by ABFRLadmin | April 22, 2022
Earth Day22 recognises our planet not as an afterthought in business, but as a crucial investment. With the theme for the year Invest in our Planet it urges global industries to care for the planet. Without this investment, it is difficult to sustain any form of industry or life.
We, at ABFRL, consider sustainability as our ability to survive and thrive in the face of major megatrends and growing uncertainties. This resonates with our flagship sustainability program ReEarth For Our Tomorrow and the vision to give back more than we take from our ecosystem. With the guidance of ABGs sustainable business model, we continue to move forward in our sustainability 2.0 journey swiftly transitioning towards unlocking long-term value for the business and delivering sustainable fashion for the end-consumer.
The transition to sustainable fashion requires local actions with a focus on creating adaptable and flexible sustainable solutions. This can be achieved by establishing business models that operate at high performance, promote life cycle thinking, regional sourcing and ultimately shifting away from fossil fuels to mitigate negative impacts of business.
Investing in a Healthier Planet, the ABFRL way
Over the years, we at ABFRL are working towards decarbonizing our energy mix to drive down greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at both facility- and product-level through various initiatives. Our prime focus has been on reducing energy use and enhancing the share of renewables across operations including manufacturing units, warehouses and retail stores.
1.Harnessing Solar Energy
Before moving to renewable energy, our first goal was to reduce the active energy demand across operations. Once this was achieved, we turned to renewable energy to take care of as much energy generation as possible.
We have installed solar rooftops across select facilities and as of FY21-22, our renewable energy share stands at ~32%. Through this initiative, we have not only been able to reduce our dependence on fossil-fuels and eliminate more than 5,500 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), but also delivered tangible impact to business through cost savings.
| Fact Check: 5,500 tons of carbon dioxide nearly equals emissions generated by burning of 20 lakh liters of diesel or 25 lakh liters of petrol |
Taking our sustainability agenda beyond operational boundaries, we have extended our renewable energy initiatives across one of our model village at Sollepura, Tamil Nadu, through installation of solar street lights. We are further working towards extending our initiatives across our community space, thereby contributing in building self-sustainable and resilient villages.
| Did You Know: By 2025, we aim to achieve 50% renewable energy across operations |
2.Green Buildings:
Green Building has always been a vital pillar in continuing our ongoing environment stewardship efforts and also transitioning towards a decarbonized ecosystem. At ABFRL, we are working towards creating a built environment that is positive for people and that planet, and good for business.
| Jargon-Buster: Green building is a holistic concept that starts with the understanding that the built-environment can have profound effects, both positive and negative, on the natural environment, as well as the people who inhabit buildings every day.- US Green Building Council (USGBC) |
Across our built-environment, we have integrated sustainable practices from the design-to-construction-to-operating phase, embracing adaptable and flexible initiatives that build and operate high performance buildings. Of our total built area ~10 lakh sq.ft. is certified and 2 lakh sq.ft. is in the process of certification under green building rating systems
We are currently working towards certifying our built environment, to deliver efficient and smart buildings across operations. Going forward, we envisage to progress further by striving towards Net-zero building rating systems, ensuring Net-zero water and net-zero energy across our built-environment.
| Did You Know: By 2025, we aim to certify 100% of our built facility environment under Green Building rating systems |
3.Hybrid Technology for the Near Future
As a new initiative to scale up our renewable energy share, we are exploring hybrid (Solar & Wind) technology, which will advance our efforts in the retail space. This hybrid technology is a combination of Solar PV modules and Wind turbines for generating more electricity per square foot as compared to that from Solar PV alone. A pilot study at three select retail stores with the hybrid system capacity of ~75kWp has been initiated. The hybrid system is expected to generate over 88,000 units in a year, to reduce the carbon footprint of by ~70 tCO2e, further result in yearly cost savings of over INR 8 lakhs.
How can we minimize the impact of our actions on the Planet?
| Fact Check In India, 1 person emits more than 1.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide very year? Find out your carbon footprint to make the right choice! |
