~ Celebrated chef and Earth Hour India 2023 Goodwill Ambassador Ranveer Brar flagged-off the Mumbai cyclothon along with Harpreet Kaur, CHRO, Godrej & Boyce.

• ~ Pedal for the Planet is part of WWF-India’s call-to-action for individuals, communities, and businesses across the country, to Give an Hour for Earth to do something planet-positive for Earth Hour 2023

• ~ The cyclothon event Pedal for the Planet was conducted in partnership with title sponsors HSBC, supported by BYCS India Foundation, EPAM and Godrej & Boyce on 25th March 2023 at the Godrej Mangroves, Vikhroli East

Mumbai : The early hours of Saturday witnessed cyclists from different corners of Mumbai and Thane make their way to the Godrej Creekside Colony in Vikhroli East. Their destination, the starting point of the Pedal for the Planet cyclothon as part of Earth Hour 2023, the world’s largest grassroots environmental campaign. Earth Hour witnesses millions of people worldwide every year celebrate the moment, serving as a powerful reminder of the importance of our planet, the need to protect it, in the limited time available.

Flagging off the cyclothon, celebrated Indian chef Ranveer Brar shared his pleasure at starting off his morning in the midst of the smiling faces and bubbling enthusiasm of the cyclists. Speaking as the Earth Hour 2023 Goodwill Ambassador, Brar emphasized the need to take inspiration from the past, a time when sustainability was a way of life. He shared, “Sustainability is in our roots. The motivation for this year is to adopt at least one sustainable habit in the kitchen – looking backwards, instead of westwards. If each one of us can look at just one thing that our grandmother’s did in the kitchen, a practice that was sustainable in nature and emulate that, we can make a difference.”

The Mumbai leg of Pedal for the Planet took place bright and early at the scenic Godrej Mangroves, protected by Godrej & Boyce. Home to several endemic species of flora and fauna, the mangroves have been maintaining the city’s ecological balance. Capturing four times more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than tropical forests, these dense forests have stored over 11 lakh tonnes of carbon over the last few decades. This mangrove forest is the second largest habitat for urban wildlife in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and green lungs for citizens, after the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Cyclists enjoyed the greenery of this protected ecosystem, as they pedal for a cleaner, healthier planet.

Special Guest to the event, Chief Human Resources Officer at Godrej & Boyce, Harpreet Kaur, shared that it was a pleasure for G&B to host the Earth Hour cyclothon activity. She shared, “It’s not just about one hour, small, everyday steps to conserve this earth – the only home we have. We at Godrej have stood for and continue to support sustainability. The Godrej Mangroves represent that.”

Pedal for the Planet is a WWF-India initiative that aims to raise awareness about Earth Hour and promote a healthier, greener and more sustainable lifestyle at an individual level. Hosting the event this year across 12 cities (New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Trivandrum, Kochi, Guwahati, Bhopal, Kolkata, Valsad, Udaipur, Ladhak) will see extensive participation and people coming together to pledge for their planet.

Dr. Bhairrvi Joshi, BYCS India Foundation shares, “Our planet is facing a serious climate crisis. We are living in times where breathing air in the cities has become a threat to life. Every day we come in contact with so much of vehicular emission. It is imperative that we change our habits and our way of life in the cities. Cycling is one such habit that people should adopt. Cycling is not just a means of transportation, it is a means of transformation, be it of an individual, a city or a nation. Incorporating cycling in everyday life is a potential solution to the urban challenges of physical, mental and environmental health.”

BYCS India Bicycle Mayors from Mumbai, Mira-Bhayandar and Thane participated in the cyclothon, rallying their cycling groups from across the city and Greater Mumbai region. Dr. Vishvanath Iyer, Bicycle Mayor-Mumbai and Chirag Shah, Bicycle Mayor-Thane, both having been affiliated with Godrej, shared how despite their ties with the organisation, this was the first time they had the pleasure of visiting the mangroves. Amar Nadgiri, Bicycle Mayor-Mira-Bhayandar echoed the sentiments shared by his fellow mayors, voicing how events like these are a great forum for cyclists to unite and encourage others to choose more sustainable lifestyles.

Mr. Ravi Singh, SG & CEO, WWF-India addressed the participants, sharing his gratitude towards all those involved in making Earth Hour the success it is – from volunteers, Governments, and the upper echelons of Leadership. Mr. Singh, reiterated the overriding message of the day and the event saying, “We must all work to make symbolic actions into real actions so as to reduce the pressure on the earth, make our planet a better place and certainly make India a lead where Climate Action is concerned.”