Johnson Controls, a global entity with 140 years of history, has been active in India for nearly three decades. Focused on sustainable transformations in buildings, the company leverages cutting-edge digital solutions to enhance the health and efficiency of structures. Notable projects include contributions to the Mumbai and Kochi airports and the Statue of Unity.
Beyond its primary focus on climate action, the company amplifies its influence through various societal initiatives. These include projects like a tree-planting drip irrigation initiative, a partnership program aiding marginalized students, and a mobile health initiative catering to underprivileged communities, with dedicated efforts in women empowerment. Notably, the company collaborates with organizations like CRY (Child Rights and You), and actively champions volunteerism, fostering a culture of giving; empowering employees to play a vital role in community initiatives.
TheCSRUniverse uncovers the details of the company's sustainability efforts, meaningful collaborations and corporate social responsibility in an exclusive conversation with Mr. Mitul Rustagi, President, Global Finance, Centre of Excellence, Johnson Controls. Explore the impactful initiatives and community contributions that highlight the company's commitment to making a difference both architecturally and socially, in the interview below.
Q&A
Q. Johnson Controls is globally known for enabling sustainable transformations in buildings. Could you share some key projects or initiatives in India that exemplify this commitment to sustainability
A. Johnson Controls is at the forefront of creating sustainable buildings in India. We work closely with governments and private companies build safe, secure and sustainable living spaces through our world leading fire, security, HVAC and digital solutions. Statue of Unity, ITPO building, Delhi and Mumbai airports among others are projects we have been privileged to be a part of in India. We also continue to work in various cities creating infrastructure for video-based solutions, traffic management and integrated command and control centres. We have been present in India for close to three decades, a strong 9000+ employee base support in executing these projects as well as enable our global R&D and finance initiatives.
Q. Could you provide insights into the company's broader CSR priorities and ethos, and how they align with the company's core mission and values?
A. At Johnson Controls, we are committed to promoting the well-being of our communities and our planet. Our philanthropic and community engagement efforts strive to improve the lives of individuals and strengthen communities through employee volunteerism and the financial support we provide to organizations to support smart, healthy, and sustainable tomorrows.
The focus of our philanthropic support and employee volunteerism is building smarter, healthier, and more sustainable communities where our employees live and work. Johnson Controls contributes millions of dollars annually and our employees give their time, skills, and energy freely.
The communities where we do business are important stakeholders for Johnson Controls. We believe that community involvement and engagement programs enhance our relationships with our communities, customers, and employees.
As part of our commitment to support communities, we encourage all employees to volunteer for a cause that is important to them. We reward their passion and time commitment in giving back to their local community by granting $10 USD per volunteer hour to the non-profit organization of their choice. We also encourage our leaders to engage in their communities through non-profit board service.
Community engagement occurs in many ways throughout the year through several key philanthropic and volunteer initiatives.
Our strategy has resulted in measurable benefits to the community. Total combined giving in 2022 was $14.8 million, including $12 million from the corporation and its foundation and $2.8 million from employees.
Q. What distinguishes Johnson Controls' CSR strategy in India from its global initiatives? What unique challenges does the Indian context present, and what strategies should be employed to address them effectively?
A. We mostly align with our global CSR strategies, the college collaboration program - a global philanthropic initiative to enroll and graduate students from historically underrepresented groups in local college programs. The longer-term goal is employment at Johnson Controls or other companies in family-supporting jobs. In India, we focus on sponsoring tuition fees, infrastructure development, skills and personality development and having our employees as volunteers as mentors and guest speakers.
About our association with Lila Poonawala Foundation (LPF): In India, we also work with organizations such as the LPF to help young women build their careers by providing them platforms to share and learn from industry leaders.
We also collaborate with communities we are part of, one initiative we are fortunate to be a part of is in Kadi, Gujarat. We realized that women’s personal hygiene greatly affected the productivity in the area, we blocked a part of our manufacturing facility to manufacture hygiene products (sanitary pads) and distributed them in nearby villages. The impact assessment of the project was done by the Government of Gujarat established Primary Health Centre, Karan nagar, (a first level tertiary medical unit of the government) under whose jurisdiction the targeted female population resides. The assessment states that there has been a 47% reduction in cases pertaining to women hygiene.
Till date this CSR initiative has distributed 7,68,000 napkins. This initiative has caused a positive paradigm to shift in the female health issues in the region.
The project impact was recognized by the Government of Gujarat twice and the CSR initiative was felicitated by the Government of Gujarat Health Minister on 4 September 2022 and 21st February 2023.
Q. Could you explain Johnson Controls' drip irrigation initiative for tree planting and its environmental sustainability impact, along with any upcoming innovations or plans for its advancement?
A. Johnson Controls support tree plantation initiatives using both Miyawaki and Drip irrigation method as broader commitment to sustainability. The initiative is conserving water, reducing runoff, and flooding, and improving air quality.
Through the support drip irrigation systems, Johnson Controls is helping to ensure that these trees can thrive and provide these benefits for years to come. The environmental sustainability impact of Johnson Controls initiative is significant as Drip irrigation can help to conserve water by up to 50% compared to traditional irrigation methods.
Through our initiative we have planted 1600+ trees of 14 varieties in 22-23 and are targeting 5000+ tree plantation across India in 2023-24.
Q. The College Partnership Program aims to uplift marginalized students. Can you share its evolution and notable achievements?
A. Our College Partnership Program is active in two locations in India: Pune and Delhi. The program focuses primarily on women from the underprivileged areas around two colleges—Don Bosco College and Siddhivinayak Mahila Mahavidyalaya. Unlike the North American program with its focus on developing skilled technicians, the Indian program has a bachelor’s degree in business-related skills as the concentration. All of the 600 students enrolled in the bachelor’s of commerce program course of study at these schools benefit from this program, with about half of them receiving tuition scholarship from Johnson Controls. The program is building a talent pipeline for the nearby Johnson Controls Pune Business Center and Gurgaon Business Center.
A strong committee of Johnson Controls volunteers work with the students on their soft skills, thus enhancing their employability . The group provides coaching in confidence and business etiquette while providing training sessions in business writing, digital literacy, and other functional training. Thanks to the grant and laptop donations from Johnson Controls, Don Bosco was also able to make upgrades to their computer lab.
Johnson Controls Pune Business Center has provided job opportunity to 10 students from these colleges in 2022. In 2023 another 10 full time employees and 6 interns were hired from these colleges.
Q. How have partnerships with organizations like CRY and the Lila Poonawalla Foundation empowered underprivileged children and women, and what role does Johnson Controls play in these initiatives? Can you share the impact of this collaboration in accelerating mutual efforts?
A. Johnson Controls India has a long-standing partnership with CRY and Lila Poonawalla Foundation, and this partnership focuses on a variety of initiatives to empower underprivileged children and women, including:
Education: Programs where all children have access to quality education, regardless of their background. This includes providing scholarships, sponsoring schools, and supporting teacher training programs.
Child labour: Initiatives to prevent child labor and provide rehabilitation services to children who have been rescued from exploitative work. This includes providing vocational training, education, and healthcare services.
Girl child upliftment: Support programs to empower girl children and promote gender equality. This includes providing scholarships, sponsoring girls' schools, and supporting programs to address issues such as child marriage.
Q. "Health on Wheels" provides medical care to underprivileged communities. Can you share impactful stories from this initiative?
A. Here are some other insights to shed light on the benefits of the "Health on Wheels" initiative and its impact:
- Reduced the number of people traveling long distances to seek healthcare. The mobile clinic brings healthcare services to people in their own communities, which saves them time and money.
- Increased awareness of important health issues. The clinic provides educational materials and counseling on a variety of health topics. This has helped to raise awareness of important health issues and encourage people to take steps to improve their health.
- Empowered people to take control of their own health. By providing access to healthcare services and education, the clinic has empowered people to take control of their own health and make informed decisions about their care.
The "Health on Wheels" initiative is helping to improve the health and well-being of people in underserved communities.
Q. In addition to its core business of building technology, how does Johnson Controls leverage digital solutions and innovation to advance its CSR initiatives?
A. We at are Johnson controls are privilege to have been in India now for 30 years and we lead our global operations from India and so the trifecta of making building sustainable is energy efficiency, electrification, and digitalization. We have built our engineering centres of excellence in India, and now data and digital platforms is the real revolution coming to building and our software centres of excellence are also here in India. This is an opportunity for India to capture and market in carbonising building that’s going to be a bigger and bigger like global energy, so it is an exciting time.
Buildings contribute to 40% of global emissions, it is critical to measure emissions from buildings to reduce carbon footprint. The good news is that technologies are available today to bring about this transition – the trifecta of energy efficiency, electrification and digitalization is clearly the way forward. Our industry leading OpenBlue solutions for buildings help identifying areas of improvements in buildings and creates an integrated platform which breaks siloes to bring about a holistic approach.
Q. With nearly 30 years of presence in India, what future CSR initiatives or sustainability goals does Johnson Controls envision for the country?
A. In alignment with our company’s vision and values, we strive to be a good neighbor and a positive community partner in numerous ways. We seek to make the community a better place. We define success more broadly than just financial achievement.
Johnson Controls has several CSR initiatives and sustainability goals in India. These initiatives are focused on the following areas:
Education: Johnson Controls company supports a variety of programs that provide scholarships, sponsor schools, and support teacher training.
Healthcare: Johnson Controls is working to improve the health and well-being of people in underserved communities in India. The company supports programs that provide access to basic healthcare services.
Environment: Johnson Controls is committed to reducing its environmental impact and helping India to achieve its sustainability goals. The company supports programs that promote renewable energy, energy efficiency, and waste reduction.
Skill Development: Johnson Controls is working to equip people with the skills they need to succeed in the workforce and supports programs that provide vocational training and apprenticeships.
Community Development: Johnson Controls is working to improve the quality of life in the communities where it operates. We support programs that provide access to clean water, sanitation, and other essential services.
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