Meet 5 Indian corporates that have made energy conservation an important part of their business plan
As the world readies to fight the climate change war, a few companies and organisations are showing the way. These five Indian corporates have made a conscious choice to conserve energy and the environment.
Looming climate change has woken up governments, organisations, corporates, and individuals across the world. They have realised that it’s imperative to change the status quo to counter this threat, and are working to protect our environment.
From switching to solar rooftop panels, cutting down water consumption, and using LED Lights, individuals and corporates are attempting to make a difference in a bid to improve the situation by 2030.
SocialStory takes a closer look at five Indian corporates that are making energy conservation a part of their business plan.
TVS Motors
TVS Motor Company, a multinational motorcycle company based out of Chennai, is committed to conserving energy by developing suitable technology, products and business solutions.
The company is planning to invest around Rs 6 crore during 2019-20 to enhance solar and wind power under 'Group Captive Mode' and to implement other planned energy efficiency measures.
TVS Motor Company (Image Credit: livechennai.com)
According to a TVS Motor Company spokesperson,
“During 2018-19, the company had invested Rs. 8.79 crore towards optimisation of compressors, fuel conversion from HSD to propane for in-paint process application, and to implement various energy-saving projects for energy efficiency and reduction of carbon footprint. With this Clean Development Mechanism [CDM], the renewable power contributes to 60 percent of the overall share of power. These renewable energy initiatives resulted in reduction of carbon dioxide emissions amounting to 50,000 tonnes during 2018-19.”
Some of TVS’ future courses of action for energy conservation include development of new technologies for reduction of emission and of CO2 to meet future emission norms; development of new technologies, materials and processes for enhanced environmental sustainability; development of technologies, including alternative materials, weight reduction, cost reduction and improvement of fuel economy; development of new technologies in the areas of hybrid and electric power trains.
TVS Motor's EHS Policy is committed to combat climate change by improving energy efficiency and use of renewable energy.
Wipro Enterprises
Wipro Building (Image Credit: technologyforyou.org)
Wipro Enterprises, headquartered in Bengaluru, is a multinational corporation that comprises multiple business units. In addition to its flagship IT services business, Wipro Enterprises also has Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting and Wipro Infrastructure Engineering under its wing.
Led by visionary founder Azim Premji, Wipro has a full-fledged, multi-dimensional sustainability programme and voluntary reporting and disclosure.
Azim Premji, in the Wipro Sustainability Report 2018-2019, says: “Our work in ecology spans a continuum of systematic initiatives that aim to improve our own operational ecological footprint to externally focused efforts that focus on a few key challenges of urban sustainability.”
Nearly 40 percent of Wipro’s electricity usage today is from renewable energy sources, a metric that has doubled in the last five years. When combined with their significant investments in building design and energy efficiency, the resultant outcome has been a steady reduction in their greenhouse gas footprint.
Wipro was one of the early organisations to adopt science-based targets for their climate change programme, which is a global initiative in line with the Paris Agreement.
Water conservation is another area Wipro focuses on strongly.
“Our efficiency of water use has been improving at six percent on a compounded annual basis over the last five years. Nearly 42 percent of our freshwater requirements are met through high-grade treatment and recycling,” says Azim Premji in the report.
Over the last five years, Wipro has been anchoring a participative urban water programme that involves committed citizens, academia, and government in attempting to create a model of informed science-based governance of groundwater.
Wipro views the environment as natural capital endowment, and recognises the need to use and conserve responsibly.
Philips
Philips India Limited is a subsidiary of Royal Philips of the Netherlands, a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. The company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, and consumer health and home care.
Philips building (Image Credit: glassdoor.co.in)
The company’s website says,
“At Philips, we strive to make the world healthier and more sustainable through innovation. Our goal is to improve the lives of three billion people a year by 2025”.
The EcoVision programme aims to provide sustainable solutions. The ‘Healthy people, Sustainable planet’ programme, running from 2016-2020, hopes to create value for customers through sustainable products and services, operations, and driving sustainability through their supply chain.
The company has a two-step approach when it comes to this programme, focusing on the domains of health and wellbeing as well as climate action.
“We are committed to the sustainable use of materials, e.g. through our Green portfolio and Circular product and service design, and to the sustainable use of energy by becoming carbon-neutral in our operations, e.g. by reducing emissions and increasing energy efficiency,” Philip says on its website.
The company is quite ambitious about its goals for 2020. It aims to recycle 90 percent of operational waste and send zero waste to landfills, increase green revenues to 70 percent of sales, and become carbon-neutral in operations, using 100 percent renewable electricity. It is also keen to improve the lives of 400 million people a year in underserved healthcare communities by 2030.
Philips measures their environmental impact on society at large via an Environmental Profit & Loss (EP&L) account, which includes the hidden environmental costs associated with their activities and products. In 2018, the company reduced the environmental impact of its operations by 15 percent to 175 million euros.
Larsen and Toubro
L&T headquarters (Image Credit: larsenandtoubro.com)
With its main headquarters in Mumbai, L&T is one of the most respected companies in the private sector, working on technology, engineering, construction, and manufacturing.
L&T says it is committed to fulfilling “economic, environmental, and social responsibilities while conducting business efficiently. We conserve natural resources and enhance social equity for sustainable growth, and foster a culture of trust, caring and continuous learning while meeting the expectations of all stakeholders. We believe in inclusive growth by empowering communities and accelerating development”.
The company has a number of initiatives under its sustainability programme. It aims to build India’s infrastructure by working in the areas of energy and water efficiency, climate change and harnessing renewable sources, green product portfolio, material conservation, zero accident goal, and health and wellbeing. It has also drawn up a sustainability roadmap, which was curated after much thought, analysis, and learnings from previous sustainability roadmaps.
L&T aims to increase energy conservation by 100 percent by 2021. The company achieved a 9.4 percent increase in energy conservation in the year 2016-2017.
TATA Power Limited
Tata Power Limited is an electric utility company based out of Mumbai, and is a part of the TATA group. The company, which provides electrical solutions across India, is one of the country’s largest integrated power companies.
TATA Power (Image Credit: glassdoor.co.in)
“Tata Power believes strongly in resource conservation, energy efficiency, habitat protection, and the enrichment and development of local communities in and around our areas of operations. We are working to set standards in the development and implementation of cutting-edge eco-friendly technologies and processes for energy management,” says the TATA team.
The company provides detailed electricity saving solutions in manuals to consumers, making them aware of the importance of switching off lights, ACs, refrigerators, geysers, and a number of other appliances.
“We believe that energy conservation is the most economical solution to the energy shortages that our country is facing, and is a more environmentally benign alternative to increased energy production, if practised with rigour. We strive to be energy efficient by being conservative in our approach of energy utilisation and also utilising energy efficient devices,” their website says.
The company is leading the way by starting a number of projects in its own premises to conserve energy.
- Switching to Variable Frequency Drive from constant speed drives in large pumps across the power plants.
- Switching to energy efficient lighting likes CFLs and standardising the AC temperatures to 24oC.
- Replacing electric water heaters with solar water heaters in canteens.
- Solar-based LED lighting in selected areas; LED-based street lighting. Electric Vehicles for internal transport within plant premises.
- Recycling of paper and bio methane from canteen waste.
- Rainwater harvesting at various locations to tap rainwater and use for service purposes.
In February 2017 TATA Power became the first Indian company to ship over 1 GW solar models.
(Edited by Teja Lele Desai)
