Green initiatives: FMCG firm DS Group awarded with LEED certification

The DS Group (Dharampal Satyapal Group) is a Multi-Business Corporation and one of the leading FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) conglomerates with a strong Indian and International presence. Founded in the year 1929, it is an inspiring and successful business story that blends a remarkable history and legacy with visionary growth.  The Group’s portfolio is extensive and diverse with presence in Mouth Freshener, Food and Beverage, Confectionery, Hospitality, Agri, Luxury Retail, Tobacco businesses and also other investments. Rajnigandha, Catch, Pulse, FRU, Maze, Ksheer, Pass Pass, BABA, Tulsi, L’Opera, Le Marche, Birthright, The Manu Maharani and Namah are some of the leading brands, the Group proudly shelters today.

Guided by a clear set of values and built on a strong foundation of philanthropy, corporate social responsibility is an integral part of the Group’s business objectives to enhance livelihoods and build sustainable communities. The Group works on projects across the country to achieve this objective with a focus on critical areas such as Water, Livelihood and Education, which have transformational impact on communities.  Future-focused, the Group has been steadily expanding its ‘green’ initiatives, including Energy and Water Conservation, to reflect its response to what the world needs and its own role as a committed corporate citizen.

The DS Group Headquarters (DSHQ), situated at NCR houses the Corporate office, an R & D centre and state of art manufacturing facilities for Confectionery, Flavours & Fragrances and Edible Gold & Silver embellishments. It has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification, under the USGBC (US Green Building Council) existing building; O&M (Operation and Maintenance) programme version 4.0 for being a green building. DSHQ  is the leader amongst all LEED v4 O&M existing Buildings worldwide for two consecutive years and still holds the highest number of credits amongst existing green building projects clearly making it a global leader. LEED is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability excellence, signifying that a building is lowering carbon emissions, conserving resources and reducing operating costs, while prioritizing sustainable practices.

The Group’s Vice Chairman Mr. Rajiv Kumar stated, “In the pursuit of improved prospects for the future generations and safeguard our resources, we work to balance environmental, societal and economic considerations.  Our sustainability initiatives are spread across the country and in areas of energy management, water management, material conservation, recycling and waste management. This aligns our business, social and environmental objectives to make a significant contribution to society and the country. This fulfils our ethos of responsible growth while delivering superior value to all our stakeholders”.

LEED evaluates green buildings worldwide on seven credit categories, which are then awarded points by USGBC. Significant work has been done by the Group in these 7 areas to earn the credits.

• Location and Transportation :

This category highlights reduction in pollution and land development effect from employee transportation.

As per the alternate transportation survey of, it was found that 73.6% of the total work force at the DSHQ uses alternate transport (pool car, shuttle bus services, green vehicle, bicycle etc.), which is higher than LEED maximum baseline of 70%. This results in approx. 4, 50,000 less CO2 emissions, which is equivalent to planting 21,600 trees per year.

• Sustainable Sites

The Sustainable Sites credit has a purpose to preserve and improve ecological integrity, while supporting high performance building operations. The Group has taken various steps to improve the site hydrology, vegetation and soil quality by planting native plants, conducting soil testing, using organic fertilizer and reducing turf areas. In fact, the Group has devoted 26% area to native vegetation that requires less fertilizers, pesticides, water and at the same time negates other adverse environmental impacts. The building has 9 rain water harvesting pits, open grid pavers to reduce the storm water run-off from the site and enhance water quantity. The DSHQ also has an organic waste composter making it a close loop system of zero organic waste.

• Water Efficiency

Water Efficiency credit measures reduction in indoor and outdoor water consumption. The group has reduced the indoor water usage by 32% through low flow fixtures, water aerators, dual flush closet and water efficient urinals. Outdoor water usage has also been significantly reduced as the landscaping has been designed to limit the use of potable water for irrigation. Other measures like planting native and drought-tolerant species, using drip irrigation for trees, micro spray system for turf area and using STP (Sewage Treatment Plant) and ETP (Effluent Treatment Plant) treated water for irrigation has further reduced water consumption by 53%. Another significant measure is the installation of secondary RO Plant to the main RO reject line, which is equipped with high TDS sea membrane to blend the reject into irrigation water systemresulting in Zero discharge.

• Energy and Atmosphere

The Energy & Atmosphere section supports energy management, reducing environmental and economic harm associated with excessive energy use. In order to reduce greenhouse gas emission and achieve higher level of operating energy performance, reduce ozone depletion while minimizing direct contribution to climate change, the headquarters has been designed in such a way that more than 50% of the regularly occupied area has day light view, which reduces artificial lighting consumption. The actual energy consumption is 59% better than LEED national median and the group’s EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) energy star score is 95.

• Material and Resources

All IT equipment at the DS Group is US EPA ENERGY STAR Certified. These products consume less energy and automatically enter a low-power mode when not in use, thereby reducing utility and operating cost. More than 80% new wooden items purchased including plywood and board, is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified against the LEED baseline of 75%.

• Indoor Environment Quality

In the Indoor Environmental Quality, DSHQ building implements commercial purification system to treat nearly 4.0 lakh CFM of air to control PM 2.5 and above particulate matters. The building uses low VOC paint material and Green Shield cleaning chemicals to enhance indoor air quality for wellbeing of the employees at the workplace.

• Innovation in Design Process & Regional Priority

In this category, the group has 100% credit rating and is committed to reduction of its carbon footprint. The building intends to get the carbon neutral status by end of 2022. The Group already has solar open access with a combined capacity of 5 MW which is further being enhanced to 8 MW. An EPR (extended producer responsibility agreement) has been signed to take care of the plastic waste collection. The group is working aggressively towards reduction of water and paper consumption with utmost priorities.

LEED certification validates the group’s commitment on strategic integration of sustainability into the organizational Systems and Processes to anticipate and understand long-term trends and the effect of resource use.  Like any other Sustainable organization, the DS Group also looks at holistic view of doing business emphasizing on the planet, people and profit, often referred to as the triple bottom line.

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