MUMBAI:
Ambuja Cement Limited, one of the leading players in the Indian cement industry, has embedded sustainability in its organisational culture, which has been the key differentiator for the company.
Ambuja Cement fosters responsible business growth through its sustainable development initiatives that cover a wide spectrum – From harnessing clean technology to the utilisation of industrial wastes in cement production, energy conservation through renewable energy resources and emissions reduction by creating institutionalised mechanisms monitoring environmental risks.
Leading in the industry’s efforts to tackle the effects of climate change, Ambuja Cement has sharpened its focus on water conservation at its plants’ surrounding areas and at customer end during construction. In 2020, Ambuja facilitated the installation of Rooftop Rain Water Harvesting systems at 268 construction sites, Modular Curing at 2391 construction sites and Concrete Mix Proportion services at 14271 construction sites. These initiatives (Concrete Mix proportions, Modular Curing, and Rainwater Harvesting) have helped Ambuja in saving ~70 million litres of water, a robust step towards extending the benefits of sustainable water consumption to its customers.
Neeraj Akhoury, MD & CEO, Ambuja Cements said, “The scope and opportunities for creating a sustainable future are immense. As part of the global organisation, Holcim, Ambuja Cement’s ambition is to be a part of the solution to the sustainability challenges faced today. I am pleased with the progress that we have made through our efforts, and we will continue to put into action the bolder plans for emission reduction, resource optimisation and water conservation to build a sustainable future of India.”
In 2020, Ambuja Cement also developed and revived 83 water harvesting and recharging structures and 14 dams for the benefit of the community, amounting to a storage capacity of 600 million litres, taking the total count to 14060 water harvesting and recharge structures, 458 check dams and 59240 million litres, respectively.
As a responsible business, Ambuja Cement diligently works towards extending its environmental stewardship much beyond its business horizon. In 2020, Ambuja Cement reduced its carbon footprint to 531 kg CO2/ton of cement and reused 8.2 million tons of waste in cement production. Furthermore, it also reduced the freshwater withdrawal up to
77 litres/ton of cementitious material, and added ~3 lakh new beneficiaries under its community outreach programmes.
Green energy is another focus area for Ambuja as it has invested Rs. 525 crores towards Waste Heat Recovery Systems (WHRS), which reduces its conventional fuel consumption.
Apart from this, Ambuja Cement’s bespoke initiative ‘Neev Abhiyan’ is aimed at helping masons and contractors grow their business through the enhancement of their knowledge and skills. To create an entire ecosystem of sustainability, Ambuja Cement, through this initiative, conducts skill-building workshops on topics like steel estimation, sustainable design, earthquake-resistant construction techniques, repairing and waterproofing.
Over the years, Ambuja Cement’s strong governance and ESG leadership has been a testament to its robust yet responsible growth. It is the first company in the industry to adopt the True Value accounting method for sustainability, which encompasses the three pillars of sustainability—people, planet, and profit—to emerge as the most competitive and sustainable company in the country.
