A Carbon Positive Corporation
A Carbon Positive Corporation
The phenomenon of Climate change, a result of global warming, is caused principally by large-scale emissions of gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2). Global warming exacerbates the challenges of poverty and environmental degradation and poses a threat of far reaching consequences.
ITC has been at the forefront of corporate India's initiatives to progressively reduce Green House Gas emissions. Its businesses continue to enlarge the Company's positive carbon footprint through energy conservation, use of renewable sources of energy and identifying ways of mitigating the adverse effects of climate change caused by global warming. ITC has implemented several CDM projects under the Kyoto Protocol and ensured carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration through large-scale social and farm forestry initiatives.
ITC has proactively aligned its strategies and joined international efforts in mitigating/delaying the adverse impacts of climate change. All ITC businesses strive to minimize energy consumption and wherever possible use environment friendly sources of energy.
Sequestration is a scientifically well-established technique to reduce the total carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. ITC's social and farm forestry initiatives have created a green cover of over 100,000 hectares, consolidating its position as a 'Carbon Positive' corporation for five years in a row. ITC invests significantly in research and development to create clonal saplings that are disease resistant, grow faster, and have higher survival rates. These are provided to farmers to enable them to convert their private degraded wastelands into viable pulpwood plantations. In addition, it provides sustainable raw material sources for the Company's Paperboards business, and also creates livelihood opportunities for disadvantaged tribals and farmers in rural areas. This initiative has already created over 46 million person days of employment.
Energy efficiency practices of ITC have helped in achieving world-class standards of energy utilisation in several units. Through a rigorous process of audits supported by benchmarking, specific energy consumption has been reduced year on year.
30.9 % of ITC’s energy consumption is from renewable sources. Flowing from its commitment to the triple bottom line philosophy, ITC has chosen Wind Energy as a focus area for enhancing its positive environmental footprint. The Company has already invested in wind energy generation in Tamil Nadu to meet the requirements of its Packaging business in Chennai. This 14 megawatt Clean Energy Initiative has delivered performance parameters which exceed original projections. The Company’s investments in Wind Energy are eligible for Carbon Credits under the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol, resulting in substantial cost savings.
ITC businesses have already registered 8 CDM projects, with the CDM-EB (Clean Development Mechanism - Executive Board), set up by UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) under the Kyoto Protocol which include two unique projects – one on social forestry, the first of its kind in India and ITC Sonar, the only hotel in the world to earn carbon credits.
Water Positive Corporation Water Positive Corporation
India faces a turbulent water future. Home to over 17% of the global population and having access to less than 4% of its fresh water resources, India's water scarcity is likely to worsen over the years.
ITC's sustainability initiatives, in the area of water, focuses on:
- Achieving the lowest specific water consumption (water used per unit of production) through conservation, audit and benchmarking.
- Zero water discharge - treating and recycling all waste water, thereby not only reducing fresh water intake but also preventing pollution of fresh water resources.
- Creating a positive footprint - through rainwater harvesting, both within our own units and across different watershed areas.
ITC continues to make progress on its sustainability initiatives relating to water through Conservation to achieve the lowest specific water consumption (water used per unit of production); Zero Effluent Discharge by treating and recycling all waste water. Rainwater Harvesting both at the Company premises and through external watershed development projects in socially relevant areas have consolidated ITC's water positive status for 9 consecutive years. Total rainwater harvesting potential so far developed by the Company is more than 2 times the total water consumed by its operations.
Solid Waste Recycling Positive Solid Waste Recycling Positive
Waste management, in India, is an area of serious concern, with significant proportions of waste being disposed through land filling and dumping.
Most landfills and dumping sites are serious health hazards to people living in the neighbourhood and can also cause soil and water contamination.
Cigarette factories at Bengaluru, Saharanpur, Munger and Kolkata, Leaf Threshing Units at Chirala & Anaparti, Paperboards & Specialty Paper Units at Tribeni, the ITC Green Centre at Gurgaon, Surya Nepal's Cigarette factory at Simra, and ITC Hotels - Maurya, Maratha, Grand Central, Sonar, Windsor, Mughal, Kakatiya & Sheraton Hotels New Delhi & Rajputana reused/ recycled almost the entire waste generated (more than 99%) out of their operations.
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