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ITC continued to enlarge its positive carbon footprint through significant efforts in energy conservation, enhanced use of renewable energy resources and large scale sequestration through farm & social forestry initiatives.
A concerted effort to reduce specific energy consumption (energy required per unit of production), through focused energy conservation initiatives, continued to yield significant benefits to a large number of business units during
2008-09. Through a rigorous process supported
by benchmarking and stringent audits, specific
energy consumption reduced by 9.2% in the Bengaluru cigarette factory, 14.2% in Surya Nepal’s Simra factory, 2.9% in Tribeni Specialty Paper Unit, 7.6% in the Munger Packaging Unit, 6.3% in ITC Hotel Maurya, 4.1% in Windsor and by 6.1% in Sheraton Chola.
Given its resolve to progressively augment its carbon positive status, ITC continued with its commitment to enhance the use of renewable energy. Over 30% of the total energy consumed this year was from renewable sources as also from carbon neutral fuels, up from 24.1% last year.
ITC takes pride that 8 CDM projects including the Social Forestry and the ITC Sonar CDM projects are already registered with the CDM-EB (Clean Development Mechanism - Executive Board), set up by UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) under the Kyoto Protocol. In addition, several other initiatives, including the Wind Mill Projects, are in various stages of registration. These CDM projects have not only led to savings in energy costs and reduction in CO2 emissions, but have also generated revenues from the sale of CERs (Certified Emission Reductions).
The large scale Social Forestry project, which has been registered by UNFCCC’s CDM-EB, is the second project in the world of its kind and the very first in India indeed yet another laudable milestone for the Company. This unique initiative will provide immense encouragement and impetus to
Agro Forestry initiatives in India contributing to sustainable livelihoods.
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