The Centre for Science & Environment (CSE) has adjudged ITC's Paperboard Unit at Bhadrachalam, Andhra Pradesh, as India's most environment-friendly paper mill. CSE's Green Rating Project evaluated 30 paper mills accounting for over 60% of production of paper in India. It has now awarded the highest rating to the Bhadrachalam Unit for 'leadership in upgrading technology to eliminate elemental chlorine use and for its initiative in promoting farm forestry'. ITC's Paperboard Unit in Bhadrachalam is the only paperboard manufacturing facility in the country to produce Elemental Chlorine-Free (ECF) pulp..

The 'Top Green Rating' recognised ITC's Paperboard Unit for implementing a sustainable fibre strategy, water conservation efforts, eco-consciousness, minimum or no utilisation of chlorine and other chemicals and the forestry programme that ITC has pioneered in partnership with local communities.

The former President of India, Shri K.R.Narayanan presented the 'Certificate of Top Green Rating' to Shri Pradeep Dhobale, Chief Executive of ITC's Paperboards and Specialty Papers Division, ITC Limited on September 30, 2004.

Acknowledging the honour, Mr Pradeep Dhobale said : "the driving force behind this achievement has been our Chairman Mr YC Deveshwar's philosophy that corporates must be evaluated based on their contribution to the 'triple bottomline', namely the creation of economic, ecological and social surplus."

Mr. Dhobale also thanked the Andhra Pradesh Government and the farming community for their support to ITC's plantation initiatives based on ITC's own biotechnology research. "These plantations have today resulted in greening over 25,000 hectares of private wastelands, yielding high quality industrial timber for ITC's paperboard manufacture, providing employment and enriching the environment", he added.