ITC: One of India’s most valuable companies continuously strives to be a ‘Citizen First’ entity. ITC has always attached critical importance to its responsibility to contribute to preserving and enriching the environment.
ITC’s contribution to sustainable development extends beyond Environment, Health and Safety considerations. Through its philosophy of ‘Transforming Lives and Landscapes’, ITC is empowering farmers, greening wastelands, irrigating dry lands, creating women entrepreneurs and educating rural children. Through these initiatives ITC has touched the lives of over 2 million villagers across the country.
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Ensuring Occupational Health & Safety |
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In keeping with ITC’s commitment to provide a safe and healthy workplace for its employees, the Company’s Occupational Health and Safety norms go beyond the requirements of the Factories Act, 1948. |
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ITC also strives to go further than merely complying with International Labour Organisation (ILO) requirements on worker safety and health. |
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Conserving Energy |
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ITC strives to conserve energy in all its operations by reducing specific energy consumption. It also endeavours to increase the use of waste material for energy generation. |
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ITC Units continuously explore the potential for renewable energy. Different ITC Units have undertaken initiatives to use renewable energy sources such as biomass, wind and solar power. |
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Reducing Greenhouse Gases |
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As part of ITC’s concern for global warming, the Company began efforts to become a carbon-positive corporation. |
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India is a signatory to the Montreal Protocol of 1987. The Government of India has consequently formulated a policy to phase out various Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) on a priority basis. |
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All ITC Units have detailed plans in place to conform to this policy. |
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Restoring the Ecological Balance |
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ITC has effectively leveraged its need for wood fibre to provide significant livelihood opportunities to economically backward wasteland owners. |
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The Company has undertaken extensive tree plantation, at all its Units, and major afforestation and watershed development programmes across the country. So far some 35 million saplings have been planted over 16,000 hectares, generating employment for about 160,000 people.
Apart from the obvious benefits of increasing the forest cover this effort also directly contributes to moisture conservation, groundwater recharge and a significant reduction in topsoil loss due to wind and water erosion. |
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Leaf-litter continuously enriches depleted soils. This further reduces the consumption of fertilisers and pesticides, thus preventing the chemical pollution of groundwater sources. |
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Conserving Water |
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ITC has always endeavoured to be a water-positive corporation by returning to the environment more water that it uses. ITC’s guidelines on water management require that all Units minimise the use of water through conservation and recycling. |
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Treated effluent is reused or recycled wherever appropriate. ITC strives to restore to the environment as much as possible of the precious water it uses. ITC Units have efficient wastewater treatment plants that treat wastewater to standards of purity that are significantly better than prescribed standards. |
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ITC business units evaluate the potential for rainwater harvesting and implement them wherever feasible. Rainwater harvesting initiatives have been increasing over the years. The total rainwater harvested across all ITC units was around 250,000 KL in 2002-2003. |
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Enhancing Eco-Efficiency |
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The ITC Environment Health and Safety Policy and Codes of Practice require all Units to take EHS issues into consideration in identifying and using resources. The Company continually strives to:
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Maximise the efficient use of resources. |
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Eliminate unnecessary toxic and hazardous resources |
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Give preference to renewable, recycled, recyclable, reused and reusable resources |
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Reducing Solid Waste |
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All ITC Units consistently endeavour to reduce generation of waste and maximise its recycling. Wastes are systematically segregated as hazardous, bio-medical, nuclear, non-hazardous, and biodegradable and non-biodegradable, to be appropriately treated, recycled or disposed.
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Nearly 44% of solid waste from ITC’s paper business is currently recycled while solid waste production has reduced by 12%. |
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