Vedanta Aluminium aims to achieve 24% reduction in GHG emissions by FY2025, says its SDR report

On Tuesday, December 14, Vedanta Aluminium Business launched its Sustainable Development Report (SDR) titled, ‘Nature, Nurture, Future’, for FY 2020-21. Vedanta Aluminium Business, a part of Vedanta Limited, is India's largest aluminium maker, generating more than half of the country's aluminium, or 1.97 million tonnes in FY21.

The report was launched on World Energy Conservation Day in the campus connect programme with TERI School of Advanced Studies. The programme was attended by students, alumni and faculty from TERI SAS.

The report summarises the company's performance in key sustainability areas such as energy and climate change management, water management, biodiversity management, air quality and emissions control, health and safety, social impact and governance, and so on for the fiscal year 2020-21.

The report, which was prepared in compliance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards, describes Vedanta Aluminium's approach to sustainable and responsible development, which is linked with the UN Global Compact (UNGC) Principles and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs).

The following are some of the report's key highlights for FY21:

• GHG emission intensity reduced by 21 percent over FY 2011-12 baseline
• Operational excellence parameters for the production of aluminium
• Vedanta Aluminium has set a target of a 24 percent decrease in GHG emissions intensity over the 2012 baseline by FY 2025 in order to decarbonize its operations
• 93 percent of the mined-out land has been restored for biodiversity management
• Recycled 5 billion litres of water for use in plant operations
• Over 5 lakh individuals have benefited from extensive community welfare activities
• Production of 97 million metric tonnes of aluminium
• A total of USD 4.19 billion in economic value has been distributed
• In the corporate world, there are 14 percent of women in managerial roles
• Mine backfilling, raw material for cement and brick manufacture, road construction, and low-lying area filling account for 118 percent of the produced ash.

“The principles of sustainability are imbibed in every aspect of the way we conduct our business. It is imperative for us that our business growth materializes in a sustainable manner through judicious and responsible utilization of resources, the highest efficiency of assets and processes, and a focused approach towards carbon mitigation. We are committed to the decarbonisation of our operations in the long term. As India’s largest aluminium producer, we are unrelenting in our pursuit of excellence in all aspects of business, including Environment, Social and Governance (ESG),” said Rahul Sharma, the CEO of Aluminium Business, Vedanta Ltd. while during the launch event.

“TERI School of Advanced Studies students and faculty members are delighted to be part of this launch event that demonstrates Vedanta Aluminium’s commitment to sustainability. This unique university-corporate partnership shall advance the frontiers of knowledge creation and practice for sustainable development,” added Prof. Shaleen Singhal, Dean (Research and Partnerships) at TERI SAS.