New Delhi (Staff Correspondent) : On World Earth Day, Vedanta Limited (NSE: VEDL) announced that it has mitigated 28 million tonnes of carbon emissions since FY23, reinforcing its role in India’s clean energy transition. This is roughly equivalent to the carbon dioxide absorbed by more than 1 billion trees annually.
Backed by the country’s largest portfolio of energy transition metals, the company utilised 2.61 Billion Units (BU) of renewable energy including Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) in FY25. Vedanta’s portfolio of metals like aluminium, zinc, silver, and copper is critical to the surging demand for clean energy, electric mobility, and energy storage, positioning the company as a key enabler of India’s green growth ambitions.
As the world accelerates efforts to deploy wind, solar and geothermal power, as well as energy storage, required for achieving a below 2°C future, over 3 billion tons of minerals and metals such as such as aluminium, zinc, silver, copper, nickel, cobalt, ferroalloys, steel and iron will be needed (World Bank Group report “Minerals for Climate Action: “The Mineral Intensity of the Clean Energy Transition”).
From solar to wind energy storage, every green breakthrough needs copper, aluminium, zinc, silver and more. Vedanta is powering this shift by producing transition metals and critical minerals that clean energy depends on. With Vedanta’s base in the world’s fastest growing economies, that is stepping onto the ‘Atmanirbhar’ or self-reliant path to growth with a focus on low carbon development, the next decade and more, will clearly be transformational. India will be one of the largest markets for green products and services, and a leader in renewable batteries and green hydrogen. Vedanta has a growing portfolio of low-carbon ‘green’ products in Aluminium (Restora and Restora Ultra), Zinc (EcoZen), and Display Glass (Super Green SaiSei), with some of the lowest carbon footprints in the world.
Sharing her thoughts, Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Non-Executive Director – Vedanta Ltd & Chairperson – Hindustan Zinc Ltd, said, “World Earth Day is a powerful reminder for us to take stock of how we are impacting the planet. At Vedanta, we don’t see sustainability as a checkbox, but as a responsibility that shapes every decision we make. From producing the world’s greenest metals, scaling up renewables, to empowering our people to be climate champions through the Vedanta Academy for Sustainability, each step reflects our long-term commitment to the planet. I’m proud that these actions are part of the larger transformation we’re driving through Vedanta 2.0, as we lead the way towards a greener, more resilient tomorrow.”
At Vedanta, sustainability is embedded in the core fabric of operations. In FY24, the company recorded a 6.84% decrease in emission metal intensity. This is in alignment with Vedanta’s continued focus on four key net-zero drivers – transition into renewables-based energy sources, ensuring that operations run with the highest energy efficiency, augmenting value chain with carbon-light & non-fossil fuels-based alternatives, and adopting natural climate solutions for carbon sequestration.
Highlights of Vedanta’s sustainability milestones –
- Renewable energy usage up 14 times since FY20
- Target to achieve 2.5 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030 already signed Power Delivery Agreements (PDAs) for 1.03 GW of RE-RTC
- Silver refinery in Uttarakhand operating 100% on renewable power
- Operating one of the country’s largest lithium-ion based forklift fleet
- First in India to introduce battery electric vehicles in underground mining
- Planted more than 2.8 million trees since 2021 as part of the World Economic Forum’s 1 trillion trees movement
- 5 water-positive businesses (Hindustan Zinc Ltd., Cairn Oil & Gas, FACOR Mines, Black Mountain Mines – South Africa)
- Recycled 84.7 billion liters of wastewater for reuse across plant operations
- India’s first oil & gas company to join United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) flagship methane reporting and mitigation initiative – Oil & Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP) 2.0
- Subsidiary business Hindustan Zinc Ltd recognized as the world’s most sustainable metals & mining company for the second consecutive year at the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2024
- 44,000 T of biomass utilized in operations pan Vedanta in FY25
Enabling this is a suite of leading-edge technologies deployed across the value-chain that help keep a laser focus on energy conservation, carbon footprint, air quality, water sustainability, waste recycling, and biodiversity management.
Going a step further, the company is embedding sustainability into the DNA of its operations, through the newly launched Vedanta Academy for Sustainability (VEDAS), with over 1 lakh employees enhancing their skills and knowledge through targeted e-learning modules, workshops, and leadership-driven engagements. To inspire sustainability-first actions at the individual level, Vedanta has also rolled out an EV policy that incentivizes employees to buy electric vehicles.
Vedanta Group is a global leader in critical minerals, energy and technology operating a diverse portfolio of world-class assets. It is the world’s largest integrated producer of zinc, the third-largest global producer of silver, amongst the world’s top aluminium producers, India’s only private oil and gas producer, and one of the largest private power producers. With an eye on the future, the company is strategically expanding its business portfolio by venturing into rare earths, other critical minerals, and renewable energy.
