Saurabh Gupta is an internationally recognised sustainability leader and environmental strategist, with over 15 years of experience advising corporates, governments, and global institutions on climate action, ESG compliance, and sustainable development. He is the Founder and CEO of Earth5R, a pioneering environmental tech organisation headquartered in Mumbai, with sustainability projects across 140+ countries.

At the intersection of community action, data technology, and ESG strategy, Saurabh brings a rare blend of on-ground insight and boardroom expertise. His core work focuses on designing scalable sustainability solutions for corporates, linking CSR impact with real-time ESG outcomes. Through Earth5R’s award-winning platform, he helps businesses operationalise environmental goals into measurable action across supply chains, workplaces, and communities.

He has worked on high-impact sustainability engagements with global corporations, leading programmes such as river restoration, circular economy implementation, sustainable livelihood development, and green employee engagement.

His work has directly impacted over 1.3 million citizens and trained more than 100,000 students and professionals in sustainability practices.

Saurabh has been invited to speak at prestigious platforms including the Paris Peace Forum, and he is a recipient of the Young Leaders India-France award by President Emmanuel Macron for his leadership in global sustainability. Under his guidance, Earth5R also delivered India’s first UN-funded River Cleanup Program in Mumbai, integrating local communities, policy stakeholders, and corporate partners for long-term ecological restoration.

Backed by an ecosystem of app-based sustainability tracking, grassroots mobilisation, and academic partnerships with institutions like MIT, Stanford, and Oxford, Saurabh delivers end-to-end ESG services—from diagnostics and data collection to strategy design and on-ground execution.

Key Areas of Consulting Expertise:

• ESG Strategy Design and Corporate Reporting Frameworks

• CSR Planning Linked to Measurable Environmental Impact

• River and Lake Cleanup Models Backed by Scientific Tools and Community Participation

• Circular Economy Implementation across Urban and Industrial Sectors

• Green Employee Engagement & Training Programs for Corporates

• Climate Risk Mitigation for Urban Infrastructure and Real Estate

• Sustainability Tech: App-based Monitoring, AI-Driven Analytics & Dashboards

Areas of Expertise

ESG Consulting & Corporate Sustainability Strategy

For corporates navigating ESG mandates, Saurabh has designed integrated sustainability frameworks that are practical, measurable, and aligned with global standards such as GRI, SDG, and BRSR. He helps companies create ESG-aligned action plans, covering carbon reduction, employee training, biodiversity improvement, and waste footprint minimization.

• Saurabh’s consulting model embeds sustainability into core business operations—be it facility management, packaging, or distribution.

• Under his leadership, Earth5R created India’s first ESG-linked River Cleanup Blueprint, which corporates now use to meet water stewardship targets while improving brand perception.

• He works directly with CSR teams, ESG officers, and legal departments to ensure compliance, stakeholder engagement, and credible third-party verification of outcomes.

ESG Training and Employee Engagement

Saurabh has led ESG training programs for over 1 lakh professionals across India and globally. These workshops are not just awareness tools—they equip employees with hands-on tools to take action in their departments and personal lives.

• Customized training modules are offered for HR teams, manufacturing units, admin staff, and C-suite leaders.

• He has trained employees of leading corporates, creating culture shifts toward climate-conscious operations.

• Each module includes tracking tools, interactive app-based engagement, and micro-certifications, making ESG part of daily workflow.

Carbon Credit Project Development

As India’s voluntary carbon market evolves, Saurabh is helping companies unlock carbon finance potential through scientifically validated carbon credit projects.

• Earth5R’s river cleanup and urban forestry programs are now being developed into community-based carbon offset projects.

• Saurabh is involved in baseline assessment, additionality validation, community verification, and registry documentation—ensuring the projects are audit-ready and eligible for international carbon trading.

• His approach includes co-benefit modeling, such as livelihood creation, plastic waste diversion, and biodiversity restoration, which enhance project credibility and value.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Services

With rising regulatory pressure under India’s EPR framework, especially for plastic and e-waste, Saurabh has built a networked model for companies to fulfill their EPR obligations across states.

• Earth5R’s Recycling as a Service model integrates plastic collection, recycling verification, and third-party reporting, helping companies meet EPR targets cost-effectively.

• Brands have worked with Earth5R to implement decentralized waste collection drives under Saurabh’s guidance.

• The model includes digital traceability through geotagging and AI-based data analysis of waste flow.

Dry Waste Management and Recycling

Saurabh Gupta has set up decentralized dry waste recovery systems in urban and peri-urban areas that serve both companies and municipalities.

• His pilot in Mumbai’s Dharavi area created a blueprint for slum-based plastic recovery and micro-recycling hubs.

• These models integrate local kabadiwalas, housing societies, and NGOs into a closed-loop system, diverting over 500 tonnes of plastic annually.

• He also advises housing societies, industrial clusters, and educational campuses on implementing sorting, collection, and recycling units with minimal capex.

Organic Waste Composting

For corporates looking to reduce their food and organic waste footprint, Saurabh has implemented on-site composting and vermicomposting units in over 200 housing societies, hotels, and commercial facilities.

• Earth5R’s systems are low-maintenance, odor-free, and come with training and compliance documentation.

• In a recent corporate park implementation in Powai, the compost generated is used for tree plantation and landscaping within the same site, reducing haulage and emissions.

E-Waste and Industrial Waste Management

Saurabh helps corporates and industries manage hazardous and electronic waste responsibly, with documentation and downstream recycling partners.

• In collaboration with certified recyclers, Saurabh has conducted e-waste drives that collected over 20,000 kg of e-waste from IT parks, banks, and institutions.

• Earth5R provides end-to-end services including collection logistics, audit reports, and e-waste awareness training for employees.

• For industrial waste, he has created disposal SOPs in sectors like auto, pharma, and packaging—integrating resource recovery, segregation at source, and safe disposal.

Recycled Plastic Product Solutions

One of Saurabh’s most impactful programs converts recycled plastic waste into high-utility urban infrastructure.

• Recycled plastic is now used to make benches, tabletops, school furniture, and dustbins through micro-manufacturing units supported by Earth5R.

• These products are now supplied to schools, parks, and CSR projects, allowing companies to “close the loop” on their plastic waste and showcase their impact visibly.

• The initiative supports local entrepreneurs and women’s self-help groups to run decentralized production units.

Water Audits and Management

With increasing demand on freshwater resources, Saurabh offers scientific water audits to industries, campuses, and urban estates.

• His water audit methodology includes usage mapping, loss identification, reuse pathways, and ROI analysis of interventions.

• For a manufacturing unit in Nashik, water usage was reduced by 38% through leak reduction, smart metering, and waterless cleaning technology.

Wastewater Treatment & Recycling

Saurabh Gupta has worked with industries, hospitality chains, and municipal bodies to assess and implement decentralized wastewater treatment systems.

• Projects include biofiltration systems, constructed wetlands, and reuse of treated water for flushing, gardening, and cooling towers.

• These systems are modular, low-energy, and designed to reduce chemical dependency—helping companies meet local discharge norms and internal reuse targets.

Rainwater Harvesting (RWH)

Saurabh designs custom RWH solutions adapted for dense urban environments as well as sprawling industrial facilities.

• From roof-based harvesting in urban schools to percolation wells in SEZs, his team has implemented over 100+ RWH systems.

• These systems are integrated with groundwater recharge and monitored using smart flow meters for data-backed reporting.

On-Site Energy Audits and Solar Installations

Saurabh’s sustainability offering includes energy audits and rooftop solar advisory for businesses seeking to reduce carbon and operating costs.

• For an IT Park in Mumbai, his audit led to a 22% reduction in HVAC-related power consumption within 6 months.

• Solar installations implemented under his guidance have been used for off-grid classrooms, rural healthcare centers, and CSR projects across Maharashtra.

Tree Plantation and Urban Afforestation

Saurabh has led massive urban greening drives, especially in climate-stressed cities.

• Over 5 lakh native trees have been planted under Earth5R’s plantation programs, including along riverbanks, industrial zones, and public spaces.

• Tree survival is monitored via geotagging and community-based care—making it a preferred CSR activity with long-term ecological and social returns.

Gardening, Green Landscaping & Biodiversity Projects

From eco-sensitive landscaping to pollinator gardens, Saurabh offers creative, low-water, native plant-based landscape design to businesses and urban developers.

• He has implemented rooftop gardens, vertical wall plantations, and butterfly gardens in partnership with real estate firms and municipal corporations.

• Biodiversity corridors near industrial zones, designed with inputs from ecologists, have increased local bird and insect populations measurably.

Environmental Volunteering Programs

To activate employee participation in sustainability, Saurabh has pioneered volunteering formats that are high on engagement and measurable in impact.

• Activities include cleanups, plantation, recycling drives, and community education, structured into 2-hour, half-day, or weekend formats.

• His programs have engaged more than 50,000 corporate volunteers in cities including Bengaluru, Pune, Delhi, and Mumbai.

Green Event Management and Supplies

Saurabh advises clients on how to make events zero-waste, plastic-free, and carbon-conscious.

• Earth5R has supported over 200 green events, supplying compostable materials, dry waste collection services, and real-time impact dashboards.

• Services also include green office supplies like upcycled stationery, seed-paper brochures, and bamboo decor, all sourced through verified green vendors.

Environmental Engineering Services

Saurabh and his technical team offer end-to-end environmental engineering consulting—from concept to commissioning—for eco-infrastructure.

• Recent examples include designing a bio-digester toilet system for slum communities, an IoT-based air quality sensor grid, and decentralized greywater reuse systems for townships.

• His engineering services combine affordability, regulatory compliance, and local context understanding—ensuring that sustainability does not come at the cost of practicality.

Recognitions and Global Thought Leadership

Saurabh’s contributions to sustainability have been widely recognized by global institutions, reinforcing his credibility as a senior consultant and advisor.

• Leadership Award from French President Emmanuel Macron:
  Honoured as a Young Leader (India–France) for cross-cultural leadership and environmental innovation, Saurabh was one of the few sustainability experts selected from India for this prestigious award.

• Speaker at the Paris Peace Forum:
  Representing Earth5R, Saurabh presented solutions on environmental action at this global summit, attended by heads of states, ministers, policy experts, and business leaders.

• Google for Startups Recognition:
  The Earth5R app was recognized by Google for its innovative use of technology to drive climate action, volunteering, and impact tracking—placing Saurabh at the forefront of environmental tech innovation.

• UNESCO Green Citizens Project:
  Earth5R’s education and community training model, developed by Saurabh, was selected for UNESCO’s Green Citizens portfolio—showcasing scalable community climate action.

Proprietary Frameworks and Methodologies Developed

What sets Saurabh apart from most consultants is that he not only advises, but also builds tools, protocols, and frameworks that businesses can adopt at scale.

• SaaS-X: Sustainability as a Service – eXchange (Reimagined):
  Developed in response to fragmented ESG efforts, this Earth5R model provides companies with an all-in-one platform to plan, execute, and monitor sustainability actions. It brings together carbon, waste, water, and community impact into one unified data layer, allowing for transparent ESG disclosures.

• ESG-Linked River Cleanup Framework:
  Created as a response to India’s urban river pollution crisis, this methodology turns river rejuvenation into a measurable ESG deliverable. It includes water quality baseline studies, community training, circular economy linkages, and impact reporting tied to SDG goals.

• Volunteer Impact Engine (VIE):
  Designed by Saurabh for corporates, this is a toolkit that turns employee volunteering into a high-impact, low-friction engagement model. It includes geotagging, visual documentation, and pre-curated volunteering formats across multiple sustainability themes.

• App-Based Sustainability Tracker:
  Built on Earth5R’s tech infrastructure, this mobile platform allows organizations to plan CSR campaigns, assign community partners, track real-time progress, and auto-generate reports—making ESG management seamless and transparent.

Impact Created under Saurabh’s Leadership

Numbers matter when it comes to consulting—and the Earth5R impact under Saurabh’s guidance stands as a testimony to results-focused execution.

• 500+ CSR collaborations with corporates

• 100,000+ individuals trained in sustainability skills

• 5 lakh+ native trees planted with survival tracking

• 2 million+ kg of plastic and dry waste diverted from landfills

• 20,000+ kg of e-waste responsibly collected

• Projects across 65 countries, with community participation

• Training and internship network across 900+ Indian colleges

Vision: Corporate Sustainability for 2025–2030

Saurabh Gupta’s consulting services are designed not just for today’s compliance—but for tomorrow’s transformation. As corporates gear up for Net Zero mandates, Scope 3 emission tracking, and climate-positive business models, his work is focused on solving for complexity with simplicity.

• Scope 3 Emissions & Supply Chain Interventions:
  By integrating vendors, packaging units, logistics teams, and post-use waste handlers into a traceable chain, Saurabh helps businesses gain control over their indirect emissions footprint.

• Biodiversity and Land Stewardship:
  With increasing pressure from global ESG investors, biodiversity is now a boardroom topic. Saurabh designs nature-positive projects—whether it’s green buffers in industrial zones or pollinator corridors for farmland companies.

• Sustainable Cities & Infrastructure Consulting:
  His consulting for real estate and urban developers includes nature-based solutions, RWH integration, solar readiness, and green certification alignment.

• ESG Disclosure Readiness for Mid-size Businesses:
  Not all businesses have large ESG teams. Saurabh offers modular consulting for SMEs and mid-size corporates to prepare for BRSR, SDG alignment, and ESG fund eligibility.

• Decarbonization Roadmaps:
  Through a mix of behavior change, technology upgrades, and carbon offset linkages, he creates tailored strategies for industrial clients aiming to lower their carbon intensity over the next 5–10 years.

How Saurabh Works with Corporate Clients

Saurabh Gupta brings deep expertise, clarity in delivery, and high accountability in all client engagements. His consulting model typically includes:

• Baseline assessments and stakeholder interviews

• Customized sustainability strategy aligned with business operations

• End-to-end implementation support with on-ground teams

• Technology integration for tracking and reporting

• Documentation for regulatory, ESG, and CSR reporting

• Quarterly reviews, updates, and course corrections

Every engagement is rooted in scientific thinking, impact-focused delivery, and system-wide innovation.

His expertise spans across technical domains, geographies, and scales—from plastic waste in Dharavi to solar electrification in tribal Maharashtra to high-stakes ESG advisory for financial institutions.

If you are a corporate decision-maker looking to transform environmental risk into long-term value, Saurabh is not just a globally leading environmental consultant and a leader, he’s your strategic sustainability partner.