~ A unique platform for all where for every Green Pledge taken, the company will plant a tree on ground
~ 1 lakh trees to be planted through the initiative under the larger SDG goal of 1 million plantation
~Company guided by the philosophy of `Zero Harm, Zero Waste, Zero Discharge’
Udaipur : Hindustan Zinc, a Vedanta Group company has always been at the forefront of driving sustainable development across its operations and has imbibed as an integral part of its business philosophy.On World Environment Day, the company has launched a unique initiative Zinc Eco Buddies– a virtual platform where anyone can click and take a green pledge and Hindustan Zinc will plant a tree on ground in their name.This plantation drive is a step toward protecting & preserving ecological balance of nature around us.
During the launch, Mr. Arun Misra – CEO Hindustan Zinc said “The vision of building a cleaner, greener and more resilient economy is now possible if we follow the 7R principles (Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Repurpose, Reuse, Recycle, Rot) and augment our efforts towards restoring the ecosystem through investments that are aligned with creating long term impact on environment. We are pleased to launch Zinc Eco Buddies- a virtual plantation portal for everyone where we aim to plant 1 lakh trees through this initiative as a part of our vision of 1 million plantation by 2025.”
In the current COVID scenario, Zinc Eco Buddies initiative offers a simple & innovative solution of virtual portal to registeron its microsite for plantation. Hindustan Zinc has rolled out this initiative across its business locations and will plant a sapling on-ground in the name of requestor. This is an open platform for all employees, business partners, stakeholders and anyone can raise a plantation request as the process is free of cost.The saplings planted will be native species and drought tolerant in nature.
Requester will get an acknowledgement mail/SMS and an e-certificate of participation in this initiative. Also, once the plant will be planted on ground, he will be updated periodically on the growth of his/ her plant. Also, through the Geo tagging, he/she can visit the plantation area through Google Earth or any Map App.
The campaign is a step to combat climate change &desertification and a building block to protect, promote and restore sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems. Consequently, achieving the Sustainability Development Goals the company has set for itself. The company has taken a holistic view in setting its sustainability goals for 2025, aligning them with UN Sustainability Global Goals and focuses on expanding the work towards creating positive changes. The company’s 2025 targets include reducing GHG emissions, passing on sustainability standards to suppliers, reducing dependency on freshwater, moving towards zero waste to landfill, improving the livelihoods of one million people and increasing diversity & inclusion in the workplace.
Hindustan Zinc is 2.41 times Water Positive and has been demonstrating their commitment towards water stewardship by using water efficiently, maintaining water quality and engaging with communities to collaboratively manage a shared water resource throughout the life cycle withinitiatives like rainwater harvesting, recharge of groundwater and the use of treated sewage water have enabled the company to achieve this distinction.The company has constructed & commissioned Udaipur’s first STP under PPP model with Government of Rajasthan where it treatscity’s sewage and then uses this water for running its operations.
Additionally, as a pioneer in adopting innovative solutions and smart technologies for responsible mining, Hindustan Zinc has set a new benchmark as it leads the way for the introduction of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) in underground mining.
The company is a COP 26 Business Leader and is working towards achieving Science-Based Targets (SBT’s) to curb carbon footprint. Hindustan Zinchas been ranked 1st in Asia Pacific & 7th globallyby Dow Jones Sustainability Index 2020 in metals & mining sector. It is also a member of the FTSE4Good Index and is among the only four companies in India to be part of the coveted ‘A’ list by CDP for climate change.
Furthermore, Vedanta Groupas part of the Vedanta Cares Green Cover initiative has also pledged to plant more than 1 million trees across the company’s business locations. The plantation drive is an expression of gratitude for the countless gifts we receive from Mother Earth. The company hasalready planted around 1.2 lakh trees in 2020-21 and is guided by zero harm, zero waste and zero discharge.Vedanta is committed to substantially decarbonize its operations by 2050, after voluntarily pledging to move towards carbon-neutrality earlier this year.Vedanta is also focused on effective water management and has saved 7.5 million cubic metres of water over the past three years. The company plans to substantially reduce waste generation with a total waste recycling at 94%.