Sustainability Report 2010

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Chairman’s Statement:
ITC’s Vision and Strategy

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Key Impacts, Risks And Opportunities: Sustainability Challenges

CLIMATE CHANGE AND GLOBAL WARMING

ITC's Initiatives

Climate change is likely to significantly impact agricultural practices and output. Since ITC is largely dependent on agricultural inputs, possible disruption in agricultural patterns & yields is a potential risk. Water availability is yet another significant threat that we foresee in the future, besides the direct impact of climate change.

ITC is exposed to the physical risks related to climate change. Protection of our assets in coastal areas has been reinforced in anticipation of increased severity of storms and cyclones, which may occur as a result of the impact of global warming. Disruption in road and rail traffic caused by such extreme events may also affect the output of individual Units. Increased surface temperatures (thereby increased air conditioning costs) and disruption in water supplies are other anticipated risks.

	ITC’s responses have been: 1) Move to a low carbon growth path 2) Reduce water intensity and create watershed development initiatives 3) Create sustainable livelihoods

	For over two decades now ITC has assiduously established processes to protect our physical infrastructure from anticipated natural disasters. We have also put in place appropriate emergency response plans. Furthermore we have adopted state-of-the-art technology and know-how to construct Green buildings that conform to best in class world standards. Such practices have helped us to substantially progress towards creating a positive environmental footprint. During the year, ITC Hotel Royal Gardenia was conferred the highest rating for green buildings in the world – the LEED India Platinum rating awarded by the Indian Green Building Council. Earlier, the ITC Green Centre at Gurgaon, was awarded the platinum LEED rating by the United States Green Building Council.

Future regulatory regimes are therefore likely to include restrictions on carbon emissions.

Growing awareness and concern amongst the civil society together with tougher regulation in times to come will demand that businesses chart their growth path with low carbon based strategies. Competitiveness and profitability will require that companies vigorously implement sustainable business practices.

	We have started early in our initiatives to reduce energy intensity and make significant investments in renewable energy. Substantial progress has been achieved so far on both counts. Today around 31% of our energy requirements is met from renewable sources. This places us well ahead in the path to achieve low carbon growth.

	Enlarging our carbon positive footprint by a large scale social and farm forestry programme that has greened more than 100,000 hectares, in the process creating more than 46 million person days of employment.

	Aligning the company’s objectives in climate change mitigation and adaptation to the Government’s National Action plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). ITC has progressed extensively in the 7 missions relevant to its businesses out of the total 8 missions listed in the NAPCC.

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Chairman’s Statement:
ITC’s Vision and Strategy

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