Birla Carbon's deep engagement with local communities

With manufacturing sites and offices in 12 countries across five continents, Birla Carbon works in geographies as far apart as Canada, Brazil, Spain, Egypt and South Korea, besides India. As the world’s largest producer of carbon black, Birla Carbon views its footprint as more than just access to key markets. It’s also an opportunity to invest in the long-term progress of the communities that form the backdrop of its local operations.

Often, the communities face greater challenges and needs in specific areas of development. While one might lack safe drinking water, another may face gaps in education, a third might have poor public infrastructure, and so on. To ensure that its response is targeted, inclusive, culturally appropriate, and sustainable, Birla Carbon works closely with local stakeholders – communities, charities, education systems and governments.

In 2016, Birla Carbon aligned its sustainability initiatives to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Accordingly, the company has developed four focus areas for community projects:

Here’s a snapshot of its initiatives in each area.

Improving community health

Regions with large populations and fewer resources experience high pressure on their health systems. In such regions, Birla Carbon supports strained healthcare systems so that timely and adequate medical help is available for those who need it. From promoting vaccine programmes to building hospitals, facilitating medical camps and mobile clinics, providing safe drinking water, and creating health awareness, Birla Carbon actively addresses health risks in its neighbouring communities.

The Covid-19 pandemic is a recent example. Across its locations in the USA, Brazil, Spain, and Italy, the company swung into action during the outbreak to donate ventilators, respirators, masks, protective suits, and other medical equipment to local hospitals, health service providers, or community partners. In Alexandria, Egypt, the Birla Carbon team provided sanitation equipment – road sprayer tanks, backpack sprayers, and liquid chlorine – to district authorities. It also supported sanitisation of local schools for student safety.

Along with conducting Covid-19 awareness campaigns, Birla Carbon distributed masks and sanitation material to residents of villages in the vicinity of its India-based manufacturing units at Renukoot (Uttar Pradesh), Patalganga (Maharashtra), and Gummidipoondi (Tamil Nadu).

* Birla Carbon supported the Pulse Polio campaign and provided safe drinking water at Renukoot and Patalganga last year.

Enhancing education

Birla Carbon works with schools and colleges to improve students' employment prospects and to enable them to plan their careers. The company also provides students with opportunities to earn scholarships and undergo internships or training programmes at its facilities.

In Georgia, USA, the company pledged $55,000 in scholarships to local university students last year. Training programmes to improve students' technical and job-readiness skills were held at various locations in USA, Canada and Brazil.

In Egypt and India, the focus has been more on younger students. In Alexandria, Birla Carbon set up three nursery school facilities and conducted sports, arts, and computer literacy activities in village schools. Schools in Patalganga received school uniforms, school bags, stationery items, computers, and furniture. The Renukoot unit facilitated free education at a local school, and added public speaking and personality development classes for older students. Birla Carbon also provided two schools in Gummidipoondi with access to safe water and hygiene facilities.

*To support education, Birla Carbon Spain has sponsored five libraries, with the latest one being built at Cantabria. In Italy, the company helped set up an architecture and photography centre at a primary school in Trecate.

Creating sustainable livelihoods

Prosperity takes root in local communities when the right economic opportunities are created. Around the world, Birla Carbon creates sustainable livelihood opportunities through women’s empowerment, self-help through micro-financing, agriculture and livestock support, micro-enterprise development, and vocational and skill training.

In Angthong, Thailand, Birla Carbon worked with local farmers in 2020-21 to help them develop new agricultural practices. Across its Indian locations, the company supports skills training for youth and women, ranging from vocational trades like fitting, welding, and hairdressing to home-based activities like stitching school uniforms, kitchen gardening, embroidery, and soap-making. In Egypt, the company has financed over a hundred micro-projects in poultry farming, fishing, tailoring, vegetable supply, and other trades to enhance the local populace's living conditions.

By increasing the incomes of women and small entrepreneurs, Birla Carbon’s skill training programmes enable them to become economically self-reliant.

*At Yeosu, South Korea, Birla Carbon funded a kitchen for an organisation that works with victims of prostitution. The company also helps victims of sexual and domestic violence by facilitating psychotherapy and other forms of support.

Boosting local infrastructure

Robust infrastructure forms the backbone of thriving communities. Birla Carbon supports the development of community centres, roads, schools, homes, sanitation systems, and other infrastructure projects in all its locations.

Community centres are a central thrust area. Such centres have been built in India and Egypt to effectively deliver health, education, and childcare services. In South Korea, Birla Carbon helps maintain local welfare centres for migrant workers, women and families.

Clean water is another vital subject of Birla Carbon's community initiatives. At Renukoot, Birla Carbon provided 2,000 village residents with access to safe drinking water, while in Gummidipoondi, a reverse osmosis plant was funded to meet the water needs of two villages. Water tanks were  built in both locations to store clean water.

Other infrastructural interventions include building a cement road at Patalganga to reduce accidents, and sponsoring a garbage collection vehicle in Gummidipoondi. With such initiatives, Birla Carbon is helping to improve the safety and living standards of communities across the board.

Businesses and local communities have symbiotic relationships – when one flourishes, so does the other. Birla Carbon, therefore, invests in community welfare and growth as a strategic priority and uses its resources and know how to transform and uplift neighbouring communities.

*Mini mast lights and streetlights installed by Birla Carbon in Gummidipoondi have reduced incidents of mugging and improved safety for employees.

*Source: Birla Carbon Sustainability Report 2021