World’s oldest bikemaker is attempting to be the world’s greenest too. On the eve of World Environment Day, Royal Enfield has taken up three new initiatives to pay back the environment and the community. It plans on doing so with a waste management system in Uttarakhand, a Responsible Travel Fellowship with Green Hub, which empowers sustainable tourism, and the Better Cotton Program, which claims to safeguard the growth and production of cotton in an eco-friendly way.
Here’s a detailed summary of the brand’s initiatives
Leave every place better: Royal Enfield’s sustainability initiatives throughout India
As the world’s oldest motorcycle manufacturer to have remained in continuous production, enabling thousands of motorcycle borne travellers to explore the beauty and diversity of our country, Royal Enfield is aware of the need to promote sustainable lifestyles. Royal Enfield’s range of environment-friendly initiatives include programmes aimed at active waste management, environmental and cultural conservation, livelihood through sustainable means and driving awareness. On the occasion of World Environment Day, highlighting the three programmes aimed at waste management, environmental conservation and responsible travel.
Paryavaran Sakhi – Uttarakhand | Waste Management
The Paryavaran Sakhi programme empowered 33 women from 14 villages around the Jim Corbett National Park to not only to actively manage solid waste in their villages but also to generate livelihoods for themselves but also to break down caste barriers and social stigma. The door-to-door collection of solid waste and its segregation is not only carried out by the women of the village but also by women from upper caste, which, earlier would have been unthinkable. From December 2021 to March 2023, these women have collected more than 10 tonnes of dry waste from their villages. The programme is managed by our partner Waste Warriors, who have also conducted clean-up drives in these areas involving nearly 1,500 volunteers. Through these clean up drives they have been able to collect nearly 4 tonnes of garbage. More than 230 awareness sessions have been conducted with participants totaling over 8,000 people.
The Green Hub Responsible Travel Fellowship
The Responsible Travel Fellowship is a new initiative by Green Hub and Royal Enfield. Initiated in 2022, the Fellowship was created with the vision of supporting responsible travel in Northeast India. The aim is to support youth in local communities to engage with their natural and cultural heritage and build on sustainable opportunities and livelihoods through responsible tourism in the region. The overarching aim is to build both socio-economic well-being and ecological security through youth and community ownership at the local level. The 6-month Fellowship includes training sessions and exposure trips under the guidance of livelihood and responsible tourism experts. The Fellows are then supported to build on four project sites as possible Responsible Tourism destinations.
The Green Hub-Royal Enfield Responsible Tourism Fellowship works to build perspective and equip community youth with the capacity and skills towards this. It aims to bring responsible tourism as a choice and an established practice across this region, through youth connect and leadership.
Royal Enfield’s vision, through this Fellowship programme, is to engage and empower youth in conservation education, collaboration, action, and sustainability; and create a digital resource bank for wildlife, environment, and indigenous knowledge. Through this process, implemented by Green Hub, the aim is to initiate sustainable, alternate, and aspirational livelihoods and local entrepreneurship for youth and the community to help sustainably build the local economy and opportunities, with conservation of natural resources and community well-being at the core of it.
Royal Enfield – a proud member of the Better Cotton Program
Cotton is one of the world’s most important renewable natural resources. Safeguarding the growth and production of it is essential. Royal Enfield is a proud member of the Better Cotton program to improve cotton farming globally. Better Cotton is the largest cotton sustainability program in the world. Better Cotton works with government bodies, agricultural stakeholders, and farming communities on training and collaboration projects to improve soil health, farm practices, and yield.
Better Cotton’s commitment towards a better cotton industry echoes Royal Enfield’s vision of sustainability, responsibility, and philosophy of ‘Leave every place better.’ It is in line with our green business initiatives such as responsible sourcing, packaging, and energy-neutral manufacturing.
