month. Cem's work has been cited by leading global publications including Business Insider , Forbes, Washington Post , global firms like Deloitte , HPE, NGOs like World Economic Forum and supranational organizations like European Commission . You can see more reputable companies and media that referenced AIMultiple. Throughout his career, Cem served as a tech consultant, tech buyer and tech entrepreneur. He advised businesses on their enterprise software, automation, cloud, AI / ML and other technology related decisions at McKinsey & Company and Altman Solon for more than a decade. He also published a McKinsey report on digitalization. He led technology strategy and procurement of a telco while reporting to the CEO. He has also led commercial growth of deep tech company Hypatos that reached a 7 digit annual recurring revenue and a 9 digit valuation from 0 within 2 years. Cem's work in Hypatos was covered by leading technology publications like TechCrunch and Business Insider . Cem regularly speaks at international technology conferences. He graduated from Bogazici University as a computer engineer and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School.

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green business case studies

A wonderful collection of case studies on corporate sustainability. I enjoyed the read. I am convicted to delve into promoting sustainability in Africa.

green business case studies

Hello, James! Thank you for your feedback. Awesome! That’s a great cause to pursue.

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green business case studies

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Case Studies

These case studies are collected from across the country to help businesses from a variety of industries implement more sustainable practices. Though a few come from larger businesses, the topics are relevant to small businesses. These examples cover a variety of sustainability opportunities, from recycling to hazardous material substitution, and can help generate ideas and demonstrate how to implement new practices successfully.   We are continually updating this page and looking for new case studies. If you have a case study you’d like to share, please e-mail it to  [email protected]

Agriculture

  • Elimination of Pesticide Use in Beef Production - Kentucky Excellence in Environmental Leadership
  • Energy Conservation and Envrionmental Sustainability-MNTAP
  • Energy Conservation and Reduction of Wastewater Discharge
  • Farm seeks to Make Bioplastic from Horse Manure
  • Reducing Environmental Impacts in Organic Farming
  • Surface Water Protection in Livestock Farming - Kentucky Excellence in Environmental Leadership
  • Waste, Energy, Water, and Toxics Management at a Nursery - Maryland Green Registry
  • Hazardous Waste Reduction in Aerospace Parts Manufacturing
  • Solvent Reduction in Aerostructures Manufacturing
  • Waste Diversion Strategies in Aerospace Company
  • Waste and Energy Management - Maryland Green Registry
  • Water Use Reduction in Cutting Sheet Metal - New York State Pollution Prevention Institute
  • Energy Conservation - Minnesota Technical Assistance Program
  • Hazardous Material Reduction - Massachusetts Office of Technical Assistance and Toxics Use Reduction Institute
  • Waste Reduction in Aluminum Product Manufacturing
  • Wastewater Reduction in Aluminum Anodizing Company
  • Water Conservation in Aluminum Can Manufacturing - Minnesota Technical Assistance Program
  • Energy Conservation in Powersports Industry
  • Energy Conservation in Truck Accessories Manufacturing
  • Parts Washing - Toxics Use Reduction Institute (University of Massachusetts Lowell)
  • Reducing Metal Scrap Waste and Improving Energy Efficiency in Automotive Tool Manufacturing
  • Water-Based Paint, Material Reduction, and Recycling - Toxics Use Reduction Institute (University of Massachusetts Lowell)
  • VOC Reduction and Energy Conservation - Maryland Green Registry
  • Workshop Auto Minimizes Use of Hazardous Chemicals - TURI
  • Energy Conservation, Waste Reduction, and Watershed Protection in a Distillery - Kentucky Excellence in Environmental Leadership Program
  • Improved Controls on Wastewater Treatment in Fertilizer Production - Iowa Department of Natural Resources
  • More Efficient Use of Wastewater Treatment Chemicals in Fertilizer Production - Iowa Department of Natural Resources
  • Outstanding Bath Refinishing Sees Success with Safer Stripping Product - TURI
  • Riverdale Mills Innovates to Reduce Chemical Use - TURI
  • Solid Waste and Water Conservation in Enzyme and Fermentate Production - Iowa Department of Natural Resources
  • Water Conservation in Manufacturing of Water Testing Supplies - Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Construction

  • Environmentally Friendly Purchasing and Design in Deck Construction - Maryland Green Registry
  • Toxic Material Reduction - Toxics Use Reduction Institute (University of Massachusetts Lowell)
  • Toxics Reduction and Waste Management - Maryland Green Registry
  • Various Environmental Measures in Home Construction - Maryland Green Registry
  • Water Conservation in Manufacturing Roofing Materials - Minnestota Technical Assistance Program
  • Water Conservation in Ready Mixed Concrete - Minnesota Technical Assistance Program

Die Casting

  • Energy Conservation in Automotive Parts Manufacturing - Tennessee Green Star Partnership
  • Utilizing Ultrafiltration in the Vibratory Process

Dry Cleaning

  • Perc Replacement and Waste reduction - Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
  • Waste Reduction - Maryland Green Registry

Electric/Power/Energy

  • Energy Conservation in Lighting System Manufacturing
  • LED Retrofit, Renewable Energy, and Other Environmental Measures - Maryland Green Registry
  • Reducing Solid Waste Production Through Source Reduction and Recycling
  • Renewable Energy, Energy Conservation, and Other Environmental Measures - Maryland Green Registry
  • Water Conservation, Reduced Transportation, and Other Environmental Measures - Maryland Green Registry

Electronics/Computers

  • Energy and Water Conservation and Recovery of Acids and Solvents - Illinois Sustainable Technology Center
  • Energy Conservation in a Datacenter - Maryland Green Registry
  • Energy Conservation in Technology Manufacturing
  • Waste and Energy Management for IT - Maryland Green Registry
  • Water and Wastewater Reduction  - New York State Pollution Prevention Institute
  • Water Conservation and Reduction in Use of Treatment Chemicals - Toxics Use Reduction Institute (University of Massachusetts Lowell)
  • Water Management in Electronic Manufacturing
  • Distillery Water Mapping and Wastewater Reduction - Minnesota Technical Assistance Program
  • Heat Recovery System in Brewery
  • Lean Manufacturing Implementation at Food & Beverage Processing and Manufacturing Facilities - TURI
  • Potato Processing Plant - Minnesota Technical Assistance Program
  • Reduced Water Usage at Family-Owned Ice Cream Manufacturer
  • Resource Conservation in Brewing Practices
  • Smoked Sausage Manufacturer Pollution Prevention Case Study (2018) - Kansas State University Pollution Prevention Institute

Forest Products

  • Control System Recommendation to Monitor and Regulate Airflows in Cabinetry Manufacturing
  • Solvent Recycling, Solid Waste Reduction, and Energy Conservation in Cabinetry Manufacturing
  • Solvent Reduction - Maryland Green Registry
  • Waste Reduction in Cabinetry Manufacturing
  • Water and Energy Conservation - Regional E3 Project (Danville/Pittsylvania County, Virginia)
  • Cabinet Manufacturer Pollution Prevention Case Study - K-State Pollution Prevention Institute
  • Impacts of Life Cycle Assessment on products envrionmental footprint - Oregon DEQ
  • Powder Coating with High Efficiency Oven - Maryland Green Registry
  • Supply Chain Sustainability Assessment - New York State Pollution Prevention Institute
  • Waste Reduction and Recovery for Paint and Wood Waste - Iowa DNR
  • Waste Reduction and Solvent Elimination in Wood Finishing - Maryland Green Registry
  • Water Conservation and Reduction in Use of Plating Chemicals - Toxics Use Reduction Institute (University of Massachusetts Lowell)

General Small Business

  • Energy and Water Conservation in an Office Building - Iowa Department of Natural Resources
  • Energy Conservation in Multiple Businesses - Minnesota Technical Assistance Program
  • Waste and Toxics Reduction in Skin Care Products - Maryland Green Registry
  • Waste Diversion and Water Conservation in an Office Building - Iowa Department of Natural Resources
  • Water, Waste, and Energy Management - Maryland Green Registry

Hospitals/Medical

  • Energy and Water Conservation in a Health Services Provider
  • Minimizing Waste Streams in Hospital Equipment Manufacturing
  • Waste and Energy Management in Home Health Care Services - Maryland Green Registry
  • Waste Management and Toxics Reduction - Maryland Green Registry
  • Water and Energy Efficiency at Hospital Facilities - Minnesota Technical Assistance Provider
  • Water Conservation and Waste Management in a Dental Practice - Maryland Green Registry
  • Water Conservation and Waste Reduction at a Medical Device Manufacturer
  • Energy and Water Reductions in Network of Hostels
  • Environmentally Preferable Purchasing and Waste and Stormwater Management - Maryland Green Registry
  • Hotel Implements Sustainability and Composting Programs 
  • Toxics, Energy, and Wast Management - Maryland Green Registry
  • Waste, Energy, and Toxics Management - Maryland Green Registry
  • Waste Reduction, Water and Energy Conservation, and Other Environmental Measures at a Small Inn - Maryland Green Registry

Iron and Steel

  • Air Quality Improvement - Minnesota Technical Assistance Program
  • Energy and Waste Management - Maryland Green Registry
  • Energy Conservation in Steel Foundry - Iowa Department of Natural Resources
  • Reducing Waste and Energy Consumption - MNTAP
  • Toxics Reduction and Energy Conservation in Steel Products Manufacturing
  • Water Conservation and Reduction in Chromium in Wastewater - Minnesota Technical Assistance Program
  • Water Reduction in Steel Tubing Manufacturing - New York State Pollution Prevention Institute

Janitorial Services

  • Environmentally Preferable Purchasing - Maryland Green Registry

Laboratories/Schools

  • Energy Conservation - Iowa Department of Natural Resources
  • Green Energy in County Schools
  • Laboratory Waste Reduction and Diversion - Maryland Green Registry
  • School District Sustainability Audit - New York State Pollution Prevention Institute
  • Solvent Reduction in Chromatography - Massachusetts Office of Technical Assistance & Technology
  • Steam System Audit - Iowa Department of Natural Resources
  • Waste Reduction and Diversion in Campus Dining - Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Landscaping

  • Green Infrastructure, Toxics Reduction, and other Environmental Measures - Maryland Green Registry
  • Optimization of City Irrigation - Minnesota Technical Assistance Program
  • Various Environmental Measures - Maryland Green Registry
  • Waste, Water, and Energy Management - Maryland Green Registry
  • Water Reduction and Recovery from Washing Mowers - New York State Pollution Prevention Institute

Local Government

  • Energy Conservation in County Buildings
  • Energy Conservation in Town Buildings
  • Energy Efficiency Through Building Re-tuning
  • Minimization and Diversion of Residential Waste - Maryland Green Registry
  • Waste Management in Correctional Facilities - Minnesota Technical Assistance Program
  • Water Conservation and Energy Efficiency at the State Capitol Complex
  • Energy Conservation Through Forklift Charger Replacement Program
  • Energy Conservation in Machine Manufacturing - Iowa Department of Natural Resources
  • Toxics Reduction through Alternative Metal Surface Cleaning Methods - New York State Pollution Prevention Institute
  • Umicore Electrical Materials Eliminates Use of Perchloroethylene in Vacuum Degreaser - TURI
  • Waste Reduction and Diversion - Maryland Green Registry
  • Waste Reduction in Machining and Plating Operations

Metal Finishing

  • Alternatives to Trichloroethylene Vapor Degreasing - New York State Pollution Prevention Institute
  • Reduced Acid Use in Electroplating - New York State Pollution Prevention Institute
  • River Street Metal Finishing Filters Acid to Reduce Chemical Use - TURI
  • Waste Reduction in Industrial Manufacturing
  • Wastewater and Hazardous Waste Reduction in Specialty Platings and Anodizing Manufacturing
  • Water and Wastewater Reduction - New York State Pollution Prevention Institute
  • Water Conservation and Waste Reduction in Hydraulic Cylinder Manufacturing - Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Metal Products

  • Reducing Waste Streams in Hydraulic Parts Manufacturing
  • Toxics Reduction in Brass Instrument Manufacturing - Massachusetts Office of Technical Assistance & Technology
  • Toxics Use Reduction in Brass Instrument Manufacturing
  • VOC Emission Reduction via Solvent Recovery
  • Waste Reduction in Blast-Resistant Modular Builidng Manufacturer

Painting and Coating

  • Alternative Metal Surface Cleaning Opportunities
  • Industrial Cleaning Alternatives at a Coating Manufacturer
  • Solvent Reduction and Transfer Efficiency Improvement - Minnesota Technical Assistance Provider
  • Toxics and Waste Reduction and Energy Conservation in Coatings Manufacturing - Massachusetts Office of Technical Assistance & Technology
  • Toxics Reduction in Paint Manufacturing - Massachusetts Office of Technical Assistance & Technology
  • Water and Wastewater Conservation at a Local Powder Coating Manufacturer

Petroleum Refining

  • Leak Detection Using an IR Camera - Utah Department of Environmental Quality
  • Energy Conservation in Fuel Blending and Distribution - Tennessee Green Star Partnership
  • Waste Reduction and Water and Energy Conservation in Petroleum Refining - Illinois Sustainable Technology Center

Pharmaceuticals

  • Energy Reduction Practices in Pharmaceutical Company
  • Reducing Solid and Hazardous Waste Streams in Animal Healthcare Manufacturing
  • Solvent Reduction and Recycling - Massachusetts Office of Technical Assistance & Technology
  • Waste Reduction and Diversion in Pharmaceutical System Plant and Molding Center
  • Water and Energy Conservation in Water Purification and Temperature Control - Iowa Department of Natural Resources
  • Water and Energy Conservation - Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Plastics and Rubber

  • Energy Conservation and Hazardous Waste Reduction - Southwest Ohio P2 Intern Program
  • Hazardous Waste Reduction in Resin Manufacturer
  • Solid Waste Reduction in Epoxy Resin and Carbon Fiber Composite Cylinder Manufacturing
  • Water Reduction in Tire Manufacturing - Iowa Department of Natural Resources
  • Water, Energy, and Waste Reduction - Illinois Sustainable Technology Center

Printing and Photoprocessing

  • Run Waste in Flexographic Printing - Minnesota Technical Assistance Program
  • Source Reduction Strategies in the Printing Process - DEQ Utah
  • Trade Bindery - Maryland Green Registry

Pulp and Paper

  • Electricity Reduction in Speciality Paper Manufacturing - New York State Pollution Prevention Institute
  • Energy and Waste Reduction in Adhesive Production
  • Energy Efficiency and Reducing Waste at a Pulp and Paper Mill
  • Energy Efficiency through Energy Treasure Hunts
  • Hazardous Waste and Solvent Reduction in Label Manufacturer
  • Removing Tannins and Suspended Solids from Wastewater - New York Pollution Prevention Institute
  • Water Conservation in Corrugated Cardboard Manufacturing - Minnesota Technical Assistance Program
  • Energy Conservation and Waste Recovery - Illinois Sustainable Technology Center
  • Food Waste Reduction Strategies Through Recycling - DEQ Utah
  • Waste Reduction and Energy Conservation in Recycling Office Supplies - Maryland Green Registry
  • Environmentally Friendly Purchasing and Waste, Water, and Energy Management in a Yoga Studio - Maryland Green registry
  • Irrigation Audit and Analysis of Golf Course
  • Pesticide Elimination in City Parks - Toxics Use Reduction Institute (University of Massachusetts Lowell)
  • Waste Reduction in Kansas State Parks
  • Waste, Water, and Energy Management in a Campground & RV Park - Maryland Green Registry
  • Waste, Water, Energy and Wastewater Management at a Recreational Vehicle Resort - Maryland Green Registry
  • Water Management in Country Club
  • Energy Conservation in a Wine Shop - Maryland Green Registry
  • Waste and Energy Management in Grocery Stores - Maryland Green Registry
  • Waste Management and Environmentally Preferable Purchasing in Home Decor- Maryland Green Registry

Solvents/Cleaning - also see other industry sectors for sector-specific resources on solvent cleaning

  • Alternatives for Solvent Parts Cleaning within Manufacturing Operations
  • Family Martial Arct Center Kicks Out Harmful Disinfecting Chemicals While Defending Against COVID-19 - TURI
  • Fat Moon Mushrooms Replaces Bleach With Safer Sanitizer - TURI
  • Evaluating Carbon Performance in Manufacturing of Household Cleaning Supplies - New York State Pollution Prevention Institute
  • Water Conservation at Specialty Chemical Manufacturer

Stone/Clay/Glass/Concrete

  • Reduction of VOC Emissions and Hazardous Waste Generation in Composite Manufacturing
  • Toxics Reduction in Optics through Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma - Toxics Use Reduction Institute (University of Massachusetts Lowell)

Textiles/Textile Services

  • Reduced Fabric Waste - Kansas State University Pollution Prevention Institute
  • Waste Reduction Through Improved HVAC System
  • Water Conservation, Chemical Standardization, and Energy Efficiency in Fabric Production

Transportation

  • Energy and Waste Management in Railroads - Maryland Green Registry
  • Energy and Waste Reduction in Ship Repair - Virginia DEQ
  • Waste Management in Commercial Moving - Maryland Green Registry
  • Waste Reduction for a Moving Company - Maryland Green Registry
  • High Yield Re-refining of Used Transformer Oil - Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
  • Alternative Energy in Municipal Wastewater Treatment - Iowa Department of Natural Resources
  • Better Biosolids and Recovered Energy for Sewer Authority
  • Chemical Reduction in Wastewater Treatment - Minnesota Technical Assistance Program  
  • Source Reduction Opportunities for Industrial Chloride Use
  • Optimizing Nutrient Removal in Wastewater
  • Water Conservation in Residential Community
  • Water Waste Prevention

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RTF | Rethinking The Future

CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre by Karan Grover and Associates First LEED Platinum Certified Building in India

green business case studies

In today’s time when sustainability is no longer a choice, Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre led by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII, a nonprofit organization) has been at the forefront for the past 15 years in leading India’s green building movement. The design of the Centre back in 2004 is a live demonstration and reflection of a conducive green building, and, therefore, at that time, it was the first LEED Platinum Certified Building in India and outside the U.S. 

It was designed by one of the leading Indian architects, Karan Grover, of Karan Grover and Associates, Baroda (Gujrat). The building stands as a real pioneer and a catalytic example of using traditional methods of sustainability in amalgamation with modern technologies. 

On its 15th anniversary last year, it announced itself as a ‘Net-Zero Energy’ Platinum-rated building. This continuous awe-inspiring goal to step higher with each passing year makes it a great study model with its design philosophies, materials, and energy efficiency techniques.

CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre by Karan Grover and Associates First LEED Platinum Certified Building in India - Sheet1

Design Idea

The seed of the idea was sown when U.S. President Bill Clinton visited India in the year 2000 and wished to offer technical support from the U.S. Agency for International Development. The basic thought process was that what comes from nature is returned to it. Similarly, a building should also give back to nature as it takes from it and subsequently reduces its impact on the earth.

The 20000 sq ft (1,858.06 m²) building sits on five-acre land having only a 9.2 percent footprint ensuring minimum disturbance to existing features. buy uk doxycycline online www.mabvi.org/wp-content/languages/new/uk/doxycycline.html no prescription It is further located centrally on the flattest land available with landscaping and foliage all around providing a soothing microclimate and minimizing the impact of pollution on the inhabitants.

The Centre is shaped and oriented such that it captures prevailing winds and circulates them around and through the building. The wind passing over pools of water and shady planted areas is also used to drive evaporative cooling. The conceived circular form with round edges and softness in the form facilitated association and belongingness along with advantages of optimum solar gain and unrestricted air circulation. 

The central internal courtyard acts as an energy center binding different independent functions of the building together. Several small green pockets created also function as thermostats giving protection from extreme weather while also maintaining good mental wellbeing of inhabitants by being close to nature.

CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre by Karan Grover and Associates First LEED Platinum Certified Building in India - Sheet2

The ground floor houses an auditorium, seminar halls, offices, administration, and services while the first floor consists mainly of workstations and a conference hall.

CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre by Karan Grover and Associates First LEED Platinum Certified Building in India - Sheet3

Construction and Materials

The maximum amount of material for the construction of Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre was sourced locally within 500 miles from the project site. Extensive erosion and sedimentation control measures to prevent topsoil erosion have also been taken at the site during construction. More than 50% of the construction waste is recycled within the building or sent to other sites and diverted from landfills.

The usage of recycled content was highly promoted with the use of materials like Fly-ash-based bricks, glass, aluminum, and ceramic tiles, which contain consumer and industrial waste. The use of aerated concrete blocks for facades reduced the load on air-conditioning by 15-20%.

Even the interiors echoed the use of organic materials like bagasse (post-harvest sugarcane waste) that was pressed into boards as an alternative to plywood. The use of the low volatile organic compound (VOC) paints and coatings, adhesives, sealants, and carpets were used to improve indoor air quality.

CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre by Karan Grover and Associates First LEED Platinum Certified Building in India - Sheet4

  • Sustainability

Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre has set high standards in using green methods and materials and acts as a guide for adopting sustainable procedures and techniques.

More than half of the roof area is converted into a terrace garden minimizing the interior temperature. Along with it, the solar photovoltaic cells on the terrace help in producing nearly 20 percent of the building’s energy consumption. Two air cooling towers are designed to cool the air up to 8 degrees by sprinkling water and hence reducing the load on air conditioning. 

The building has been oriented through various energy stimulation exercises in such a way that 90 percent of the interior gets direct sunlight, reducing the need for artificial lighting. Further, north facades have been glazed to gain efficient diffused light. Double-glazed units with argon gas filling between the glass panes enhance the thermal properties.

Dazzling light, which usually also contributes to overheating in sections of a building, was avoided by the use of traditional methods of brick Jali walls. buy uk stromectol online www.mabvi.org/wp-content/languages/new/uk/stromectol.html no prescription These create a screening effect allowing air to pass through and breaking up scorching sun heat and casting beautiful light patterns. The other provisions like Rainwater harvesting, Root Zone Treatment system, indoor air quality monitoring, and high-performance glass make it one of the best examples of passive designs.

CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre by Karan Grover and Associates First LEED Platinum Certified Building in India - Sheet7

Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre has been successful in developing an Indian-based framework for green architecture that uses sustainable design practices for construction, utilizing locally available building materials and climatologically responsive techniques to derive the best possible design solutions that can be used across the country. 

The building’s confident form and well-researched and sought-out techniques successfully exuberates symbolic power and have become a stimulus to support the Indian green movement to radiate as wide as possible.

Gast, K.-P. (2007).  Modern traditions : contemporary architecture in India . Basel ; Boston: Birkhäuser ; London

www.architectureweek.com. (n.d.).  ArchitectureWeek – Environment – LEEDing Green in India – 2004.0922 . [online] Available at: http://www.architectureweek.com/2004/0922/environment_1-1.html

Williams, J. (2019).  Building of the week: CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre . [online] The Earthbound Report. Available at: https://earthbound.report/2019/10/04/building-of-the-week-cii-sohrabji-godrej-green-business-centre

CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre by Karan Grover and Associates First LEED Platinum Certified Building in India - Sheet1

Trupti Agrawal is an architect by profession, an artist from the heart. She is an ardent reader and a believer in the power of art, being a great tool in uplifting human consciousness. She strives to tap into intangible aspects of human psychology through her art, which makes her a keen learner and an earnest listener, and a deep observer.

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How Greenwashing Affects the Bottom Line

  • Ioannis Ioannou,
  • George Kassinis,
  • Giorgos Papagiannakis

green business case studies

Customers punish hypocrisy.

New research shows that when companies overcommit and/or do not deliver on promised socially responsible initiatives they damage their relationships with their customers. However, a company’s reputation for product quality or innovation may partially mitigate such a negative impact on customer satisfaction.

Consumers today face a barrage of green-friendly messaging from companies hoping to profit from increased concern over environmental issues. Unfortunately, many of these environmental promises don’t pan out. Research carried out in Europe found that 42% of green claims were exaggerated, false, or deceptive , which points to greenwashing on an industrial scale. This is dangerous ground for companies.

  • II Ioannis Ioannou is an associate professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at London Business School. His research focuses on corporate sustainability and the strategic integration of ESG issues by companies and capital markets.
  • GK George Kassinis is a professor of strategy at the University of Cyprus. His research focuses on corporate sustainability and stakeholder management.
  • GP Giorgos Papagiannakis is an assistant professor of entrepreneurship and sustainability at the University of Peloponnese. His research interests are in the areas of corporate social responsibility, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

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    october 2015 r: 15-09-b Case s of studie fostering green Businesses Prepared by: Richard Pinkham John Hart-Smith David Erne Booz Allen Hamilton Project Design

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  10. Green entrepreneurship and business models: Deriving green technology

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    1. UPS ORION: Improve transportation efficiency Transportation activities accounted for almost 30% of US greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. (See Figure 2). For a company like UPS, which distributes goods across regions, transportation activities make up the bulk of GHG emissions.

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    Over the last two decades, green and sustainable business models (GnSBMs) have become a prominent topic of discussion among scholars, practitioners and policymakers. Preponderance of research and an increasing global pressure to adopt GnSBMs necessitate a comprehensive understanding of the state of research on GnSBMs. Towards this end, we extracted 851 publications on GnSBMs from the Scopus ...

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    This article presents "The Green Business and Sustainable Development School" (in the following: "the school") as a case study for the implementation of an innovative educational concept to prevent big ideas from failure and to activate the youth through education and training as proclaimed in the European Commission's communication "The Europea...

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    Functional. Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features. Analytics. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the ...

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    6 Mins Read In today's time when sustainability is no longer a choice, Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre led by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII, a nonprofit organization) has been at the forefront for the past 15 years in leading India's green building movement.

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