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Category: Sustainable World

  • Blue Planet Environmental Solutions unveils landmark first Sustainability Report, sets FY24-FY26 ESG baseline

    Blue Planet Environmental Solutions unveils landmark first Sustainability Report, sets FY24-FY26 ESG baseline

    Singapore-headquartered waste management and circular economy company Blue Planet Environmental Solutions has released its first Annual Sustainability Report 2026, marking a significant milestone in the company’s ESG journey and setting a baseline for performance across FY24 and FY26.

    The integrated waste management firm said it processed 8.92 million tonnes of waste across the two reporting years, contributing to an estimated 1.24 million tCO₂e in avoided emissions through initiatives spanning landfill biomining, e-waste recycling and biofuel operations.

    Resource recovery scales up

    According to the report, legacy waste processed jumped to 5.10 million tonnes in FY26, up from 3.49 million tonnes in FY25. E-waste processed also saw a sharp rise, nearly doubling from 11,552 tonnes to 20,060 tonnes over the same period.

    In FY26 alone, the company processed 44,833 tonnes of paper, 24,537 tonnes of plastics, and 6,364 tonnes of iron and steel, along with other material streams, the report noted.

    Commenting on the development, Prashant Singh, Co-Founder & CEO, Blue Planet Environmental Solutions, said, “Our first Sustainability Report marks an important step in how we measure our impact. As Blue Planet scales, we believe growth must be matched by transparency, accountability and measurable outcomes. This report establishes our baseline and strengthens our commitment to creating long-term environmental, social and economic value.”

    Robust ESG governance framework

    The report has been prepared with reference to the GRI Standards 2021 and is supported by a digital ESG data management platform aimed at improving consistency, traceability and review of ESG information, the company said.

    Blue Planet also disclosed that it implemented 103 Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP) items, achieving 100% ESAP compliance — verified through independent third-party audits across multiple operations.

    Additionally, select ESG indicators underwent independent limited assurance in line with ISAE 3000 (Revised), covering key areas such as energy, water, waste, Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, workforce, workplace safety and diversity.

    Workforce and road ahead

    The company reported a workforce of more than 4,000 employees and workers during the reporting period. Notably, employee participation in training programmes surged from 7,706 in FY25 to 14,318 in FY26.

    Looking ahead, Blue Planet said it will prioritise strengthening ESG data governance, climate and resource efficiency, supply-chain ESG oversight, occupational health and safety, and consistent ESG practices across its business verticals.

  • Vedanta Power scales up biomass co-firing in Punjab

    Vedanta Power scales up biomass co-firing in Punjab

    Vedanta Power is scaling up biomass co-firing at its Talwandi Sabo Thermal Plant in Punjab, using agricultural waste as fuel, with the plant co-firing around 3.61 lakh metric tonnes (LT) of biomass in FY2025-26, equivalent to roughly 5.21% of its total fuel consumption, the company said.

    By diverting paddy straw from open-field burning, the biomass co-firing initiative helps reduce pollution and harmful emissions associated with stubble burning, the company said in a statement.

    The programme aims to create a productive use for paddy straw and build an organised supply chain for agricultural residue, offering farmers a way to derive value from crop residue previously treated largely as waste. It also provides an alternative to open-field burning during the harvest season.

    The Talwandi Sabo plant, located in Mansa district, has been using biomass co-firing to convert paddy straw into energy. The process involves collection, baling, transportation and processing of agricultural residue before it is supplied to the power plant, linking farmers, biomass aggregators, logistics operators and the energy sector.

    The move carries significance for Punjab, where seasonal management of paddy straw remains a key challenge. In Mansa district, reported stubble-burning incidents during the 2025 harvesting season fell by approximately 87% compared with 2023. More than 100 villages reported zero farm-fire incidents, while over 28,000 acres of farmland were protected from burning.

    While the decline in farm fires reflects several factors, the availability of an organised biomass utilisation route offers farmers and other stakeholders an additional alternative to open-field disposal of crop residue.

    “Biomass co-firing demonstrates how industrial demand can help create a market for agricultural residue and build a more organised value chain around it. By converting paddy straw into a productive source of energy, we are looking at the stubble challenge not only from an environmental perspective but also through the lens of economic value creation for rural communities,” said Rajinder Singh Ahuja, Chief Executive Officer, Vedanta Power.

    The biomass programme has also spurred development of a rural supply chain around agricultural residue. Collection and aggregation create opportunities for local operators, while transportation and processing generate additional activity around the biomass ecosystem. For farmers, the initiative offers a potential avenue to derive value from paddy straw traditionally treated as waste.

    “I am giving all my paddy straw to the biomass manufacturing plants so that this agricultural waste can be put to the best possible use. Instead of burning the straw in the fields, it is converted into environmentally friendly biomass pellets and used as fuel in thermal power plants. This helps prevent stubble burning, reduce air pollution, and improve the air quality of our region,” said Avtar Singh, a farmer from Raipur village in Mansa.

    The model also supports the broader principle of a circular economy by recovering agricultural residue and converting it into useful fuel. For the power sector, biomass co-firing offers a way to integrate a renewable fuel source into existing thermal generation infrastructure while contributing to agricultural-residue management.

    Vedanta Power is among the private power producers seeking to strengthen the role of alternative fuels and more efficient resource utilisation as India’s energy requirements continue to grow. The experience at Talwandi Sabo also underscores the potential for industry-led demand to complement government and community efforts to reduce crop-residue burning.

    With greater participation from farmers, aggregators, local communities and other stakeholders, biomass-based utilisation of agricultural residue could emerge as a scalable model for regions facing similar stubble-management challenges.

  • ZED Certification proves its worth for India’s MSMEs, one factory at a time

    ZED Certification proves its worth for India’s MSMEs, one factory at a time

    By Eldee

    For years, “sustainability” and “quality” have been treated as costs that small manufacturers in India could ill afford. The government’s ZED Certification Scheme is quietly rewriting that assumption, and the early evidence from factory floors across the country suggests it deserves more attention than it has received.

    Consider Finex Industries Pvt. Ltd., a metal and wooden furniture maker based in Dindori, Nashik, Maharashtra. After earning ZED Silver Certification on July 14, 2025, the company cut its Cost of Poor Quality by 11%, reduced rework by 10% and trimmed defects by 1%, while also improving workplace safety and resource utilization. The enterprise reported additional gains from better energy efficiency, smarter space utilization and lower consumable usage. This is not abstract policy language – it is money saved and processes fixed.

    Or take Concept Clothing Pvt. Ltd. in Jalandhar, Punjab, which achieved ZED Silver Certification a month earlier, on June 14, 2025. The results were striking: an 80% drop in workplace incidents, a 50% cut in Mean Time to Repair, a 7.4% reduction in rework and a 4% fall in rejection rates, alongside meaningful savings from quality, environmental and workplace initiatives.

    What both cases illustrate is a simple but underappreciated truth: ZED Certification is not a bureaucratic badge. It is a structured pathway that pushes MSMEs to confront inefficiencies they might otherwise tolerate indefinitely – excess rework, safety lapses, wasted energy – and gives them the tools and, increasingly, the financing to fix them.

    That argument is bolstered by the scale the scheme has now reached. As of July 7, 2026, close to 949,000 MSMEs had registered under the ZED Certification Scheme, with over 667,000 Bronze, 6,700 Silver and 4,800 Gold certifications awarded nationwide. More than 9.13 billion rupees in financial support has flowed to enterprises adopting quality and sustainable manufacturing practices – hardly a token gesture.

    The scheme’s design also deserves credit for addressing one of India’s most persistent economic gaps: the underrepresentation of women in manufacturing. Since November 11, 2023, the government has offered a 100% subsidy on ZED Certification costs for women-owned MSMEs, making certification effectively free. This removes what has long been a real barrier – upfront cost – and gives women entrepreneurs a genuine shot at building process discipline and market credibility on equal footing.

    Skeptics might ask whether certification schemes like this simply add paperwork without changing outcomes. The Finex and Concept Clothing examples argue otherwise. Both firms point to concrete, measurable improvements in cost, safety and efficiency – the kind of numbers that boards and lenders take seriously, not the kind that exist only in a compliance file.

    There is also a structural case for ZED beyond individual firms. Twenty-two states and union territories have now folded ZED into their industrial policies, offering additional incentives to certified enterprises, while 19 financial institutions extend concessions on processing fees and interest rates to ZED-certified MSMEs. That is the beginning of an ecosystem where quality and sustainability are not just encouraged in theory but rewarded in practice – through cheaper capital and better market access.

    None of this means the scheme is without room to grow. Awareness among smaller, unregistered enterprises remains uneven, and Gold certifications – the scheme’s highest tier – still number only in the thousands against a base approaching a million registrants. Scaling that last mile will determine whether ZED becomes a genuine driver of India’s manufacturing competitiveness or a program that plateaus at Bronze-level participation.

    But the direction is encouraging. If more MSMEs follow the path taken by Finex Industries and Concept Clothing, ZED Certification could become less a government initiative and more a standard expectation – one that strengthens India’s position in domestic and global value chains, enterprise by enterprise.

    For details, please visit https://zed.msme.gov.in/

  • HCLTech named to TIME’s most sustainable companies 2026 list for 2nd straight year

    HCLTech named to TIME’s most sustainable companies 2026 list for 2nd straight year

    HCLTech, a global technology company, has been named to TIME’s World’s Most Sustainable Companies 2026 list, marking its second consecutive year on the ranking, the company said.

    HCLTech ranks among the top five global professional services companies on the list and is the highest-ranked India-headquartered company in the category, the company said.

    The ranking, compiled by TIME in collaboration with Statista, assesses more than 5,800 global companies across more than 20 sustainability indicators, including commitments and ratings, reporting and transparency, and environmental and social stewardship.

    HCLTech said the recognition reflects its alignment with the UN Global Compact and the Sustainable Development Goals. In fiscal year 2026, the company said it replenished 51 times more water than it consumed and retained zero waste-to-landfill platinum certification across all owned facilities.

    The company said it has accelerated its net-zero journey by achieving its 2030 Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)-validated emissions target four years ahead of schedule.

    “Being recognized by TIME for a second consecutive year reflects the progress we are making in embedding sustainability deeper into the core of our business and advancing our net-zero ambition for 2040,” said Vipul Arora, Global Head of Sustainability at HCLTech.

    “Our focus remains on scaling impact through innovation, partnerships and responsible practices that enable long-term value for our clients, communities and the broader ecosystem,” Arora said.

    HCLTech is a global technology company with more than 223,000 employees across 60 countries, offering services in AI, digital, engineering, cloud and software. The company serves clients across sectors including financial services, manufacturing, life sciences and healthcare, technology and services, semiconductors, telecom and media, retail and consumer packaged goods, mobility and public services.

    Consolidated revenue for the 12 months ending June 2026 totaled USD 14.8 billion, the company said.

  • Agropak wins Big Pi grant to boost climate innovation

    Agropak wins Big Pi grant to boost climate innovation

    Agropak, a biotech startup building a natural fibre materials platform for bio-based packaging, has won the Big Pi Grant, India’s largest non-dilutive grant for early-stage climate startups, organisers The Sustainability Mafia (SusMafia) said.

    The Rs 31.4 lakh Big Pi Grant, presented at the third edition of SusCrunch 2026, is designed to boost climate startups through innovation support, commercial validation and market adoption without diluting founder equity, SusMafia said in a statement.

    Agropak’s win adds to a growing set of resources for the company, including mentorship, strategic guidance and access to incubators and government programmes through SusMafia’s investor, fellowship and grant network.

    The grant’s name draws on the mathematical constant pi (3.14), a nod meant to symbolise bold thinking and breakthrough innovation, according to the organisers.

    SusCrunch 2026 drew investors including Zerodha and 3one4 Capital, along with corporates such as Reliance, Biocon, Zomato and Apollo Hospitals, underscoring rising industry interest in climate-focused startups.

    The Big Pi Grant announcement comes as India’s climate-tech sector has drawn nearly USD 12.8 billion in funding across 1,583 startups between 2008 and June 2026, according to the Tracxn India Climate Tech 2026 Report.

    Global early-stage climate funding, however, has slipped to a five-year low, the State of Climate Tech 2025 report found, a trend organisers say makes non-dilutive grants like the Big Pi Grant increasingly critical to bridging the gap between research and commercial scale.

    Backed jointly by SusMafia and the BITS Pilani PIEDS Accelerator, the Big Pi Grant drew more than 50 applications from founders across BITS Pilani, IIT and the wider SusVentures network. Five startups spanning water and waste management, climate intelligence, sustainable materials and the built environment were shortlisted before Agropak was named the winner.

    Past recipients have used the grant as a springboard. BioCompute, the 2024 winner, has since built laboratory infrastructure, expanded into the Bay Area and raised more than Rs 5 crore from investors including WTF Fund, Grad Capital and 1517 Fund. Bisket Labs, the 2025 recipient, went on to secure Karnataka’s ELEVATE Grant.

    “Every founder needs access to business, capital and talent. No founder can build all three alone,” said Ganesh Shankar, co-founder of The Sustainability Mafia and founder of FluxGen.

    SusMafia, a founder-led climate community, says its network of 84 active climate founders and more than 700 “Climate Ninjas” has collectively raised over $350 million, employs more than 3,000 people and generates Rs 2,100 crore in annual revenue, while diverting over 363,000 tonnes of waste from landfills and mitigating roughly 1.56 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually.

    At a separate “Climate Sitdown” session, Neeraj Jain, co-founder of Solar Square, a Series C rooftop solar company that has raised over USD 100 million, said the SusMafia community “feels like the start of a movement,” speaking alongside Ashish Goel, founder of Urban Ladder and an investor in more than 30 startups.

    Organisers say initiatives like the Big Pi Grant will remain central to India’s climate innovation push as the country works toward its net-zero goals, with early-stage grants, founder communities and industry partnerships seen as key complements to venture capital.

  • Coromandel achieves Responsible Care Certification from ICC

    Coromandel achieves Responsible Care Certification from ICC

    Coromandel International Limited, one of India’s leading agri-solutions providers, said it has received the Coromandel Responsible Care Certification from the Indian Chemical Council (ICC), placing it among a select group of companies globally to achieve the recognition.

    The certification, valid from April 2026 to March 2029, covers all 18 manufacturing facilities across the company’s Nutrients, Crop Protection Chemicals, Specialty Nutrients and Bio businesses, Coromandel said.

    Responsible Care is a globally recognized chemical industry initiative that promotes safety, health, environmental protection, product stewardship and security across the value chain.

    The framework is administered worldwide by the International Council of Chemical Associations and implemented in more than 70 countries, helping companies strengthen manufacturing practices and meet stakeholder expectations, the company said.

    Coromandel said it earned the certification after a comprehensive assessment and verification process led by the ICC, having undertaken a structured improvement programme across its manufacturing operations, business functions and supplier ecosystem.

    The programme included interventions in process safety, employee wellbeing, environmental performance, product responsibility, distribution safety and community engagement.

    “This certification is a testament to Coromandel’s consistent focus on responsible manufacturing and high safety standards,” said S. Sankarasubramanian, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Coromandel International Limited.

    “We are making significant investments to strengthen our safety systems and environmental practices and remain committed to upholding the highest standards across all our operations.”

    Coromandel is India’s second-largest manufacturer and marketer of phosphatic fertiliser, and operates across fertilizers, crop protection, bio products, specialty nutrients and organic businesses.

    The company runs more than 1,200 rural retail outlets across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, offering agri inputs and farming services including crop advisory, soil testing and farm mechanisation to around 3 million farmers.

    The company operates eight R&D centres and 21 manufacturing facilities across India. Coromandel reported turnover of 31,827 crore rupees in fiscal year 2025-26. It has been recognised by the UNDP for its environmental efforts and was named among the ten greenest companies in India by TERI.

    Coromandel is part of the Murugappa Group, which posted turnover of 90,178 crore rupees in fiscal year 2024-25.

  • Maruti Suzuki Commissions 1 MWh BESS at Kharkhoda

    Maruti Suzuki Commissions 1 MWh BESS at Kharkhoda

    Maruti Suzuki India Limited has commissioned a 1 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at its Kharkhoda manufacturing facility, advancing its commitment to a robust green energy ecosystem.

    The company installed a 20 MWp solar power project at the facility in 2025. The innovative BESS stores surplus solar energy generated during holidays and low-demand periods for later use, while also enhancing grid stability. The pilot project is integrated into the plant’s internal electricity distribution network.

    “Maruti Suzuki is strongly aligned with India’s focus on building self-reliant energy ecosystems,” said Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited. “The introduction of this Battery Energy Storage System at our Kharkhoda facility is part of these continued efforts. With a lifecycle of about 15 years, BESS will help reduce nearly 54 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.”

    Takeuchi added that despite rising production volumes, the company remains committed to lowering absolute Scope 1 & 2 emissions in line with parent Suzuki Motor Corporation’s target of a 42% reduction by FY 2030-31 compared to FY 2022-23.

  • Gujarat emissions model goes global as Rio launches first South America market

    Gujarat emissions model goes global as Rio launches first South America market

    The state of Gujarat, an Earthshot Prize 2025 finalist, is taking its pioneering emissions trading model global through a new partnership with the City of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    The Emissions Market Accelerator (EMA) will help Rio explore South America’s first particulate matter emissions market, adapting proven lessons from India to cut pollution while supporting economic growth.

    The announcement was made at The Earthshot Prize Impact Assembly, co-hosted with Bloomberg Philanthropies during London Climate Action Week.

    “The Rio de Janeiro City Hall is taking a bold step forward in spearheading this innovative approach to reducing pollution,” said EMA Co-Chair Michael Greenstone, Milton Friedman Distinguished Service Professor in Economics at the University of Chicago.

    “We are thrilled to work with government leaders to ensure this market successfully reduces pollution while fostering continued economic growth.”

    Once launched, Rio’s emissions market would be the first of its kind in South America.

    Gujarat’s groundbreaking work on market-based pollution control spurred the launch of the Emissions Market Accelerator. The state has since launched a second market and is developing two more for sulfur dioxide and wastewater pollution. The EMA is also working with other Indian states and expanding globally.

    “This partnership with Rio marks an exciting step toward globalizing the success of market-based pollution control,” said Kaushik Deb, Executive Director of the EMA. “In Gujarat, we demonstrated that emissions trading can dramatically reduce pollution without compromising industrial productivity. Now we can take those lessons global.”

    Eduardo Cavaliere, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, said: “Rio de Janeiro is proud to partner with the Emissions Market Accelerator (EMA) to bring market-based solutions to air pollution in South America for the first time. Gujarat’s emissions trading scheme, recognized by the Earthshot Prize, proves cities can harness innovative tools to protect people and the future.”

  • HCLTech awards $1 million climate grants in Americas

    HCLTech awards $1 million climate grants in Americas

    HCLTech awards USD 1 million under its HCLTech Climate Grant to three nonprofit organizations in the Americas for innovative climate resilience projects, with Guatemala’s CISP taking the top prize.

    CISP will receive USD 500,000 to enhance water security and sustainable land management in Guatemala’s dry corridor through rainwater harvesting benefiting 200 families, the company said in a statement.

    Runners-up Aves Argentinas (Argentina) and Lluvia para Todos (Mexico) will each get USD 250,000 for biodiversity conservation in the Atlantic Forest and community rainwater systems serving 2,300 people, respectively.

    The third edition of the HCLTech Climate Grant saw applications from 10 countries across the Americas, a 41 percent increase from previous years. A jury of HCLTech leaders and external experts selected the winners based on scalability and local relevance.

    “We are inspired by the ingenuity and commitment demonstrated by this year’s recipients,” said Nidhi Pundhir, Senior Vice President, Global CSR, HCLTech.

    Launched in 2023 with a USD 5 million commitment over five years, the program has so far supported ecological restoration, planted over 360,000 trees and mangroves, and empowered more than 1,400 young people in climate leadership.

  • Standard Chartered launches breakthrough Rs 540 Cr SLTF

    Standard Chartered launches breakthrough Rs 540 Cr SLTF

    Standard Chartered Bank has extended a breakthrough Sustainability-Linked Trade Facility (SLTF) worth Rs 540 crore to Indorama India Private Limited, the bank announced on Wednesday, in a move that deepens its push to embed environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles into corporate financing across South Asia.

    The facility, structured as a sustainability-linked trade and working capital arrangement, ties its financing terms directly to Indorama India’s achievement of clearly defined Sustainability Performance Targets (SPTs) aligned with the company’s broader ESG framework. The structure is designed to financially incentivise measurable progress on sustainability, rather than treating ESG commitments as aspirational.

    “We are pleased to partner with Indorama India in supporting its sustainability journey through this tailored SLTF,” said Angel Sivan, Regional Head of Transaction Banking Corporate Sales, India and South Asia, Standard Chartered. “By integrating ESG-linked targets into the deal structure, we are enabling our clients to align their growth with more responsible business practices.”

    Manish Kumar Agarwal, Chief Financial Officer of Indorama India, called the deal a reflection of the company’s resolve to mainstream sustainability into its core financing activities. “This strengthens our liquidity position and reinforces our dedication to ESG principles,” he said, adding that the company intends to build on the momentum toward a broader sustainable finance agenda.

    The transaction adds to a growing pipeline of sustainability-linked financing deals in India, as corporates and lenders seek to operationalise ESG commitments through binding financial mechanisms rather than voluntary pledges.

    Standard Chartered, which has maintained a continuous presence in India for over 165 years, operates across Corporate and Investment Banking and Wealth and Retail Banking segments through an extensive branch network covering major cities.
    Globally, the London- and Hong Kong-listed bank operates in 54 markets.