Conserving biodiversity for sustainable development

Aditya Birla Group's biodiversity policy has paved the way for proactive conservation and risk mitigation efforts at its manufacturing locations

Sustainability, along with business excellence and customer centricity, underpin the Aditya Birla Group’s (ABG) operating philosophy. While the Group has consistently broken new grounds in business excellence and customer centricity, sustainability remains at its core and, the key driver of business growth and profitability. The Group has provided further impetus to its sustainability agenda by weaving environmental stewardship policies and programmes throughout its business operations.

ABG’s biodiversity policy, developed in partnership with the global conservation organisation International Union for Conservation of Nature, manages biodiversity through its commitment towards No Net Loss (NNL). Based on the premise that no business can be successful at nature’s expense, NNL uses a clear mitigation hierarchy that enables the Group to avoid, minimise, rectify, and / or compensate for impacts to biodiversity from its operations.

The NNL commitment is aligned with the provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity and has led to the creation of group-wide technical standards that govern the conservation efforts.

How ABG assesses and manages biodiversity

The biodiversity standard is built on a habitat-based approach and lays out a system for individual businesses to ascertain their operational impact and take appropriate action if needed. The Group’s cement flagship, UltraTech, and its mining and metals division, Hindalco, have taken the lead on biodiversity screenings and assessments.

UltraTech and Hindalco are currently conducting proximity analyses at their sites to assess the potential biodiversity risks arising out of their operations and help them draw up a list of ‘priority’ sites. In addition, both companies are conducting assessments using information from environmental impact assessments as well as by working with expert organisations.

Both companies have also rolled out Biodiversity Management Plans (BMPs) at multiple sites. The BMPs contain measures to avoid, minimise, rectify, and / or compensate for impacts to biodiversity resulting from the cement and mining operations. As part of the BMPs, the companies also undertake native nursery development, on-site thorn forest habitat development and restoration of grasslands, among others.

Here’s a snapshot of the activities undertaken by the two companies.

UltraTech – cementing biodiversity

UltraTech has undertaken biodiversity assessment at eight of its integrated plants. The cement major aims to conduct biodiversity assessment and develop biodiversity management plans for all its integrated units by 2024.

The Purple Sunbirds

UltraTech is currently implementing the BMP at Sewagram Cement Works in Gujarat and chalked out a roadmap to implement it at other units: Aditya Cement Works and Kotputli Cement Works in Rajasthan, Rajashree Cement Works in Karnataka, and Balaji Cement Works in Andhra Pradesh. A number of biodiversity conservation-related activities have already been conducted across these locations.

For instance: to encourage local bird species like Purple Sunbirds, the team at Aditya Cement Works in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, has installed nest boxes within its garden. Meanwhile, the thorny bushes and shrubs, and mud-lined bird baths around Kotputli Cement Works in Jaipur have created the perfect habitat for another songbird, the Pied Bushcat. The team at Kotputli also takes extra precautions to protect the habitat of the majestic Nilgai.

The Pied Bushcat

As part of biodiversity conservation efforts at Rajashree Cement Works in Gulbarga, Karnataka, the plant management has created a watering hole to supply clean drinking water to a local reptile species, the Common Keeled (or Golden) Skink. It also actively preserves the Benghal Day flower, a flowering plant with medicinal properties found abundantly in the region.

Hindalco – preserving nature’s glory

Hindalco, the world’s largest aluminium rolling company has implemented biodiversity management plans at 15 out of its 48 locations in India and aims to extend it to all by 2030.

Some of the near-term actions taken by Hindalco include green belt development and plantation practices. Assessments for construction of green belts at all Hindalco sites with a special focus on biodiversity enhancement have also been conducted. At present, these green belts cumulatively span an area of 4672.2 acres and house nearly 3.2 million trees.

One such green belt is located at Hindalco’s open cast mine at Kathautia, Jharkhand, where 110,000 saplings have been planted by the team. Since the mine is located close to wildlife hotspot, the management has undertaken activities to nurture the scrubland, forest, and water bodies with positive results. During winters, the mining pits turn into water reservoirs and serve as a haven for a host of bird species such as Bar Headed Geese and the Common Chiffchaff, etc. Jackals, too, are found in the forests surrounding the mine.

Bar Headed Geese

Common Chiffchaff

At its Lapanga site in Sambalpur, Odisha, Aditya Aluminium’s team has started a nursery to grow threatened plant species. The nursery now boasts about 1000 species. The team has also grown shrubs to rear the butterfly population and installed earthen nests to help the bird population to multiply.

The Aditya Birla Group’s attempts to preserve and promote biodiversity at its locations are driven by a conviction that sustainability is not just the ‘catchphrase of the year’, and that businesses themselves would be better served by embracing sustainable models that generate profits while ensuring the welfare of people and the planet.

Source:
www.ultratechcement.com
Hindalco Annual Integrated Report

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