Tata Chemicals to celebrate World Environment Day on June 5
Creates awareness about the need to 'Think, Eat, Save' and preserve the environment
Mumbai: World Environment Day, an initiative of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on June 5, is an annual event that is aimed at being the biggest and most widely celebrated global day for positive environmental action. The official theme for the World Environment Day on June 5, 2013 is 'Think,Eat,Save', which concerns issues such as food waste, sustainable consumption and production and environment sustenance and growth.
In order to commemorate World Environment Day, Tata Chemicals, which has a strong foundation of sustainability embedded across the organisation, has undertaken various initiatives involving the company's manufacturing plants at Mithapur, Babrala and Haldia, as well as other office locations. Some of the activities being conducted include tree plantation (Mithapur, Haldia, Babrala), environment awareness rally (Haldia), knowledge sharing session on energy conservation and management (Mithapur), knowledge nuggets (Babrala), photography – photos indicating the best and the worst environmental conditions (Haldia) and contests and knowledge sharing across all locations. The activities conducted are related to the theme of sustainable food management, balanced nutrition and health, avoiding food excesses and wastages in day-to-day life. The company employees and their families will be participating in the activities mentioned above, thus contributing to a sustainable and responsible way of living.
Sanjay Choudhary, chief technology and sustainability officer, said, "Tata Chemicals is committed to caring for the environment from which it draws its resource for its LIFE (living, industry, and farm essentials) product portfolio. The company's sustainability strategy is focused on ensuring that a greater proportion of the future product portfolio comprises use of green and clean technologies for greening of its operations. In line with its vision of serving society through science, the company has initiated various programmes on environment protection, sustenance and eco-conscious growth. It has a clear policy of 'avoid, reduce, integrate and recycle' that governs its business practices, with a strong emphasis on resource use efficiency and reduction and reuse of wastes. As a member of the Tata group, Tata Chemicals remains committed to abate climate change with sense of shared responsibility and has started tracking its carbon footprint and taking measures to reduce carbon emissions. We, at Tata Chemicals, are committed to responsible care as a value to save the planet for our future and for the future of generations to come, as it's all about LIFE."
Some of the key initiatives adopted at Tata Chemicals for sustainable development:
- Green chemistry products
Tata Chemicals has developed a range of products at its innovation centre in Pune that help reduce environmental impact such as the nano-silver water purifier, nutraceuticals, nano-metal oxides, etc. It has invested in developing jatropha seeds for biofuels. The company's centre for agri-technology is working on a wide range of advanced customised fertilisers and nanotechnology-based solutions for improving agri-productivity. Rallis India, a subsidiary of Tata Chemicals, is developing innovative green crops protection solutions.
- Eco-impact
Tata Chemicals ensures that all its plants strive to minimise the discharge of effluents and go beyond meeting statutory norms, and its pioneering effort in the reuse of soda ash process effluent solids in the production of cement is recognised globally. Its effort in greening of waste saline lands using mycorrhiza fungal culture along with TERI has been recognised as an innovation in CSR. The whale shark project with Wildlife Trust of India and the Government of Gujarat has helped saving whale sharks, and several projects under the Dharti Ko Arpan initiative support natural resource management such as mangrove rehabilation, etc.
- Water resources
All three plants at Haldia, Babrala and Mithapur have instituted measures to recycle and reuse waste water, harvest rain water and reduce consumption, and the company conducts water footprint audits. It has adopted various desalination technologies like reverse osmosis, multi-stage flash distillation and waste heat desalination at its chemicals complex at Mithapur in Gujarat for reducing dependence on fresh water. Its urea fertiliser plant at Babrala is recognised for setting benchmarks in water use efficiency in the country.
- Alternative fuels
Tata Chemicals has invested in developing alternative and more environment-friendly biofuels with its investment in jatropha seed R&D. The company uses renewable sources of energy where possible: solar energy to produce salt, biomass fuel for hot air generators, etc. It has supported Tata Power in setting up a 25MW solar PV power plant.
- Clean development
Tata Chemicals has registered several clean development mechanism (CDM) projects with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. These projects relate to energy reduction and methane reduction.
The Tata group, which is among the top corporate leaders in adopting sustainable practices in India, is committed to developing abatement strategies, increasing awareness and determining best practices to face the challenge of growing environmental concerns. Sustainability continues to remain at the heart of business decisions and geographies of Tata Chemicals, where every initiative is an extension of this philosophy ingrained in its legacy as member of the trusted Tata group.